My first “oil problems” post was incredibly mean-spirited and cynical. I’m leaving it up though, because it accurately represents my frustration about the oil disaster. One of the points I was trying to make is that a lot of people seem to be missing the bigger picture…the solution to the bigger problem…how can we overcome our antiquated addiction to fossil fuels? I’m seeing a lot of posts from South Louisiana residents about how the moratorium on offshore drilling, and (desire to) move to alternative energy sources will ruin the economy there. Don’t these people realize that this oil mess has already ruined the economy there? I hope that the Federal, State and Local governments can create a massive workforce development program (through the LA workforce commission that already exists) and do some huge on the job training programs for people in the oil industry. I’d like to see this dirty industry transition to a clean one that utilizes the (clean) natural resources of the region. I’m no expert, but it doesn’t seem too far- fetched to think that all of these fabrication companies and oil-related industries have the capacity to make that change. Wind, solar, bio-fuels from the china-ball trees, algae farms…there are so many options. Maybe they could even sink some of the heavy equipment from these machine shops and create new barrier islands! Maybe my brain is coated in oil these days. I’m hoping for a positive change.

These images are from a 1967 Sinclair Oil brochure. Doesn’t seem that too much has changed since then…except now all of the oil companies have their green-washing campaigns where they claim to be developing new energy sources. But I think they all still love dinosaurs.