Response to a Gulf Oil spill article online

Response to National Geographic video concerning the Gulf Oil spill and the health of the Gulf of Mexico. The video is found at the link at the end of this article on TopDocumentaryFilms.com:

I think the bigger question is, will the Earth survive US? We're throwing common sense to the wind and pursuing a course of "prosperity" over a course of ecology. The same people who are most vociferous about protecting their children are the worst polluters and resource users. Drive through virtually any American suburb and look at the houses you see; 3000-4000 square foot monstrosities that are far above what's necessary for comfortable living and individual space. Look at the trains of trash that line up at landfills to be disposed, so much of which could be recycled, a program that goes completely lacking in many rural areas that have curbside waste removal. I live in such an area and have tried for years to have the program add a simple recycling bin to the pickup, but to no avail. The woman who coordinates the plan for the county has a sinecure. She not only won't consider a recycling plan, she refuses to initiate an online payment program, meaning that there's no option for a paper-free billing process.

Like the majority of issues accelerating the destruction of our planet, greed plays the overarching role. This woman doesn't want to see her job eliminated by automation, but she's also a staunch conservative and favors the Tea Party (she had Tea Party banners and signs in her office and on the lawn). Total double standard: Cut or deny logical, resource-saving measures while insuring that she has a job forever. The same is true for the oil and coal industries, and many more.

They would rather see the Gulf saturated with crude oil than face the loss of even a single perk. I cite as reference BP's former CEO, Tony Hayward, who was disturbed by the Gulf spill only because "I want my life back", he said. Right, a privileged life free from pollution, trash, recycling bins, or those pesky people who understand that if we continue down the road we're headed, we're going to end up knee-deep in garbage, pollution, and dirty water - if any fresh water is to be had at all. But you can be certain that Tony Hayward and those who share his opinions, regardless whether they share his wealth or not, will ride this pony until it falls over dead. Dead like much of our oceans now, including the formerly-beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

National Geographic video on TopDocumentaryFilms.com found here.