The Oil Spill: The Debate Begins

171

July 26, 2010

Published in Le Figaro
(France) on 19 July 2010
by Pierre Rousselin (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Tabitha Middleon . Edited by Jessica Boesl.

It's been three months since America began to fight the worst oil spill in history. The first success in this titanic combat was obtained Thursday, with the 1,500 meter deep immersion of a giant, 75-ton stopper to seal off the flow of petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico.

There is no guarantee that the damaged well will withstand the pressure or that new leaks won't occur. This aggravates the problem rather than resolving it. This uncertainty says a lot about the limits of modern technology when it is confronted by problems it created itself.

After weeks of hesitation, paralysis and recrimination, the federal government and BP have begun working together. The success currently chalked up to the giant stopper was the first result of this collaboration.

We must learn from this disaster. It is too early to know what disruptions will follow, but we can trust the Americans. A huge debate about the consequences of the oil spill is already beginning.

Marée noire: le débat s'engage

Voilà trois mois que l'Amérique se bat contre la pire marée noire de l'histoire. Un premier succès dans ce combat titanesque a été obtenu jeudi avec l'immersion par 1 500 mètres de fond d'un bouchon géant de 75 tonnes pour colmater l'écoulement du pétrole dans le golfe du Mexique.

Rien ne dit que le puits endommagé résistera à la pression et que de nouvelles fuites ne vont pas apparaître. Cela aggraverait le problème au lieu de le résoudre. L'incertitude en dit long sur les limites de la technologie moderne, lorsqu'elle est confrontée aux problèmes qu'elle se crée elle-même.

Après des semaines d'hésitation, de paralysie et de récriminations, le gouvernement fédéral et la compagnie pétrolière BP se sont mis à travailler ensemble. Le succès remporté jusqu'ici par le bouchon géant est un premier résultat de cette collaboration.

De ce désastre, il faudra tirer tous les enseignements. Il est trop tôt pour connaître les bouleversements qui en découleront, mais on peut faire confiance aux Américains : un vaste débat sur les conséquences de la marée noire s'engage.

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