As you may have heard, an oil rig has exploded off the Southern Coast
of the US, causing a spill almost certain to be the worst in human
history, with a potentially devastating impact on the local environment
and everything that lives in it (which would be everyone that is alive).

In the news, and in political emails, and among people’s conversations,
there is talk about what BP did wrong, how they might have prevented
it, whether the government response was quick enough, how consumers
should react….

But the truth; which almost no one wants to admit is:

This is OUR fault.

If you drive a car, ever, for any reason, you are personally responsible for the spill.

If you don’t own a car, but sometimes you borrow one, or get a ride
with a friend, or take the bus, or take a long-distance train, if you
fly or travel by ship, that oil was being drilled for you.

If you are a hard-core oil abstainer, never travel long distances, do
all short trips by bicycle, nearly everything you buy, food, clothes,
books, paper, your bicycle, the computer you are reading this on right
now,  was both produced and transported with the help of oil.

We don’t get to blame oil corporations, or government, or BP executives, and the capitalist economy.  It is US.  All of us.  

Instead of writing angry letters or boycotting a particular company,
how about taking this opportunity to use a little less oil yourself. 
However much that is, make at least a little change, and use a little
less.

Buy something used which you would normally have bought new.

Ride public transit, a bicycle, or walk, when you don’t have that far to go.

When you do drive, drive a little slower.

And stop accelerating toward red lights – it won’t get you where you are going any faster anyway.