It's a Problem . . . so Somebody Fix It for Me

I'm encouraged to see the reaction of a number of friends to the tragic oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico: vehemence towards BP, solidarity with those (people and animals) who are suffering, calls for a "BP boycott" to punish the at-least-negligent-at-most-malevolent corporation that is to blame (at least partially--let us not forget other parties involved, namely Transocean). Yet while well intended, these actions are ineffective and pointless in the long run.

A boycott of BP gas stations will do little. The gasoline from a given BP-branded station may or may not have come from BP. Similarly, a gas station under another brand may be selling BP gasoline. Regardless, sale of gasoline directly to everyday citizens to fill up their cars amounts to little of BP's overall revenue. Instead, the individual owners of boycotted stations will likely suffer. Ron Lieber describes how to have a real impact. Basically, use less gas (i.e. drives less), use less plastic, conserve energy, buy less stuff. Each of these actions have have a much larger effect than just switching to the gas station across the street.

But far more frustrating is the general attitude towards the issue: it is my problem, but I can't (read: won't ) do anything about it. A recent poll by the NY Times & CBS News finds

"Overwhelmingly, Americans think the nation needs a fundamental overhaul of its energy policies, and most expect alternative forms to replace oil as a major source within 25 years. Yet a majority are unwilling to pay higher gasoline prices to help develop new fuel sources." (emphasis mine)

 It would be fallacious to extrapolate this attitude towards an increased gas tax to include all taxes, fees, or other sources of revenue to fund necessary R&D. But I'd bet my hat on it. My only hope is that those unwilling to sacrifice monetarily will do so by changing their behavior instead. I'll end on an excellent Letter to the Editor by Mark Mykleby in the South Carolina Beaufort Gazette:

      I'd like to join the blame game that has come to define our national approach to the ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. This isn't the fault of BP or Transocean. It's not the government's fault. It's my fault. I'm the one to blame and I'm sorry.

     It's my fault because I haven't digested the world's in-your-face hints that maybe I ought to think about the future and change the unsustainable way I live my life.

     If the geopolitical, economic, and technological shifts of the 1990s didn't do it; if the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, didn't do it; if the current economic crisis didn't do it; perhaps this oil spill will be the catalyst for me, as a citizen, to wean myself off of my petroleum-based lifestyle.

     "Citizen" is the key word. It's what we do as individuals that counts. For those on the left, government regulation will not solve this problem. Government's role should be to create an environment of opportunity that taps into the innovation and entrepreneurialism that define us as Americans. For those on the right, if you want less government and taxes, then decide what you'll give up and what you'll contribute.

     Here's the bottom line: If we want to end our oil addiction, we, as citizens, need to pony up -- bike to work, plant a garden, do something. The oil spill is my fault. I'm sorry. I haven't done my part. Now I have to convince my wife to give up her SUV.

--Mark Mykleby