I have a running debate with some of my colleagues concerning the environment and things such as offshore drilling, drilling for oil in general and the building of facilities that produce energy, such as nuclear power plants.
It's not really a debate. In fact, we avoid the subject much of the time to avoid and hard feelings.
Since I have the floor, I get to present my side. If they want to oppose, they can start their own blog.
I cherish the environment as much as anyone. Well, maybe not everyone because I'm not a fanatic. I believe that the environment and industry can get along. I've seen it done. I've also seen what can happen when industry ignores safeguarding the environment.
Years ago, when the Alaska pipeline was proposed, environmentalists were up in arms. They claimed that the pipeline, which stretched across Alaska, would destroy the habitat. In particular, they warned that the massive caribou herds would be all but wiped out, which would lead to the extinction of other wildlife such as the wolf.
What happened? The pipeline was built and the caribou herds pretty much ignored it. They graze near it, even under it in some places. Hysteria does no one any good.
On the other hand, I have seen what ignorance about the environment can do to the land. I grew up in the oil patch. Friends and family were raised in the oil camps around Seminole. The Amerada Camp, the Gulf Camp and others were home to many oilfield workers and their families.
Growing up I thought nothing of the canyons that meandered through almost every part of Seminole County. To me they were nothing more than great places to play army or ride horses. What they were, were deep gullies left by saltwater runoff from nearby oil wells, which covered what seemed like every inch of the county. We had a creek near my grandad's house that was a saltwater creek. We were always warned not to allow the horses to drink from the creek. I thought it was natural and was always curious as to why saltwater would run through our land. It wasn't natural. It had been poisoned years earlier by saltwater runoff from oil wells.
I know that there can be a balance, although a delicate one, between industry and the environment.
We had two small refineries in Seminole, Plant 12 and Plant 13. I don't know where the other 11 were. When they were in production there was a smell that permeated the town. I never thought it was a particularly bad smell, but an odor nonetheless. I once asked by granddad, who worked on a pulling unit for Guilf Oil Co. for 33 years, what the smell was. His answer: "Jobs."
We need some jobs now. President-elect Barack Obama has announced a stimulus plan that could provide some. And some of those jobs will be in the fuels industry, maybe natural gas, maybe wind and solar. Maybe even nuclear.
It's going to be controversial. But let's remember that industry and the environment can live together. Let's try not to listen too much to the zealots from both sides.
As for me, I'll never forget that smell. Jobs.
