OIL:

The oil is on its way to the Gulf Coast.
It is a horrible disaster. The last I heard the slick is the size of Rhode Island and growing. The shut-off valve, that should have stopped the flow from the open well, hasn't worked. The weather and water are getting rougher, and experts are saying it will take three months to get the flow to stop.
Louisiana, recently decimated by Katrina is now likely to take a major hit from the pollution headed its way. The price of shrimp will likely go up for us all.
It's easy to have a knee-jerk reaction--stop drilling or drill more, build more windmills, burn more ethanol or construct nuclear plants, open more bike paths. Each of those solutions and many others have advocates that tout their merit, but each needs to be considered on its own merits, and lack-thereof. None is the panacea enthusiasts claim. Each has a down-side.

Let's not forget that decisions on these matters involve people. Eleven people died when the oil-rig blew up. Families will lose their homes over the job lost from ruined fisheries. If the oil industry is shut down other homes will suffer. We have a responsibility to pass on a healthy world to the next generation.
Complicated?
You bet!
It reminds me of a picture I saw one time. The earth was nestled in as pair of rugged hands. The caption: "This world's a mess. Handle with Prayer."
Amen.
It's STTA.