CRYING OVER SPILT OIL

I've been a bit consumed lately with rehearsals for Sarah, Sarah but it seems to me that every time I turn on the TV now, every other story is about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The latest estimate is that the damage is likely to exceed the infamous Exxon Valdez spill. Oil is gushing forth into the Gulf at the rate of 5,000 barrels per day and the oil company's best guess for how long it might take to stop that flow runs between ten minutes and 90 days. As I write, the oil has reached the Louisiana shoreline with its ultra-sensitive wetlands.

What's wrong with this picture? You know, the government requires that the Pico Playhouse, our theatre, to have two emergency exits. Not only that, it is also required to make an announcement at the beginning of every show, telling people where they are. Wouldn't you think that a functional government would require at least an equivalent amount of safety precaution from an oil company? Is this the first explosion ever on an off-shore oil rig? Is this the first time oil has ever spilled into the ocean, devastating both the environment and the people who depend on it for their living? Why does everyone look so surprised.?

Oil industry accidents are totally predictable! In order to get a license, oil companies should be required to have emergency plans and emergency equipment in place BEFORE emergencies occur, so that damage is at least minimized? The government requires drivers to carry insurance, it requires dog owners to pick up after their dogs. Shouldn't the oil industry, which enjoys more profits than any industry in the world, be required to meet this minimum safety standard BEFORE they get a license to drill? This is not rocket science.