On the tails of a BP report stating that the Gulf spill helped the oil industry to be better prepared, one has to think that they are somewhat stating the obvious. However…there have been other spills in the past that pointed out several weaknesses and flaws in the response system, and very little was done about it. At some point, preparation on the part of the US government and oil industry will be a MUST – even if only to prevent waste of a resource that is so precious to Americans. On the side of BP, it is true that new technologies and equipments were developed for future emergencies, but on the other hand, desperation does breed innovation. The technologies were there – they just hadn’t been forced out yet. Until the fire gets really hot, a lot of companies, regardless of the industry, are neglect to do much about it.
The moral of the story is simple: Prepare for the worst. In every single case, that is what these oil companies must do. It is not too much to ask, especially considering our environment and our resources are precious to us all.
