Letter From The Editor: Sea-To-Table Under Seige
By Tom Maicon at May 8, 2010 | 5:00 pm | Print
As I type this, a massive oil slick is reaping havoc on Gulf coast marine life, seriously threatening to wipeout, among other species, the entire Gulf coast oyster, shrimp and fish populations. Certainly none of it will be edible for a decade, or longer.
Why? Just for oil? Who needs it? There are so many proven, simple, and eco-friendly alternatives that efficiently run our automobiles and fuel our homes. We are hopelessly hooked on oil only because powerful oil tycoons pay big money to keep us addicted to their stuff.
Ironically, that same greedy behavior will likely drag BP, and anyone else involved, into financial ruin. But sadly, they will leave behind an environmental disaster unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
I am seriously considering filing one of the many lawsuits surely to be filed. Why not? Please forgive me for being pissed off. I just found out I will be told to suffer without fresh gulf shrimp and oysters, and I will be asked to go without fresh grouper, snapper and flounder — or, pay through the nose to get a taste — for the next decade, possibly even longer. Our foodscape right here in Atlanta will be altered, and not for the better.
What about those who make a living harvesting Gulf seafood? These are real people whose livelihoods are at risk. Where will they go? What can they do?
And while I’m asking a lot of questions let me ask you this, can our shaky economy absorb this type of blow? I don’t think so. Not without consequences, anyway. Being that we are all connected on this crazy ride called life, we are all affected.
Unfortunately, amid the chaos, we do what we do best in this country — resort to politics. All you democrats out there, strong adversaries against drilling due to environmental hazards, are pointing at your opponent and saying, “I told you so.” And, all you drill-happy republicans out there, well, you are silenced for now.
This behavior accomplishes absolutely nothing and begs one giant question. When, oh, when will we ever stop being good democrats, stop being good republicans, and start being good Americans?
Now, I will leave you with this one final question. Anyone know a good lawyer willing to take on a long shot case drummed up by a mad as hell food writer with a serious appetite for seafood?
crymeariver, 1 year ago
There are hundreds of orphaned kids sleeping in tent cities in Haiti and you’re whining about “suffering” without shrimp and oysters? Cry me a f****** river, jerk.
Tom Maicon, 1 year ago
Just happy to piss you off, asshole!
pizza_guru, 1 year ago
BP should be held accountable, crymeariver. Are you saying we should ignore this major environmental/financial disaster because people are suffering in other countries?
cheesemonger, 1 year ago
cryme- this is a food website, or did the “cuisine” part of the address elude you? While there are many tragedies in the world, man-made and natural, what’s happening in the gulf is so egregious because it was created by man, and profit and greed caused many to turn their heads away from safety and prevention.
But one point about petro fuels, it’s not about cars entirely. The majority of carpeting is petro based, and one of the largest consumers of petroleum products. A comprehensive change in flooring choices would go farther than any mpg changes. Carpet is almost entirely un-recyclable in most of the country.
Lamar Thomas, 1 year ago
The Gulf is so important to feeding the US and our surrounding nations that the oil spill will be affecting all aspects of the restaurant and home table. ALL of us in the seafood world will be changing our menus based on the disaster. Following Katrina with this gargantuan oil disaster is more than any Coast should have to bear. The work of the shrimpers, fishermen, farmers, people, wildlife and yes, restaurants of the Gulf all need our support. The effects of this “leak” are going to be with us for a very long and dangerous time.
MidAtlCharterCapt, 1 year ago
While all of the sword ratteling goes on between the Republicans and Democrats the fact remains that this spill has occured in over 5000 ft of water. We want to save the ecology by pushing these rigs out to where any repair work is almost impossible except by robots. This debate will go on for years and none of us alive today will see a totally oil free country or world in our lifetime. The carpet and flooring was pointed out, how about the use of vinyl and the spin off’s from it. The use of plastic in everything from automobiles to cell phones to furniture to food containers etc and the list goes on and on. Petroleum is more than just oil and gas for the car…it is a part of our daily life style.
And yes, this is a “food website”…so lets look at the big picture of where all our seafood comes from. The Gulf, important as it might be is not the endall to the supply. Certainly many business’s and people who depend on it will suffer from this disaster…even the guy that sells the diesel fuel for the fishing boats is effected. Going on a witch hunt will not change this event, learning from what went wrong and taking corrective action on future drilling sites is the proactive approach to take not just some knee jerk reaction.