Red Tape

The slow rate at which environmental policy is improved is certainly disheartening. There's an overwhelming amount of bureaucracy to go through. For the Environmental Protection Act to consider an endangered or threatened species, it must first be ranked. If two species have the same ranking, the species selected is the one that poses no conflict with development plans. Most of the time, the top ranked species has the support of special interest groups. Of course this process takes years to complete. It's appalling that after the Deepwater Horizon Spill, BP is asking to continue drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. BP can only drill at existing wells, but the damage to the Gulf of Mexico is still not fully known. I think it's too soon, but as long as there's a demand for oil, the environment will take a back seat. At least regulators will force BP to meet new safety requirements. If only more people understood that the environment's fate is tied with ours. Will we ever find the balance between preserving the economy and saving the environment?