I’m quite sure that everyone can remember one of the most important news in last year, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, I am still following this news because I am interested in the effects of that accident and want to know how US government handles with this disaster and how recover the gulf’s ecology. However, when I read the news, namely Gulf of Mexico oil spill: Panel urges major reforms, from BBC New US & Canada, I considered that the most importance of this event might not be relevant to how we can recover the ecology, but it might be how we avoid this disaster in the future; in other words, how should government control the safety of oil industry, especially when this oil spilled occurred because of the intention of the company in cutting of cost and time.
US presidential commission investigating the spill published the report to explain that event and recommend the prevention of the same accident in the future. The report tells us that one of the root courses of this disaster is cutting corners to save time and cost of the company. Moreover, the report also tell that there are no regulatory oversight, no industry safe standard and no the spill response practices. Therefore, the report’s makers think that this disaster was preventable and foreseeable. The report recommends government to reform the drilling regulation and establish an independent drilling safety agency. After this report was established, BP Company, the owner of the oil well, agreed this recommendation which can boost industry-wide safety measures.
From this news, I don’t concentrate on how they recover Gulf of Mexico’s eco-system but I am interested in how they do next. I think this event is the wealth lesson for every country. Who do think that the accident caused by a lack of standard will happen in the leader of industrial countries? After I read it, I have a question like local Thai people in developing area whether oil well will bring benefit for Thai people or for the company. Every industry project always promise to local people that their projects will bring work positions and wealth to community, but it vice versa because local people have to suffer the pollution natural resource decrease and other drawbacks. Moreover, when there are disasters like PB’s accident, the company just pays the price and goes away but local people have suffer the disaster with little commutation. PB’s case is not different. It occurred because the company wants to save the cost and time, so the oil well’s rig is not decided for accidental preparedness while the staffs working on oil well never pay any time for preparing these accidents. The commission tries to enforce new policies for upgrading the standard of oil industry. I think it is very good policies; however I also have a question why governments did not do this before. I know that no one know this accident will happen, but I do not understand what happen about other industrial standards, such as ISO.
Now, when I compare this issue between Thailand and US. Does Thai government also consider the importance of upgrading industry standards? What will happen if the same situation happens in Gulf of Thailand? Can Thai government curb the oil spill in 6 month? Even if this policy seem too late for US, other countries sholud start to discuss about uping the standart of oil industry because cost of prevention is always cheaper that solution especially in environmental issue which very fragile and hard to recover like original.
Evey one know that oil is the important energy and the lelated industries must still operated, but they sholud be investigated closely. Hope it is not too late for locking the stable door after the oil spilled...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Before you click the blue "Publish" button for your first comment on a post, check ✔ the "Notify me" box. You want to know when your classmates contribute to a discussion you have joined.
A thoughtful response should normally mean writing for five to ten minutes. After you state your main idea, some details, explanation, examples or other follow up will help your readers.
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.