The title suggests that there are two principles involved in this humble essay. The first is, of course, British Petroleum (BP), an organization that is now hip deep or chest deep in grave trouble. The second principle is the dermatologist named Gruber, whom you will come to know before this essay is finished.
Taking the principles in order, we start with British Petroleum or BP. Today is the 37th day of the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I have no intention of reciting to you all of the disabilities that flow from that catastrophe. We start with eleven men being killed, which is an improvement, because a few years ago, BP was involved in a similar incident in which fifteen men were killed. As this essay is being dictated, British Petroleum is now attempting to use a device called a “top kill” in the name of shutting off the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. It is generally believed by people in the field that the top kill method will have no more than a 60 to 70% chance of working. And in the meantime, lives are being destroyed and it will be many years or generations before the gulf returns to normal.
And so we leave BP on the grounds that you will hear great volumes of information about BP on the news broadcast every evening. Now if the top kill method has only a 60 or 70% chance of working, the thought is that the spill will go on indefinitely. In that time, I am certain that you will hear more about BP than you may ever want to know.
Now let us turn to Gabriel George Gruber, M.D., a dermatologist of the first order who is associated with the Summit Medical Group here in New Jersey. Because I am fair skinned and because I am bald, I need the services of a person like Gabriel Gruber on more occasions than I would have wished. Over the fifteen years that I have been associated withnDr. Gruber, he has been very conscientious in treating my needs in the dermatology process. During that time, Dr. Gruber has discovered five cancerous growths on my scalp that have required surgery. I suspect that without Dr. Gruber’s devotion to his work I might be in more trouble than I am.
Now that I am in my high eighties, I have developed some growths on my arms and on my body. Dr. Gruber has carefully inspected those growths and has pronounced them benign. He has told me that if I wish to have them removed, it could be done. But he strongly recommended against it. I am not a movie star, so having a few growths on my arms or body would be no problem. But then Dr. Gruber enunciated the basic principles of Gruber’s Law. He said that if we did not disturb those growths, chances are that for the rest of my life they would not disturb me. So it is that I have let the growths, small as they are, take place as I have no cosmetic reason to violate Gruber’s law.
Now if we take the case of British Petroleum, we have an instance of British Petroleum violating the Earth to a depth of 18,000 feet. When they did that, a tremendous force of gases came up the pipes, killing the eleven men, destroying the rig, and sinking it along with BP’s reputation.
I understand the need for fossil fuels. I must point out that the use of those products in the United States is out of proportion to our population. If I am reliably informed, we consume about 20% of the world’s energy while we have only 3% of the world’s population. So you see we have got a major problem. But in supplying that need for our use, the oil companies have gone further from shore and have drilled in uncharted waters and at uncharted depths. In the case in point, it would appear to me that British Petroleum would have been much better to have left things alone and to have avoided penetrating the Earth to a depth of 18,000 feet. As Gabriel Gruber said, “If you don’t bother them, they probably won’t ever bother you.” BP disturbed the Earth and it struck back with a vengeance.
When nature is offended, it strikes back with strong measures. I would argue in the case in point that BP violated the law as promulgated by Gabriel Gruber. It will be many generations before the Gulf of Mexico is ever returned to normal. The message here is that if a law such as that enunciated by Gabriel Gruber is broken, don’t be offended by what comes next.
E. E. CARR
May 30, 2010
Essay 454 (again)
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Kevin’s commentary: This essay seems to be an extension or further thoughts on a similarly themed essay which you can find here.