Some journalists are comparing BP’s oil spill debacle in the Gulf of Mexico to war. Quite right.

We’re at war with the oil leak and we’re at war with the devastation caused by the oil. We’re still trying to figure out how the heck to muster up our defenses.

A long string of mistakes and failures lie in our (oily) wake. It seems no one — not big oil, not the federal government — no one has the know-how to stop the leak now, right now. And no one has the know-how to protect our environment and wildlife from the effects of the oil as it spreads.

As if two battlefronts were not enough, we’re also in an awkward conflict with ourselves regarding our ever-increasing need for oil. In fact we must have so much oil that we’re willing to allow Big oil to drill a mile below the surface of the Gulf in order to try to get it.

Oil is not a renewable source of energy, as all those tree-hugging environmentalists are still patiently trying to teach us. Oil is finite, there’s only so much of it available.

We’ve long ago tapped out the oil fields that were easy to reach. But there’s plenty more oil down there, we argue with ourselves. Oil that remains today is far more difficult and costly to access, and – as BP has so boldly demonstrated – is beyond the reach of our current technology.

We may be able to reach a mile under the surface with high-tech equipment, but not one of the Big oil companies, and especially not BP, has produced a substantial or realistic contingency plan for stopping the Gulf’s blowout. One could argue here that Big oil has never been made to come up with one by government regulations.

Who’s to blame for the situation in the Gulf?

First on the list is ourselves. We have what could be diagnosed as an uncontrollable addiction to cheap oil. We’ve long since lost our innocence about the destruction it continues to wreak on us, our children, our grandchildren, etc.

And it’s our addiction that has enabled our government to keep regulations loose on Big oil. So it follows suit that the already fine line between big business and big government is now blurred beyond recognition.

Next you can blame BP for their job performance failures and subsequent (alleged) lying, obstruction of justice, destroying of evidence; generally behaving like your everyday big business without adult supervision.

BP is merely another hungry shark corporation, with a sole reason for existence is to make as much money as possible, as fast as possible. Million dollar fines are not sufficient deterrents when there are billions of dollars in profits involved.

There is no way corporations will regulate themselves. Without firm federal regulations, including severe lobby reform, they will never remember their responsibility to the public good.

What can we do to avoid this type of catastrophe from happening again?

We can wean ourselves off oil. Each one of us can get involved right now. We can dust off a little of that all-American “can-do” spirit.

The most obvious way to do something is to simply conserve more. The best way to conserve energy is not to use so much of it. Walk or ride a bike whenever possible, or share rides or use public transportation. When buying a car, consider buying one with the best gas mileage possible, or buying a hybrid.

Consider alternatives to heating oil. Take your own grocery bags and a full grocery list to the store with you. Consider championing other forms of renewable energy from the sun, wind and water.

Another way we can do something to wean ourselves off oil is to put constant pressure on Congress. They should be stepping up to the plate and using BP’s disaster as leverage to make changes toward using renewable energy resources. Congress needs to pass a bill addressing our oil addiction and its destructive effect on life.

Comments are welcome at marylin.olds@gmail.com.