Tragedy of the Blowout

Tragedy does exist, the ecological catastrophe in the Gulf proves that. All that is inevitable and hopeless about human failings came together in one hole in the floor of the ocean. Theatrical tragedy is meant to teach us that the heroes can find epiphany and that audiences can find catharsis. In real life, our heroes, corporate executives and politicians, are still in denial and so we the audience still wait for the end of this drama.

The setting is simple and starts with a tragic error. On April 20, BP's Deepwater Horizon platform was drilling in mile-deep waters when the carefully balanced pressure in the well rose sharply. The crew objected but was ordered to continue drilling. The blowout preventer, meant to control the pressure, malfunctioned. The backup blowout preventer had been waived. The ensuing blowout of oil and gas exploded, killing 11 members of the crew and sinking the rig.

The flawed heroes continue the series of mistakes based on who they are. BP was the industry's most flagrant safety violator, with the number of “egregious willful” violations hundreds of times greater than anyone else. BP's profits last year were almost $17 billion and in the first quarter of 2010, $6.1 billion, double the amount of the previous year.

The media is covering the drama as it unfolds further. BP applies its various technologies to the well. None of them are successful. Long-term hopes rest on drilling a relief well that will intercept the oil flow below ground. BP says this is a “sure fix” but the federal government doesn't believe BP and orders them to start drilling a second relief well. They are unlikely, in any event, to be able to intercept the flow until the end of August. We can then expect, at a minimum, another 1.5 million barrels of oil to contaminate the Gulf. This minimum estimate of contamination will be among the 10 largest in history.

In true tragedy, the consequences have to be out of proportion even to the mistakes made.

The economic and social consequences are unimaginable and we are able to imagine 10 to 20 years and trillions of dollars. As horrendous as that is, the real fear is where the Caribbean and Atlantic currents will carry the oil. A Caribbean current just south of the blowout flows into the Gulf Stream going north along the Atlantic coast. This could carry the oil this summer as far north as the Carolinas where the Outer Banks, experts say, would act as a protective barrier for the wetlands, as though the Outer Banks themselves do not matter.

Hurricane season is upon us. From Florida to Texas, there is no limit to the impact of this tragedy.

The causes and consequences of this blowout are not just catastrophic, they are classic tragedy. In classic tragedy, the flaw in the hero is inherent in the virtues that make him the hero. The glorification of profit, the pride in American exceptionalism and the childlike wonder in our technology are the virtues and flaws that have turned on us. Greed enabled by the corruption of politics led us to abuse technology to the breaking point, and beyond.

All the players share the stage and play their part. BP in its voracious greed cut every corner, the Minerals Management Service in its political responsiveness gave every waiver and the team on board the Horizon platform in its hubris was way beyond its depth and completely innocent of the forces it was dealing with.

Our governing elite, our corporate executives and the politicians they support, and the American public are still in denial. The flawed heroes do not recognize that the excess in their pursuit of virtue is what brought on the tragedy. BP says it was just making a profit the way everyone else was and like any tragic hero, the BP CEO asked right on cue: “Why the hell did this happen to us?”

This tragic scenario hit us first in the energy and environmental sector but its preconditions exist in the nature of our society, in the military-industrial complex, the information technology sector and healthcare. The tragedy will continue to play out until we recognize that our virtues contain our flaws.

The increasing turmoil in our politics and economics and the sudden willingness to challenge the status quo may be a sign of recognition that hubris begets nemesis and pride goeth before a fall.