In honor of love, peace, beauty and hope for our future, perfectly expressed in our daughter Lisa’s marriage Monday, June 21st to our wonderful new son Ethan, we offer the following ‘conversation.’ YOU decide what side your ACTIONS show you to be on!
By Frank Peterman
Off the coast of one of the world’s great oceans the CEO of a large conservation organization drifts in a boat with the CEO of a Multinational Oil syndicate. A Whale swims out in the distance.
Conservationist: I am glad you agreed to take a moment for us to talk, especially in this beautiful setting.
Oilman: Thank you for the invitation. I don’t get very many moments like this.
Conservationist: Do you mind telling me, as CEO of your company, who do you consider to be your constituency?
Oilman: That’s easy! My stockholders.
Conservationist: What about the general public?
Oilman: They are beneficiaries of the investment of my stockholders. Let’s be real, the petro-chemical industry is the life blood of the world, touching every corner of our lives. In the last hundred years we have done more to improve the lives of people than any single industry. Be it medical apparatus, fighter bombers or this boat we are sitting in – all are made possible and affordable by our industry. You guys have painted a skewered picture of us, railing against gasoline burning engines but we are important to the economy, health and welfare of nations in far more important ways than producing gasoline! Let me turn the question on you – who’s your constituency?
Conservationist: Our supporters and donors and, as in your answer, the general public is the beneficiary of our efforts. I agree that your industry produces products essential to maintaining our lifestyles. But there is no question that the downside is the pollution of our air, land and water. And the public is justifiably upset, worried and angry over your methods.
Oilman: Not upset or angry enough to stop driving one person to a SUV during rush hour; not upset enough to take 5 minute showers; not angry enough to insist that brokers exclude our stock from their retirement plans; not upset enough to stop sending representatives to Congress who constantly have their hands out for a bags full of our money. And finally, they are not upset enough to turn Congressional representatives out of office when they vote us billion of dollars in subsidies while their schools crumble, and old folk and poor folk die from the lack of medical attention.
Conservationist: That is a pretty cynical view of the general public. And I must say that your company lobbyists do a go job of offering congressmen those bags full of money.
Oilman: You lobby Congress for wild land protection, endangered species, wilderness designation and a host of other congressional actions that the general public has no idea what is being affected. You exercise tremendous influence over the 630 million plus acres of publicly owned land and I dare say well over half the nation does not know who you are or what your organization does. And you like it that way despite what you see coming down the road.
Conservationist: What do you mean “coming down the road?”
Oilman: Geez, man, the changing demographics of America!
Conservationist: Oh here go again with the ominous predictions of what happens because population shifts are resulting in people of color becoming the majority! I believe such thinking is disrespectful, if not racially insensitive – suggesting that African Americans, Asians and Latinos do not want clean water, clean air and open spaces to recreate.
Oilman: You are missing the point. The shift is more than numbers. It involves color, culture and class. You can’t really believe this growing majority is part of your constituency?
Conservationist: Neither are they part of yours.
Oilman: I agree but, infinitely more of them recognize my logo than recognize your logo.
Conservationist: Is that what it all about, a popularity contest with the winner exercising dominion and control over the vast resources of the Earth? What about that wonderful Whale over there wallowing in the beautiful blue water?
Oilman: I am committed to his protection just as you are and maybe in a more spiritual way. Because his ancestors died giving their blubber, bone and sinew to turn into the oil that drives our world now.
Conservationist: Then how can you continue to drill for oil in places that destroy his world?
Oilman: Because that’s where the oil is and we will stop drilling when Americans stop driving! There are no easy answers, and the tough answer is called Sacrifice! Forgive me, I know it sounds trite, but we all are in the boat together.
Conservationist: (After a long pause) Perhaps it is as the Sufi poet Rumi said: “Beyond the ideas of right doing and wrong doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
In the distance the Whale blows out glistening white spray and slowly moves to deeper waters.
