U.S. has an oil addiction; it’s time to start our rehab

By Michelle Gray - 06/07/10 08:10 PM ET

It is an understatement to say our nation is addicted to oil and that we need to attend dirty fuel rehab to help us kick our addiction.

It is an understatement to say our nation is addicted to oil and that we need to attend dirty fuel rehab to help us kick our addiction. We’ve taken the first step and admitted we have a problem, but we’re dragging our feet toward rehab, demanding that last drink before we commit to quitting. How much damage do we need to do to our planet, the environment, wildlife and ourselves before we make the grand gesture?

When is enough enough? We need to stop supporting big oil companies and start making them pay. And, we need to put everything we can into finding alternative energy sources. It’s time to stop trying and start doing.

From Michelle Gray, Alexandria, Va.

Physicist calls on gov’t to establish oil info. center

As a high-pressure physicist who studies hydrocarbons under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature, I call upon the U.S. government to establish an information center/clearinghouse where ideas and information may be freely exchanged on how to stop the massive leak of oil from BP’s wellhead. Given the large amount of time that has lapsed with no working solution yet on the horizon, this serious problem is beyond BP’s ability to solve, and the U.S. government should take a more commanding role in plugging the leak as well as the cleanup (at BP’s expense). The U.S. government also needs to solicit real experts who understand the behavior of matter at extreme conditions of pressure and how to seal leaks.

Time is of the essence to resolve this crisis. Let the innovative spirit of Americans solve this ecological catastrophe. We just can’t afford to wait on more failed solutions from BP.

From Dr. Michael Pravica, Henderson, Nev.

Where’s national spirit for victims of Gulf spill?

We held telethons for 9/11, Katrina, Haiti, but where is the national spirit to help those currently victimized by the massive oil spill in the Gulf? It’s just as devastating as terrorism, a hurricane or an earthquake and should generate even more empathy because it is Americans who for the most part have done this harm to their fellow citizens.

The president took more than a month to hold a press conference to acknowledge the situation and then dropped in for a 90-minute photo opportunity.

What is wrong with the U.S.?

From Karen Ann DeLuca, Alexandria, Va.