Oil Firms Still Have an Influence

185

January 6, 2011

Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 4 January 2011
by Andreas Kraft (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Sean Thacker. Edited by Gheanna Emelia.

It was the worst environmental catastrophe in the history of the U.S. Now, nine months later, they seem to have already forgotten it.

The U.S. government is promising oil firms that they will soon be able to drill in the Gulf of Mexico again. Environmentalists are astounded by this, but there is a particular reason for it: lobbyists are throwing a fit.

About a third of the oil in America comes from the waters of Louisiana, the area that was hit the hardest by the oil catastrophe, and only has two main industries: oil and fishing. Shrimpers and oyster farmers still haven’t recovered from the catastrophe. As recently as the end of November, fisheries were closed once again.

That’s why there is even more pressure to, at the least, turn the fishing industry around again. But, at most, that can only help the region for now. The oil reserves will be depleted at some point, while shrimps and oysters are coming back and attracting tourists. Many people in Louisiana know this and they’re the ones Washington should be listening to — not the corporations.

Es war die größte Umweltkatastrophe in der Geschichte der USA. Nun, neun Monate später, scheint sie vergessen

Die US-Regierung stellt Ölfirmen in Aussicht, dass sie bald wieder im Golf von Mexiko bohren können. Umweltschützer mögen sich an die Stirn greifen, doch das Einlenken Washingtons hat vor allem einen Grund: Die Lobby tobt.

Rund ein Drittel des in den USA geförderten Erdöls stammt aus der Tiefsee. In Louisiana, das von der Ölkatastrophe am härtesten getroffen wurde, gibt es im Prinzip nur zwei Wirtschaftszweige: die Ölindustrie und die Fischerei. Shrimpsfischer und Austernzüchter haben sich aber noch immer nicht von der Katastrophe erholt. Erst Ende November wurden wieder Fischgründe gesperrt.

Umso größer ist daher der Druck, wenigstens den zweiten Wirtschaftszweig wieder in die Spur zu bringen. Doch das kann der Region höchstens mittelfristig helfen. Die Ölvorkommen werden irgendwann erschöpft sein. Shrimps und Austern wachsen nach und locken Touristen an. Das wissen auch viele Menschen in Louisiana. Auf sie – und nicht auf die Konzerne – sollte Washington hören.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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