BP Oil Spill Big Ideas That No One Notices

For many generations, the world looked in admiration towards the United States, simply because we were known for "can do big ideas" that made everyone take notice. We were considered among the best, the most innovative, and the most "can do" people on the globe. As time passed, we perhaps in many ways, rode the coat-tails of our former success. It's kind of gotten to the point where "us and our big ideas" are diminished or even become a way of the past.

Now, it isn't that we don't have smart people. It isn't that we don't have technological know-how. It isn't that we don't have people with good and sound innovative ideas. However, something has dramatically changed. Today there are so many road blocks in the way of these big ideas ever getting off the ground -- ideas that could possibly change this world from the downward spiral that it currently seems to be hell bent upon.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think it makes a whole lot of us feel quite helpless -- particularly in the darkness of slimy death enveloping our Gulf Coast shores with the whole BP oil disaster mess. It's like standing upon the shore watching an leery previously unknown slowly fog approaching. No one quite knows what to do, because fog simply isn't something we ever had to deal with, let alone have a plan to do something about.

For a few, however, it's all way too similar to how down here in along the Gulf of Mexico, where we've always had in place, evacuation plans for hurricanes. We even rehearsed them so many years in a row without a major hurricane happening, that when they did strike with Hurricanes Charley and Katrina -- we lost all sense of common sense -- and laughed in the early days before those hurricanes re-taught us all the fury of Mother Nature.

In the aftermath of those two hurricanes, many across the nation and beyond, watched in horror and shook our heads in disbelief. Many people quickly mobilized to did what they could to help. Yet, despite best intentions and out-dated plans of action -- people died, suffered, and continue to deal the consequences of those natural made disasters. Moreover, it left a whole nation very much aware that we couldn't really count on anyone, especially our government to "save us" in the face of such gigantic disasters. It left a whole lot of us feeling quite helpless.

Similarly, for quite some time now, we've helplessly watched the news of the billowing BP oil leak spurt endlessly and images of helpless creatures large and small, covered in the oily slime. The "big" question on just about everyone's lips is, "When are they going to stop this horrible leak!"

People near and far want to help. We all need to help the residents of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida -- for the worst of this is yet to come. Just about everyone you meet has their own "theory" about how to stop the leak or how to clean up the salt marshes and the water. In a nation where people can be easily inspired to roll up their sleeves and throw themselves into "helping" there is no shortage of willing man, woman, and child power.

People are calling the White House. People are calling the Washington Post. Other countries with experience in such things are offering help (and being refused), which really makes you wonder if some in power really want to stop this leak. People are posting their clean up and oil shut off ideas on Youtube and Facebook. They are contacting the various state agencies of Emergency Management. People are contacting the different state governor citizen service offices. They are calling every association they can, from the United Way to Merchant Marine Captains Associations, to the Deepwater Horizon Response Unified Command.

Then, there are the people who are mobilizing to clean up the beaches (even when the oil hasn't yet appeared), collecting mountain of Dawn dish detergent, making booms out of undies, making booms out of hair, hay, and whatever else might work. Trouble is, they've got no where to send them to, or anyone who will listen to what they have to offer and accept.

There are also big ideas that defy imagine -- all from people who honestly and sincerely want to help. I've even read this week about an octogenarian gentleman who decided that Epson salt was the right way to go in cleaning oil drenched birds. His wasn't just a theory -- he tested it out, and claims complete success. This of course, leaves me with the troublesome mental picture of someone dumping motor oil on a poor bird just to be sure their idea worked. Maybe it did work, but still. . . . I'm just saying . . . . and hoping and praying he didn't do what I think he did.

In short, people are offering ideas to any one who is willing to listen and thanks to the broken down state-of-affairs in this country. Trouble is, even the very rich and powerful, like Kevin Costner, who have ideas and actual technology to offer -- have encountered red tape, bureaucracy, and road blocks from everyone they've contacted -- just like everyone else with big ideas.

A lot of people in this country are TV news junkies. I'm married to one. He's a retired railroader and has a lot of time on his hands. He might be an old farm boy, but he's a deep thinker. Thus far, he's up to plan #11 to shut off the BP oil leak.

Now, I don't know much, but I do know that some of his simple plans are just as good as some of the big ideas I've been hostage to, as he watches endless news shows and their parade of so-called experts. The best of his ideas involved old time technology, the same as you would for shutting off the chimney in your fireplace with a chimney damper system. Makes sense when he explains the simple science. Then, there is his much more complex bladder system that reminds me of the fact that he never took any higher science classes. Maybe they would work, maybe not. The only place he has to send his ideas to are me, so that too is problematic.

Someone, or several someones already know how to not only stop the leak, but a whole lot about how to clean up some of the oil spill -- and they all deserve to be heard and seriously paid attention to. Some how our leaders in this country need to understand that there isn't time for bureaucratic studies, moratoriums, profitable permitting processes and the like -- we need action now.

My Cajun mama, Ginn Navarre, always challenged her children to offer a solution whenever you bring up a problem that concerns others. I personally don't have any solutions to offer up -- however, I am smart enough to help educate those who don't know much about the Gulf shore regions -- in the history and absolutely unique sets of considerations that their potential solutions must take into consideration. Nowhere else in the United States do we have, or will we ever have, the same set of circumstances that come into play than we do in the Gulf of Mexico and the states that will be affected by this BP oil disaster.

It is mind boggling that politics as usual, and special interests as usual -- will doom this fragile key natural resource area and potentially be the final straw in our already teetering house-of-economic-cards. With hurricane season upon us, time is running out -- that is the one thing we all should know.