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Dirty Oil: One Step forward and two steps back
- By John Kitsco
- Published 04/9/2010
- Doing Good Daily
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Rating:
I was reading an article somewhere about the various concerns
for dirty oil (as it seems to be referred to these days). Yet, that
precious commodity had the status of black gold for the longest
time. Tough oilpatch roughnecks braved insane conditions to make this oil possible. Oil exploration companies are now told that the oilpatch must revert to such things as gray water (used water) and make other critical changes. Concern about air pollution, concern about safety and health issues. The list goes on. And no doubt the oil industry has bent over backwards so to speak, trying to please. trying to co-habitate with the rest of us mere mortals.
I have had the opportunity on more than one occassion to fly over drilling rigs, strip mining locations, areas being utilized for crude oil, expansion of natural gas fields and other similar projects - and what is ignored - and perhaps ill-appreciated would be the genuine effort made by the oil and gas industry to appease the people, make the end result acceptable, and with great cost of research and applied science techniques - the oil
and gas industry (I am convinced) really does try. And where
Government earlier decided to try to ignore some of the methods used, now its a turn-around, one step forward and two steps back. Now its about global markets, about new technology. Finding ways to enhance the industry and keep up with those who would best be described as militant anti-oil folks. Thus,
Government now tells the industry what is fair, what is not. What is acceptable and what needs to be improved. Oil executives move into a defensive stance, stock brokers continue to pitch everything from heating oil to selling gas shares when prices are low. Consumers watch the gas gauge and hope its all gonna get a quick fix from someone somewhere down in Texas. Hmm.
No doubt there were times when an over-zealous oil and gas industry did not give the birds and fish and wildlife enough attention and perhaps they still can improve in this department
(even with the issue of sour gas being too close to rural neighbors) - but the mother of invention and necessity has taught everyone a simple lesson - that being - we all need to survive in a world that does not stop growing (in population) and we all still need oil (as long as its available) - dirty, or not....
for dirty oil (as it seems to be referred to these days). Yet, that
precious commodity had the status of black gold for the longest
time. Tough oilpatch roughnecks braved insane conditions to make this oil possible. Oil exploration companies are now told that the oilpatch must revert to such things as gray water (used water) and make other critical changes. Concern about air pollution, concern about safety and health issues. The list goes on. And no doubt the oil industry has bent over backwards so to speak, trying to please. trying to co-habitate with the rest of us mere mortals.
I have had the opportunity on more than one occassion to fly over drilling rigs, strip mining locations, areas being utilized for crude oil, expansion of natural gas fields and other similar projects - and what is ignored - and perhaps ill-appreciated would be the genuine effort made by the oil and gas industry to appease the people, make the end result acceptable, and with great cost of research and applied science techniques - the oil
and gas industry (I am convinced) really does try. And where
Government earlier decided to try to ignore some of the methods used, now its a turn-around, one step forward and two steps back. Now its about global markets, about new technology. Finding ways to enhance the industry and keep up with those who would best be described as militant anti-oil folks. Thus,
Government now tells the industry what is fair, what is not. What is acceptable and what needs to be improved. Oil executives move into a defensive stance, stock brokers continue to pitch everything from heating oil to selling gas shares when prices are low. Consumers watch the gas gauge and hope its all gonna get a quick fix from someone somewhere down in Texas. Hmm.
No doubt there were times when an over-zealous oil and gas industry did not give the birds and fish and wildlife enough attention and perhaps they still can improve in this department
(even with the issue of sour gas being too close to rural neighbors) - but the mother of invention and necessity has taught everyone a simple lesson - that being - we all need to survive in a world that does not stop growing (in population) and we all still need oil (as long as its available) - dirty, or not....
