Who Can Throw the First Stone at BP? None of Us.

No kidding. And if you decide you don't want to consume lots, you don't get to compete in the American workforce, which requires lots and lots of driving.

So for the individual who actually tries to live this out, you are but a drop (of oil) in the gigantic bucket.

Doing the right thing will cost you and you won't have any reward except that of having done the correct ethical thing. But in the pursuit of the Almighty Buck, our national religion (the one our faux Christianity has been distorted to give its moral weight to) you will have become the worst sort of heretic.

Oh, well, hypocrisy is always the first refuge of the scoundrel and it is also the compliment that vice pays to virtue. So, as you were!

We know that "the American Way of Life is not negotiable" so there will be plenty of warfare to sustain what ultimately is unsustainable in the face of demands for equality from others.

Doing the right thing will cost you and you won't have any reward except that of having done the correct ethical thing.

Don't underestimate the power that individuals changing their behavior can have on society as a whole. The Bible tells us not to store up treasures on earth anyway. Jesus calls us to follow him. He doesn't say our actions will always be successful, particularly not in our time frame. I'm not looking for earthly rewards for doing the correct ethical thing.

Doing the right thing will cost you and you won't have any reward except that of having done the correct ethical thing.

Don't underestimate the power that individuals changing their behavior can have on society as a whole. The Bible tells us not to store up treasures on earth anyway. Jesus calls us to follow him. He doesn't say our actions will always be successful, particularly not in our time frame. I'm not looking for earthly rewards for doing the correct ethical thing.

Just be willing to receive an earthly punishment!

I lived on a small teacher's salary for most of my marriage. We had one tank of gas per month for our older car. I clipped coupons, headed to our nearby "metropolis" once a month where I shopped sales, bought value rated but healthy food, which filled our cupboards for a month sometimes down to the last day and the last meal.

I had one pair of new shoes, which had to go with everything, OR one new pair of jeans each year on my birthday from my mom. We used hand-me-downs, didn't vacation except to G'ma's house for Thanksgiving. Later we did swim team with the kids. Camping for six weekends at nearby towns while our kids swam their little hearts out and met other kids and kept in shape. We didn't own a microwave or t.v. or most of our furniture until well into our marriage. The furniture was mostly handed down.

We conserved on heat and electricity and water usage because we had to. My daughter still complains about how cold her room was.

I know compared to most of the world, we had it good. By God's grace we pay for what we buy. We own little, have worked hard, and don't expect a "free lunch".

So I'm asking, what part of my little world should I feel most guilty about. I'm willing to do my part to make change, but I need more than finger pointing and accusations.

King Solomon was considered one of the wisest men, yet it is my understanding he cut down most of the cedars of Lebanon.

Industry is good. Enjoying the fruit of our labors is good. Living abundant lives with moderation is good. Seeing the need for change and being willing is good.

If I could afford to buy a little parcel of land and live off the grid, totally self sufficient, that may help me. How does it help others who depend on my trade and commerce. Is it realistic. I'm tired of the blame game as if I insisted the oil corporations cut corners to pad their pockets.

Man has capacity for greatness and great capacity for evil. So I'm willing to go to bed at dusk and get up at first light and use candles. I'd even walk away from the computer. I don't think my life cries out for oil.

It does cry out for justice. And it longs for the Anointed One, who came to redeem all things back to the Father.
Psalms 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.

Yes we do grieve our loss. Lord, Creator God, give us clear insight and direction as we depend on you for wisdom and answers on where to turn and what to do. May we seek first your kingdom and your righteousness so that the things we need are given to us. Mathew 6:33

I lived on a small teacher's salary for most of my marriage. We had one tank of gas per month for our older car. I clipped coupons, headed to our nearby "metropolis" once a month where I shopped sales, bought value rated but healthy food, which filled our cupboards for a month sometimes down to the last day and the last meal.

I had one pair of new shoes, which had to go with everything, OR one new pair of jeans each year on my birthday from my mom. We used hand-me-downs, didn't vacation except to G'ma's house for Thanksgiving. Later we did swim team with the kids. Camping for six weekends at nearby towns while our kids swam their little hearts out and met other kids and kept in shape. We didn't own a microwave or t.v. or most of our furniture until well into our marriage. The furniture was mostly handed down.

We conserved on heat and electricity and water usage because we had to. My daughter still complains about how cold her room was.

I know compared to most of the world, we had it good. By God's grace we pay for what we buy. We own little, have worked hard, and don't expect a "free lunch".

So I'm asking, what part of my little world should I feel most guilty about. I'm willing to do my part to make change, but I need more than finger pointing and accusations.

King Solomon was considered one of the wisest men, yet it is my understanding he cut down most of the cedars of Lebanon.

Industry is good. Enjoying the fruit of our labors is good. Living abundant lives with moderation is good. Seeing the need for change and being willing is good.

If I could afford to buy a little parcel of land and live off the grid, totally self sufficient, that may help me. How does it help others who depend on my trade and commerce. Is it realistic. I'm tired of the blame game as if I insisted the oil corporations cut corners to pad their pockets.

Man has capacity for greatness and great capacity for evil. So I'm willing to go to bed at dusk and get up at first light and use candles. I'd even walk away from the computer. I don't think my life cries out for oil.

It does cry out for justice. And it longs for the Anointed One, who came to redeem all things back to the Father.
Psalms 42:1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.

Yes we do grieve our loss. Lord, Creator God, give us clear insight and direction as we depend on you for wisdom and answers on where to turn and what to do. May we seek first your kingdom and your righteousness so that the things we need are given to us. Mathew 6:33

Actually, ditching my car and taking public transportation to work has rewarded me in earthly ways. It's cheaper and less stressful.

The author makes a good point. How much oil has the President used making numerous trips to the Gulf for his photo-ops? How much oil do we use writing on blogs?

The author makes a good point. How much oil has the President used making numerous trips to the Gulf for his photo-ops? How much oil do we use writing on blogs?

I hope Mark Johnson is not selling the idea that we are all complicit in the Deepwater Horizon blowout.

Yes, I do drive an automobile powered by gasoline, live in a home heated with propane gas and, like most Americans, consume more than my share of the planet's resources.
But that does not make me complicit.

1. BP is a capitalist organization that exists to make as much money as possible. Everyday. Being capitalist means they are going to do that which maximizes profits, including lying, cheating, cutting corners, lying about cutting corners and as we have seen in the aftermath, BP is spending as much time and effort controlling the news as it is spending trying to clean up THEIR mess.

2. The FACTS are that BP had a failed/broken device/system 30 days or so prior to the April 20th disaster. That screwed up thing was a necessary part of drilling that super-deep well. BP did not fix it and forged ahead. They violated safety protocols right there.

3. It is a fact that BP violated safety regulations and protocols when they removed some very heavy safety fluid from the drilling pipe, fluid which was supposed to prevent exactly what happened. The removal of that fluid caused the pressure blast that sank the Deepwater Horizon and killed 11 people. Right here BP has earned Criminal Negligence and Manslaughter charges.

4. BP cut all these corners yet DID NOT HAVE A PLAN B. They went without a safety net. This just adds to Criminal Negligence and manslaughter charges.

5. BP has obstructed the gathering of essential information as they have tried to let the oil "dissipate' so they won't be fined out of existence, which I think they should be. They have created an environmental catastrophe of still unmeasured impact and instead of doing MORE to help curtail it, they are mostly interested in their PR and not experiencing consequences of the law.

6. I, nor you, nor most anybody reading this has ANYTHING to do with BP cutting all these corners. Nobody told BP to operate without a back-up plan. Nobody here has told BP to lie and to cheat and to obfuscate and obstruct.

7. The MAIN problem with the "We are all complicit" game is that it lets BP OFF THE HOOK. It says they aren't nearly as responsible for this major-league screw-up as they truly are. BP is SOLELY responsible. They should take the fall.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/16/876...

I'm not interested in throwing stones at BP for their colossal negligence but I do expect my government to hold BP entirely responsible for this preventable disaster.

I think part of the problem is that the alternative to wasteful is so frequently portrayed as an extreme return to stone-age existence, so becoming less wasteful is an easily dismissed alternative. And demanding more supply is the default position.

No one is saying that everyone should stop using fossil fuels, immediately, forever. The message is that we must at least begin really making some changes - NOW. Our supply of fossil fuels is limited, and its production and use has serious consequences for the planet, so we all need to at least start thinking about prioritizing our use, and start thinking about less harmful alternatives to use when we can.

No one HAS to use traditional light bulbs throughout their homes any more, but how many of us have switched to CFLs for most of our lighting?

No one HAS to leave all of our electronics draining power unnecessarily throughout the night, but how many of us actually turn TVs and computers completely off at the end of the day?

Hardly anyone really HAS to drive a huge, fuel-guzzling vehicle every day (I understand some people do!), but how many of us continue to choose to do so, just because we prefer big and powerful (and wasteful) to smaller and more efficient?

Most of us don't really HAVE to drive as much as we do, but how many of us continue to thoughtlessly do so, just because it's convenient? How many of us REALLY think about our driving habits, combine trips, and avoid unnecessary driving?

Most of us don't HAVE to use the tremendous amount of plastic we do in our daily lives, but how many of us are REALLY taking steps to use alternatives on a regular basis?

Most of us can use much less water than we do, but how many of us continue to leave the faucet on when we brush our teeth, clean up the kitchen, or water our lawns long after the excess is running down the street?

There is much we could be doing, but, most of us don't.

Focusing on the supposed wastefulness of others also allows us to give ourselves a pass on doing our own parts.

Jesus never asked us to gauge our response to him on what or how or how faithfully other people were doing. Our call is our call and there is no excuse for not following except our own selfishness, laziness, greed, and lack of faith.

I kind of doubt that, when my time comes to answer for my response in my life, citing Al Gore's (or anyone else's) supposed wastefulness is going to carry much weight. It's going to come down to what I chose - the life of stewardship of God's creation I was called to, or a life of waste for my own convenience.

I applaud those who are truly making an effort to live a creation-care life. But, the fact is, most of us are not.

It is true the change is not going to be easy, and that parts of our economy are going to suffer and perhaps die out. But, new sectors of our economy will develop and thrive.

And, it is true that for the foreseeable future, we are going to continue to be reliant on fossil fuels. But it is also true that we truly do need to begin making some pretty significant changes - now. And not all those changes need be onerous.

Focusing on using candles, or stopping travel altogether, or other extremities only makes it easier to ignore the real, nitty-gritty, down-to-earth everyday changes we could be making right now to begin to move away from dependence on fossil fuels.

I think we need to step forward in prayer and faith, and start working on our own individual wastefulness while at the same time supporting larger efforts to begin the transition to cleaner, less wasteful use of God's resources. I think we need to stop listening to those whose profits depend upon us remaining mindlessly dependent upon our current consumption patterns. I think we need to demand, from ourselves, from our communities, and from our nation, a real, concrete, energy policy/plan that will move us definitively towards new, clean, creative, renewable energy sources so we can be better stewards of God's planet and better brothers and sisters in Christ to each other.

I think part of the problem is that the alternative to wasteful is so frequently portrayed as an extreme return to stone-age existence, so becoming less wasteful is an easily dismissed alternative. And demanding more supply is the default position.

No one is saying that everyone should stop using fossil fuels, immediately, forever. The message is that we must at least begin really making some changes - NOW. Our supply of fossil fuels is limited, and its production and use has serious consequences for the planet, so we all need to at least start thinking about prioritizing our use, and start thinking about less harmful alternatives to use when we can.

No one HAS to use traditional light bulbs throughout their homes any more, but how many of us have switched to CFLs for most of our lighting?

No one HAS to leave all of our electronics draining power unnecessarily throughout the night, but how many of us actually turn TVs and computers completely off at the end of the day?

Hardly anyone really HAS to drive a huge, fuel-guzzling vehicle every day (I understand some people do!), but how many of us continue to choose to do so, just because we prefer big and powerful (and wasteful) to smaller and more efficient?

Most of us don't really HAVE to drive as much as we do, but how many of us continue to thoughtlessly do so, just because it's convenient? How many of us REALLY think about our driving habits, combine trips, and avoid unnecessary driving?

Most of us don't HAVE to use the tremendous amount of plastic we do in our daily lives, but how many of us are REALLY taking steps to use alternatives on a regular basis?

Most of us can use much less water than we do, but how many of us continue to leave the faucet on when we brush our teeth, clean up the kitchen, or water our lawns long after the excess is running down the street?

There is much we could be doing, but, most of us don't.

Focusing on the supposed wastefulness of others also allows us to give ourselves a pass on doing our own parts.

Jesus never asked us to gauge our response to him on what or how or how faithfully other people were doing. Our call is our call and there is no excuse for not following except our own selfishness, laziness, greed, and lack of faith.

I kind of doubt that, when my time comes to answer for my response in my life, citing Al Gore's (or anyone else's) supposed wastefulness is going to carry much weight. It's going to come down to what I chose - the life of stewardship of God's creation I was called to, or a life of waste for my own convenience.

I applaud those who are truly making an effort to live a creation-care life. But, the fact is, most of us are not.

It is true the change is not going to be easy, and that parts of our economy are going to suffer and perhaps die out. But, new sectors of our economy will develop and thrive.

And, it is true that for the foreseeable future, we are going to continue to be reliant on fossil fuels. But it is also true that we truly do need to begin making some pretty significant changes - now. And not all those changes need be onerous.

Focusing on using candles, or stopping travel altogether, or other extremities only makes it easier to ignore the real, nitty-gritty, down-to-earth everyday changes we could be making right now to begin to move away from dependence on fossil fuels.

I think we need to step forward in prayer and faith, and start working on our own individual wastefulness while at the same time supporting larger efforts to begin the transition to cleaner, less wasteful use of God's resources. I think we need to stop listening to those whose profits depend upon us remaining mindlessly dependent upon our current consumption patterns. I think we need to demand, from ourselves, from our communities, and from our nation, a real, concrete, energy policy/plan that will move us definitively towards new, clean, creative, renewable energy sources so we can be better stewards of God's planet and better brothers and sisters in Christ to each other.

Early history of British Petroleum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP
In May 1901, William Knox D'Arcy was granted a concession by the Shah of Iran to search for oil, which he discovered in May 1908. This was the first commercially significant find in the Middle East. On 14 April 1909, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) was incorporated as a subsidiary of Burmah Oil Company to exploit this. In 1935, it became the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC).
After World War II, AIOC and the Iranian government initially resisted nationalist pressure to revise AIOC's concession terms still further in Iran's favour. But in March 1951, the pro-western Prime Minister Ali Razmara was assassinated. The Majlis of Iran (parliament) elected a nationalist, Mohammed Mossadeq, as prime minister. In April, the Majlis nationalised the oil industry by unanimous vote. The National Iranian Oil Company was formed as a result, displacing the AIOC. The AIOC withdrew its management from Iran, and organised an effective boycott of Iranian oil. The British government - which owned the AIOC - contested the nationalisation at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, but its complaint was dismissed.
By spring of 1953, incoming U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to organize a coup against the Mossadeq government with support from the British government. On 19 August 1953, Mossadeq was forced from office by the CIA conspiracy, involving the Shah and the Iranian military, and known by its codename, Operation Ajax.
Mossadeq, prince (Shahzadeh) of Qajar Dynasty, was replaced by pro-Western general Fazlollah Zahedi, and the Shah, who returned to Iran after having left the country briefly to await the outcome of the coup. The Shah abolished the democratic Constitution and assumed autocratic powers.
After the coup, Mossadeq's National Iranian Oil Company became an international consortium, and AIOC resumed operations in Iran as a member of it. The consortium agreed to share profits on a 50

Boy if you guys had met my parents, you'd see conservation in action. Maybe coming through a depression is a good lesson maker. They have margarine containers that are 10 years old or more that they freeze their garden goodies in. For them it is about squeezing pennies until they scream uncle. Towels get used until they are threadbare and beyond useless. The same chicken makes three or four meals. Underwear is air conditioned, hair cuts are self imposed. If we went on vacation, we slept in the car on the way to a home we crashed at. Motels and eating out were considered terribly wasteful. Baths were two inches of water with more than one bathing and toilets were only flushed when the bath water was poured into the bowl. That way a ten year pump for the well lasted over 20 years. Deadwood heated the house and the furnace never ever came on.

Do you think prosperity is about consumption. If we prosper and think first of our neighbors who are in need of food, shelter and clothing, taking care of them first for their basic needs, perhaps we wouldn't have enough money for conspicuous consumption. But we would have walked out the gospel.

I believe prosperity is for that purpose. So cutting down so that I can give more may be a good place to start.

CFS lightbulbs are ways to cut down on energy consumption, but have trace amounts of mercury in them, which means proper recycling or disposal is necessary.

Solutions sometimes breed new problems, which aren't problems until there are consequences. Consequences in turn bring about finger pointing and blame as to why we ever allowed those new solutions to become part of our new problems.

CFS lightbulbs are ways to cut down on energy consumption, but have trace amounts of mercury in them, which means proper recycling or disposal is necessary.

Solutions sometimes breed new problems, which aren't problems until there are consequences. Consequences in turn bring about finger pointing and blame as to why we ever allowed those new solutions to become part of our new problems.

Kudos for posting this article, reminding everyone that it's not wise or godly to crucify BP, when they're trying almost everything they can to stop the spill, albeit with less success than what we would like. The way I see it, ultimately this disaster should be investigated just like we investigate plane crashes. Find out what happened, why it happened, and what needs to be done to reduce the chances of something similar happening again.

In terms of consumption, yes it is consumption that drives the production. There is a movement that's gaining proverbial steam these days where people are moving back into cities and towns, where alternatives to car based transportation are feasible. Completing the streets (making them viable corridors to walk and bike on) is something that is being phased in, albeit slowly.

Interestingly, transportation is responsible for the lion's share of the OIL used, but is responsible for like 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity generation with coal is responsible for like 40%, so cutting back on electrical demand will go a ways toward reducing global warming.

I am getting tired of reading the simplistic argument that we are all to blame for BP's excesses and failures because our WORLD runs on petroleum. When a plane crashes, we don't condemn all fliers, but instead review our safety procedures and seek improvement. Frankly, I would like to see some fresher ideas in sojo's forum.

We use petroleum because it has been cheap and abundant historically, and it is incredibly versatile (compared to its alternatives). Petroeum has been, and still is to a large extent, the most rational and efficient solution to a whole lot of problems. Petroleum makes the lives of both the rich and the poor better in innumerable ways (though it certainly causes terrible problems as well). Yes, the age of petroleum is ending but it will take us several generations to replace it. (I am not connected with the oil industry in any way.)

I use petroleum (mostly wisely) because it is the most rational choice given the options before me. My govt. is corrupt and (sometimes) evil, but I don't renounce citizenship. Our economic system is corrupt and (sometimes) evil, but I still participate in it. Ditto for my church, the kid's soccer club and school, political party, healthcare system, neighborhood association, family, etc. Society and mankind are "fallen," but we still live in the world, reform what we can, and try to make Christian choices in a corrupt world.

Even if I stopped driving tomorrow my existence will still require lots of petroleum. After walking to the grocery and drug stores I still need asphalt roads, trucks and trains, farm tractors, fertilizer, and plastic pill bottles - all petroleum based. My employer needs roads, trains, trucks and mobile customers to sell its products. As petroleum prices rise we will switch to alternatives. The alternatives will come with their own set of problems that our descendents will struggle to minimize.

I am getting tired of reading the simplistic argument that we are all to blame for BP's excesses and failures because our WORLD runs on petroleum. When a plane crashes, we don't condemn all fliers, but instead review our safety procedures and seek improvement. Frankly, I would like to see some fresher ideas in sojo's forum.

We use petroleum because it has been cheap and abundant historically, and it is incredibly versatile (compared to its alternatives). Petroeum has been, and still is to a large extent, the most rational and efficient solution to a whole lot of problems. Petroleum makes the lives of both the rich and the poor better in innumerable ways (though it certainly causes terrible problems as well). Yes, the age of petroleum is ending but it will take us several generations to replace it. (I am not connected with the oil industry in any way.)

I use petroleum (mostly wisely) because it is the most rational choice given the options before me. My govt. is corrupt and (sometimes) evil, but I don't renounce citizenship. Our economic system is corrupt and (sometimes) evil, but I still participate in it. Ditto for my church, the kid's soccer club and school, political party, healthcare system, neighborhood association, family, etc. Society and mankind are "fallen," but we still live in the world, reform what we can, and try to make Christian choices in a corrupt world.

Even if I stopped driving tomorrow my existence will still require lots of petroleum. After walking to the grocery and drug stores I still need asphalt roads, trucks and trains, farm tractors, fertilizer, and plastic pill bottles - all petroleum based. My employer needs roads, trains, trucks and mobile customers to sell its products. As petroleum prices rise we will switch to alternatives. The alternatives will come with their own set of problems that our descendents will struggle to minimize.

I expect that those who are interested in justice will hold our government responsible for letting BP create this disaster. This administration knew that BP was reckless and yet they did nothing meaningful to control that recklessness. Read "The Spill, The Scandal and the President: The inside story of how Obama failed to crack down on the corruption of the Bush years

It is true that CFS bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury and must be disposed of or recycled properly. But, I believe that is balanced by those bulbs lasting years longer than traditional bulbs do, so they need disposal or recycling much less often, and because we actually know how to safely dispose of or recycle mercury. So those issues are manageable. People can be educated on proper disposal/recycling procedures.

It is true that CFS bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury and must be disposed of or recycled properly. But, I believe that is balanced by those bulbs lasting years longer than traditional bulbs do, so they need disposal or recycling much less often, and because we actually know how to safely dispose of or recycle mercury. So those issues are manageable. People can be educated on proper disposal/recycling procedures.

I heard the author of this article on NPR, and the "spin" you have applied is not quite accurate, based on the author's own words. It was actually the Bush administration that stacked the MMS with oil corporation "friendlies". The author clearly stated that the President, and Ken Salazar, did begin to address the situation, however, in the author's opinion, they did not do ENOUGH. That's quite a different picture than the one you have painted here...I think I'll take the author's word.

If we're going to start holding government persons (Presidents, in particular) accountable for this, I would hope you would just as diligently advocate prosecuting the previous President also, for "developing" in the first place the corruption left for the current President to clean up not quickly enough to have averted this disaster.

Please! Don't even begin to compare what BP is responsible for with what the poor woman accused of adultery was threatened with by her accusers! She was a victim, probably twice, first time by whoever used her for his personal desires, and second time by self-righteous men, some of them probably guilty of the same sin, as Jesus pointed out, by the way. They were willing to stone her to death because of their sins, not hers. BP is really deserving of being stoned to death, i.e. bankruptcy, and I for one won't grieve to see it become the first oil company to die for the sake of environmental justice and for the sake of the planet. And if you'd like to check out my credentials for environmental conservation efforts, go right ahead.