SPECIES, HUMAN AND OTHERWISE AND OIL

Just to look at the map which shows the length of pipeline that carries oil from
Griffith, Indiana to Sarnia, Ontario is enough to make one wonder at the arrogance of our species.

Just to read the account of how the oil spill in Michigan was discovered makes one concerned about how well we monitor and maintain oil drilling and oil delivery systems. It was people living in small communities along the Kalamazoo River who first smelled the noxious odor of gas and oil, not "internal pipeline inspection tools." It was people who first noticed the water's discoloration and oil soaked plants along river banks who knew something was wrong.

Just to hear companies promise "to make things right again," makes a mockery of our good sense as they pour disbursements to clear the oil from sight even as they poison sea life in our food chain.

We cannot undo that which is done, but we can become more aware of how much all species depend on each other. As a species, we need to respect our limitations, question promises that are less than authentic and recognize our responsibility for and toward other species.