President Obama:
The bottom line is this: Every decision we make is based on a single criterion -– what’s going to best protect and make whole the people and the ecosystems of the Gulf.How do you make whole the people who were killed? How do you make whole the people whose businesses have been devastated? How do you make whole an ecosystem whose whole food chain has been thrown horribly out of whack?
You don't. Once it's broken you can't repair it. This is not like fixing a car after a wreck by putting on a new fender. Either the President is making glib promises or he doesn't yet realize the enormity of what has happened.
Is it similar to the Exxon Valdez disaster? However no one died there as far as I know.
ReplyDeleteNo one died when the Exxon Valdez hit the reef, whereas 11 died when Deepwater Horizon exploded. But we should also consider the people who died sooner due to the Exxon Valdez - whether from physical or mental health problems stemming directly from their involvement with the spill.
ReplyDeleteThe area in Prince William Sound had a much smaller population in the area and far less oil was spilled yet it has had an enormous and long lasting impact.
The final suit (I think) against Exxon only got settled last year - 20 years after the event.
Jurisdiction in Hungary is slow as well.
ReplyDeleteOn Geography class we watched a documentary about this event. Our teacher gave us quite a diverse knowledge.