It has been nearly 5 weeks since oil started spewing into the Gulf of Mexico and onto our shores. Millions of gallons, miles of polluted coastline, and more than a month later, the consequences of our oil addiction are as clear as the gulf's waters once were. It has also become clear that the companies responsible for this spill were poorly prepared for this possibility. There is no question that they failed to adequately invest in the technology necessary to respond to such a catastrophe. Days have turned into weeks, while the experts continue to experiment with ways to stop the spill. We still don't know when the end will come so cleanup can finally begin. Every year, these companies rake in record profits. Then they turn and spend that money on trying to find more oil. It is time they also find safer ways to drill for it and handle it. The five top oil companies have made $750 billion in profits--over the past decade, but the amount they have invested in cleanup technologies is negligible. They have invested embarrassingly little in alternative fuels that would make us more secure both at home and abroad. I don't mind oil companies or any other company making money, but these multibillion-dollar corporations are getting rich at the expense of our national security, our economy, and our environment. Every day we pay unfriendly regimes to feed our oil addiction is a day we are less safe.
Editor's note · Context
The speaker addresses the environmental and economic impact of the Gulf oil spill and the oil companies' lack of preparedness.
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