Heal the Wounds, Hide the Scars
Digging through a small wooden box in which I keep a lot of mementos of the last century, I came across a William Spear-designed pin commemorating the March 24, 1989, Exxon Valdez tragedy. I was big on pins celebrating one cause or another in those days. And like bookmarks to measure what we've lost and wristwatches to tell us what time it isn't, this pin combines those two concepts into a reminder of what was and what might have been. And it adds an element of what still is and what might be. It depicts a simple, oil-stained eagle feather.
Before the oil had washed away and the smoke cleared, Exxon paid about $300 million to the people affected by the spill. The courts set the damage figure at $287 million. Exxon also paid $2.2 billion for the clean-up efforts, until 1992 when the U.S. Coast Guard and State of Alaska declared the cleanup complete.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline continues to supply about 17% of the U.S. domestic oil production.
A couple years ago, on the 15th anniversary of the beaching of the oil tanker on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council issued a progress report. Instead of direct intervention, such as rearing and releasing seabirds, the trustee council focused on gaining knowledge and ensuring good stewardship as the best tools for fostering the long-term health of marine ecosystems.
Given all the human-inflicted environmental disasters we've had since March 24, 1989, including a couple of wars, the Exxon Valdez exercise is beginning to look like a fading oil spot on the garage floor.
We're paying a high price for our endless love affair with the automobile. To paraphrase President Bush, however, we'll just leave it to our children and grandchildren to resolve when we should end this affair.
Digging through a small wooden box in which I keep a lot of mementos of the last century, I came across a William Spear-designed pin commemorating the March 24, 1989, Exxon Valdez tragedy. I was big on pins celebrating one cause or another in those days. And like bookmarks to measure what we've lost and wristwatches to tell us what time it isn't, this pin combines those two concepts into a reminder of what was and what might have been. And it adds an element of what still is and what might be. It depicts a simple, oil-stained eagle feather.
Before the oil had washed away and the smoke cleared, Exxon paid about $300 million to the people affected by the spill. The courts set the damage figure at $287 million. Exxon also paid $2.2 billion for the clean-up efforts, until 1992 when the U.S. Coast Guard and State of Alaska declared the cleanup complete.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline continues to supply about 17% of the U.S. domestic oil production.
A couple years ago, on the 15th anniversary of the beaching of the oil tanker on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council issued a progress report. Instead of direct intervention, such as rearing and releasing seabirds, the trustee council focused on gaining knowledge and ensuring good stewardship as the best tools for fostering the long-term health of marine ecosystems.
Given all the human-inflicted environmental disasters we've had since March 24, 1989, including a couple of wars, the Exxon Valdez exercise is beginning to look like a fading oil spot on the garage floor.
We're paying a high price for our endless love affair with the automobile. To paraphrase President Bush, however, we'll just leave it to our children and grandchildren to resolve when we should end this affair.
No comments:
Post a Comment