Purrs 4 Peace Week 48: Stop the oil that keeps on spilling.

“Our environmental problems originate in the hubris of imagining ourselves the central nervous system or the brain of nature. We’re not the brain, we are a cancer on nature.” - Dan Foreman

A month after the explosion the Transocean Deepwater oil rig (leased to BP) on April 20th that killed 11 people, the oil spilling into the gulf of Mexico continues. No one can say with certainty how much oil has made its way into the ocean and how much is being added every day. No one can really say how the continuing spill is to be stopped. No one can say with certainty how much the response/cleanup will cost. That is the problem. No one can say. What we know for certain is that coastal Louisiana, The Gulf of Mexico’s ecosystems, and perhaps even the East coast of the U.S. will never be the same. Thousands if not millions of animals, fish, and birds have or will suffer and die. For what. As usual the culprits are greed, corruption and neglect.

The United States government has counted on corporations to police themselves with predictable results. Naturally a corporation, which has as its reason for being the making of profit, will behave in a way to maximize that profit which includes cutting out costs of measures that could have prevented or minimized this event. Even more shocking the U.S. government has counted on corporations like BP and Transocean to take the lead in responding to this unprecedented event. Again the results have been predictable. The corporations are cutting corners. Failing to take action of efforts that could have limited impact. For example, failing to take action to establish buffers for marshland areas. Worse, the cut costs by using disbursing chemicals that in themselves are toxic and will render untold devastating effects on the ecosystem.

Drill baby drill? We are now reaping the effects of our cavalier attitudes.

I can only think of one thing I can do about this situation.....purrrrrrrrr.

Week 48 of Purrs 4 Peace details are as follows:

• Week forty-eight’s appointed time is Sunday, May 23, 2010.
• Participants should purr for three minutes commencing at 3 p.m. Eastern (U.S.) which is 8:00 p.m. (20:00 hrs.) in the U.K.
• The cat’s human staff should assist their cats with the project by stroking and nuzzling the cat at the appointed time.
• Please post your cat name and the country you purr in at www.confuciuscat.blogspot.com as a COMMENT if you are participating in this historic project. (posting a link to your own website-if you have one-is encouraged.) Or let me know by message on twitter or facebook.
• Posting purrs on facebook ( Acolytes of Confucius Cat or as friend to Alley Mason) and twitter (@ConfuciusCat) is encouraged, since it inspires purring in others, but not required. On twitter please use #purrs4peace in your tweets.

Peace * Paix * Frieden * Vrede * Pace * Paz * Shalom * Fred * Salaam * Om Shanti * Heddwch * Siochan