Remediation, with our money
Earlier this afternoon, we went for a walk along our nearby trail. The old railway right-of-way, recycled into something less dependent on regular maintenance, proves a point. In the right circumstances, industry doesn’t always leave chaos behind.
Now, do a deep contrast with the oil and gas industry, right across the country. Care to venture a guess at the number of abandoned wells? The industry doesn’t want to say. Instead, we’re told that they have plans to fix up the mess. Plans, unrealized.
What brought this to mind was coming across a story from a couple of years ago, where the question about what will happen to windmills, when the individual units no longer function, was presented. The naysayer was going to great lengths to tell the world that we’re on the brink of environmental tragedy. Sounds like someone projecting (especially given the likely ties to the oil trade).
I figure we can clean up almost anything (nuclear might be trickier), if the requirement exists. It’s only three decades since the trains went away, and other than a trail through the woods, you won’t find much to remind you. Someone required cleanup, and it happened. Now, let’s convince ourselves that oil wells require the same level of recuperation. And then make it a requirement.
How about if, from this point forward, the only government subsidy to big oil was as part of cleaning up the mess. If the industry says it can’t make money under those circumstances, let them leave. And do use the part of the budget already allocated to lining their pockets, to remediate. It can work.
