As many people watch the aftermath of the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico on their televisions, they see the pelicans and other wildlife coated in thick oil washing up on shore. Those that survive are being rescued and cleaned by volunteers.
As the images flash in front of our eyes, the outcry against BP (British Petroleum) increases as the livelihoods of the area fishing and tourism industry have come to an abrupt halt, crippling two vital economic forces for the region.
As the outcry increases and people wonder what is going to happen to prices at the pump and the cost of the next lobster tail at an elegant restaurant, they are perhaps forgetting that 11 men lost their lives in the explosion that brought down the Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20. A recent article posted on the Internet by a wife of a worker for Transocean, who has the incredibly challenging task of capping the leak, has shed light on another side of the situation; the affected families of the workers, the families who are not only grieving the loss of loved ones and co-workers, but also facing threats from those angry at BP and those who are opposed to the petroleum industry in general.
Walking the Fence, written by a Louisiana woman whose online moniker is merely Tiffany Divine Jeane, tells the story from the eyes of an oilfield wife, whose husband is risking his own life to cap the leak.
While people protest and threaten the oil and gas industry, the writer makes a very valid point in saying that the protesters need to stop and think about what it is they are protesting. Crippling an industry that the people in North America are heavily reliant on will do nothing more than raise prices of many consumer goods, not just at the gas pump. If the industry were to slow down to a trickle, it would only lead to a higher dependence on foreign suppliers.
When people think about the oil and gas industry, they only think about it as being an energy source; but many everyday products are derived from petroleum, including ammonia, antiseptics, asphalt, plastic goods, bandages, carpet, computers, denture adhesives, heart valves, and long list of other items that one would never connect to the petroleum industry.
In the article, she writes "if you boycott us, you are making a huge mistake. You are putting thousands of men and women out of a job, you are raising the prices of everything we take for granted. You are making us depend on another country to sustain our way of life...Whaterver your decision, just quit walking the fence because it is ridiculous to think you can have it both ways."

As millions of tones of oil continues to pour into the ocean after the off-shore drilling disaster near the Louisiana coast, one has to wonder why questions were not raised earlier about these companies contingency plans.
If there is one constant in everyone’s life, it is Murphy’s Law - that is that if something can go wrong, it will.
It really was only a matter of time before something of this nature happened. The real surprise is us. You, me, the average Joe on the street and our naiveté regarding these companies. Most of us just assumed that if a leak erupted, there would be a way to take care of it. After all, we all understand that emergencies happen and the greater the task anyone undertakes, the greater the responsibility to ensure all those bases are covered.
The truth is the world needs oil and most oil companies work very hard to keep a good public profile. They give back to the communities that support them. Often they are the first to get letters requesting aid from not-for-profit organizations when there is a need - and nearly always they respond. However, in this case this particular company dropped the ball.
It’s kind of ironic when you see these radical environmentalist groups bandying around the Albertan tarsands, calling certain practices into question while ignoring what is happening right in what amounts to in many cases their own back yard. Perhaps they find it easier to protest practices on this side of the border.
Certainly we all want to ensure the environment is preserved. We live here, after all. We love the natural beauty around us. Yet the earth is here to be utilized in the best way possible, and there really is a happy medium that can be met between industry and conservation. What we, the public, are tired of are the radicals on both sides of that line.
Off shore drilling operations need to do their due diligence to ensure that anything that can spring a lead, break or otherwise mess up can also be easily repaired. Until such safeguards are in place, perhaps that facet of the industry needs to slow down. After all, they are turning over some pretty big profits, and if some of that flow of money went immediately into discovering ways to make the process utterly safe, then we would all be better off.
Meanwhile, the radicals have found the disaster they’ve been foretelling - just not where they said it would be.

From mid-May on into June the weekends are filled with festivities as graduates get the opportunity to celebrate a milestone achievement, one that generally marks the end of their years as children and brings them to the threshold of adulthood, ready to either enter the workforce or continue on towards a more distant goal requiring college and university.
It is a special time for everyone, a time to express our thanks to the people who have taught our children and inspired them, seeing their talents and encouraging them while helping them get through subjects they might have little interest in.
Teachers are special people. They care for our children for several hours everyday, from the time they are five-year-olds ready to get on the bus for the first time, proud of their new lunchkits through their ‘school? why?’ years and then seeing them finally become adults... or mostly adults anyway. They are the counterparts of parents, taking young minds and molding them, leading youth to be caring adults ready to take the world by a storm and maybe even build a brighter future for the next generation.
We also have to give a nod to our bus drivers, especially those of us who live in areas far from town. It’s good to be able to know and trust the man or woman who is carting your most precious cargo off to school and back home again over roads than are sometimes covered in snow and ice.
Then there are the coaches, the dance instructors, the karate instructors, the play directors and everyone who makes school more than classes and notebooks. They teach a different set of skills, many volunteering so the lives of these children can be enriched through sport, the arts and culture.
Parents need to give themselves a pat on the back as well.
Graduation is as much of an accomplishment for the parent as it is for the child. Most mornings mom and dad takes turns being the alarm clock, the laundress, the cook, the seamstress, the coach, the cheering section, the financial planner and sometimes the taxi driver over a number of years before a child reaches the age where he or she finally gets to set that cap on head and proudly wear that gown into a commencement ceremony. Of course, it is a labour of love, and likely more than one set of eyes will be damp during ceremonies over the next weekends while photos of our kids, from babies to teens, are showcased in gyms across the region.
And, finally, the grads themselves deserve a time to celebrate all they have accomplished.
Believe it or not, someday you’ll be telling you child about your school years, gleefully reminiscing about old friends, favourite teachers or great basketball games.
As you walk away from your childhood, remember all those who helped make you who you have become, who love you and continue to be your favourite fans, who will always be in your corner, cheering you on.
So have fun - but celebrate safely. You are cherished and loved. People are proud of you. Congratulations.

Cabinet ministers visiting the province’s constituents is a good sign that the Conservative Party wants to reconnect with voters who have long supported the party but who have recently and publicly expressed a certain amount of discontent over a number of its decisions.
Health care is currently one of the most troubled areas in the Alberta political arena. In a few short years ambulance service has been centralized. Health regions have followed suite. A new protocol has been put in place and thus far it is off to a shaky start, excusing its foibles by saying it is a new system and those running it are still learning its ins and outs, just like the rest of us.
Certainly, the province proved that health services eat up a major part of the provincial budget, but whether or not this new direction will actually save funds, as promised, has not yet been proven. Instead, as is often the case, the changes that have come so swiftly have provoked a sense of fear among the populace. This fear can and has been flamed into panic when so little information is forthcoming.
For a premier who promised transparency in government as one of his campaign platforms, when it comes to health and wellness, precious little of that has been noticeable.
Of course, no one expected the economic downturn to happen. When Stelmach was voted into power, the province was one of the best places to live in the world with jobs aplenty. In fact, one of its biggest challenges was filling labour needs. Then the economy stuttered and crashed and our government officials have been trying to pick up the pieces. One of the things to fall by the wayside is infrastructure improvements, like the one announced for the Bow Island Health Centre. Months have become years, and still the ground has not been broken on this improvement.
The good stewards who have cared so lovingly for the hospital continue to nurse it along, and lets face it - she looks good for her age. Hopefully that will not be an excuse to put off promised and other needed improvements.
Those who took such pride in ensuring this building was lovingly cared for over the years don’t deserve to have hospital improvement put on the back-burner because they did a good job.
Likewise, hopefully this visit will give our local pharmacy another chance to question the powers that be about the situation Alberta Pharmaceutical Strategy-Phase 2 has caused.
The new health minister has his work cut out for him.
Another issue that might be addressed is the future of Forty Mile Park. Rumours about that a portion of the park might be taken on by the province. Certainly the ministers will tour the park, but whether this topic is on the agenda is anybody’s guess.
In Medicine Hat, it is likely health care will also be on the minds of many who await upgrades to the city hospital, and one that many of us in the regions that surround it depend on for several services. They will also be looking at the proposed detox centre sites.
Whatever the topics discussed, the cabinet minister’s visit is likely to improve the communications between the Conservatives and their grass root followers, many of whom have been so dissatisfied of late. Leaving a void of silence, or answering a question with political gobbledygook has not been a good strategy for the party. Reaching out to everyday people and attempting to understand their issues and problems is a step in the right direction.
After all, there is much more to Alberta than Edmonton and Calgary.