NARRAGANSETT, R.I.—The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not far from the minds of Rhode Islanders who remember the North Cape oil spill.
The spill in the gulf threatens wildlife and livelihoods, and the Sierra Club of Rhode Island is taking the disaster as motivation to work to prevent future catastrophes.
“We need to be moving away from oil. So that means things like wind—and we’re talking about wind here in Rhode Island. But we need to talk about solar. We really need to talk about energy efficiency because that’s how we’re going to reduce our energy dependence,“ Abel Collins of the Sierra Club said.
Collins and his group also want to see that the owners of the rig in Louisiana pay for the cleanup and damage, and they want no more drilling offshore. They also want a new energy policy that moves toward safe, renewable energy sources.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed agrees. Speaking Monday at Save The Bay, Reed pointed out that Rhode Islanders have their own experience with oil spills. The North Cape barge spill contaminated South County beaches 14 years ago.
Reed said there is no need for further proof that the U.S. must move beyond oil and gas for fuel. He also said it’s time also to hold oil companies responsible for the damages their actions cause.They can surely afford it, he said.
“BP is a company that had $5.5 billion in profits for the first quarter of 2010. They should be able to absorb this cost. Not just the direct cost of stopping the spill, but the indirect costs to the coast and the environment of gulf,“ Reed said. “They must be held accountable.“
Reed is pushing a bill in the Senate that would raise the economic damages liability of oil companies from $75 million to $10 billion.
http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/news/local/local_govtpolitics/article/sierra_club_calls_for_new_energy_policy/36413/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
