The BP Oil blow-out didn’t need to happen. Not at all.

First, an accusation. BP Oil is not the only major polluter responsible for the Gulf spill.

Second, some numbers.

According to US Geological Survey figures, 12,000 - 19,000 barrels of oil per day have been gushing from the blow-out that occurred about 1,600 meters below the Gulf’s surface.

It’s perhaps as high as 25,000 barrels per day.

Third, some damning figures from ‘The Politics of Oil (see Read This, side margin).

“The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report entitled “Responsible Energy Policy for the Twenty-First Century” in March 2001. The report concluded that by raising fuel-economy standards by 60 percent in the US, automobile oil use could be reduced by 51 billion barrels.


["Car pool one day per week, conserve 20 per cent of your fuel."]

“Another 5.8 billion barrels could be saved if the US required fuel-efficient replacement tires. The savings is based on improving cars’ efficiency to 45 mpg and light trucks’ to 34 mpg.

“Technology that matches these goals has already been developed and is in use in other countries.”

Why did I say these figures are damning?

If BP Oil captured 25,000 barrels of escaping oil per day they would capture 9,125,000 barrels in one year. After refinement, the number of barrels for automobile use would be about half that amount, say 5 million barrels. (Less than that if you subtract the refined oil needed to fuel the refining process).

Fuel-efficient tires would save 5.8 billion barrels in the 21st century, or 58,000,000 barrels per year.

Fuel efficient cars would save 51 billion barrels in this century, or 510 million barrels per year.

Both fuel efficiencies dwarf BP’s production in the Gulf.

North Americans don’t need to be polluting the Gulf in this century. So, why are we there?

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