We've got the anger. Where is the change?
Normally after a crisis, the country comes together to produce significant policy change. Traditionally, after an environmental disaster this has been true. So why in the wake of the Gulf oil disaster aren’t people coming together to overhaul our energy policy?
Eighty-two days have passed since the BP spill in the Gulf, and oil is still gushing. The Senate hasn’t produced a strong climate bill and doesn’t seem as if it’s going to. Despite anger and outrage toward BP that have led to protests and boycotts, the demand for gasoline is increasing, not decreasing.
According to a Washington Post article ,“53 percent of people said they were worried about climate change. That was only slightly different from January, and still down from 63 percent in 2008.”
How can people not be worried about climate change at a time like this? In 2010, not only have we witnessed the most catastrophic oil spill on record, but we also witnessed the worst coal-mining disaster in 40 years. Shouldn’t the public be more concerned about climate change and fossil-fuel energy?