spill map

You’d think that the environmental protection or “Climate Bill” might be shored up (excuse the terrible pun) by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which will likely overtake the Exxon Valdez as the USA’s worst oil spill.  In fact, the latest news from the spill involves the shutdown of all fishing in the entire Gulf area (see this story from the Houston Chronicle).

“More than 6,800 square miles of federal fishing areas, from the mouth of the Mississippi to Florida’s Pensacola Bay were closed for at least 10 days on Sunday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco says government scientists are taking samples from the waters near the spill to determine whether there is any danger.”

So…all of this should help pass the Climate Bill, right?  After all, the Climate Bill is about alternative energy, right?  And after all, the Climate Bill is about protecting the environment, right?

Think again.

As it turns out – and this is politics, folks – the bill calls for new offshore drilling; this was one of the concessions made to help build consensus for the bill.  Project managers know that a hybrid of compromise and collaboration often are what’s needed to get things done – and that’s what happened here.

But in this case, the inclusion of new offshore drilling in the light of this catastrophe will probably end up killing the bill, which is already stalled, puttering, and nearly dead anyway.

A good story on this situation appeared in the wire services (AP) and you can find that full story here.


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