You'd have thought the Greens have gone all giddy over the huge Gulf of Mexico oil discharge/spill that began more than one month ago.

The blame game has started with a constant stream of e-mails coming from conservation and environmental groups regarding the subject.

Along the flanks of the issue is the federal government and what critics charge is a lack of proper oversight. Also of consternation is the perceived ties between Big Oil and Big Government.

Of course, the critics have not left out BP for its role and what is being expressed as a poorly engineered response along with equipment the company knew was less than perfect for the difficult task this gear was assigned.

The fallout could mean a halt to deep offshore oil and gas drilling, an issue that was made necessary since near-shore fossil fuel production has long been denied.

Just how much all of this will play out in the long run speaks as much about the politics of business and energy policy as it does about best engineering practices and inventions.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com