Conrad Anker: If we drill, we spill
On July 1, Montana experienced its own version of the Gulf Oil spill of 2010 when the flood stage Yellowstone River damaged a submerged riverbed pipeline. In the hour that oil flowed, approximately 42,000 gallons of crude oil escaped downstream. Anytime oil mixes with water, be it fresh or saline, there are serious consequences. Due to the high water, the oil moved into 20 to 250 miles of delicate riparian habitat, making the clean-up process that much more difficult. It is estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of the oil will be recovered.
The overall impact, while immediately a challenge for the people downstream from the break, is an event that with cleanup and remediation will heal itself. For the 250 employees of the Exxon refinery in Billings, not having crude to refine puts their livelihood in jeopardy. All of us, regardless of how we live our lives, are dependent on the oil and the products derived from it. I drive a car, I use air transport and I consume the plastics that make our life comfortable. The Yellowstone break is a reminder that spills are part of the oil business, and that being cognizant of its impact is our first step toward addressing the future of oil.
From a long-range picture, the world’s recoverable petroleum reserves range between 40 and 100 years. To frame it in a human time frame, if you are in your late 40s, as I am, we’ll have enough to coast on by. If you are a teenager, by the time you reach retirement, there will be severe scarcity. As a leading consumer by size and per capita, the United States has an obligation to figure out the next energy source. While ethanol and tar sands grab the headlines, they are in the long run energy inefficient in production. While stopgap measures they are, they will not provide the energy the burgeoning human population will require. We need to address this in a timely manner.
Technology is both the bane of human existence and its likely savior. We have been able to increase farm productivity, travel faster and at the same time reduce infant mortality, inputs that contribute to the human population boom. If we want to leave future generations with the quality of life we take for granted, we need to get busy with energy 2.0. The first step in doing this is investing the resources into our education system – the wellspring of technological innovation.
ExxonMobil, the Texas-based corporation responsible for the Laurel pipeline, provides an essential and vital product and supports millions of jobs worldwide. Yet running oil through a 50-year-old pipeline that has been amortized begs the question, “Do they really care about our community?” The replacement pipe will be drilled 50 feet below the river bottom, ensuring that similar mishaps do not occur.
ExxonMobil can do more to move the needle toward an energy future that will not leave the next generation shortchanged. The opportunity for algae-based fuel is promising. Imagine if the Berkeley Pit in Butte were turned into a massive methane producing algae pond. These far-reaching ideas are similar to the risk oil companies take when exploring potential oil fields. Accepting and mitigating risk, be it financial or environmental, is sound business practice. Planning for these eventualities is part of doing business. Cleaning up after yourself is a value that is passed on generation to generation. If corporations are given the same right to influence the political process as individuals, they should have the same responsibilities as individuals. You make a mess, you clean up after yourself.
- Conrad Anker is a world renowned climber and conservationist.
