Exactly one year after the destructive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, life seems to have returned to normal. Mike Utzler, chief operating officers of BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization expects the clean-up to be complete by the end of the year. But beyond the visible impact of the oil spill, the environmental consequences remain severe. Ian Mac Donald, marine biologist at Florida State University reports to Discovery News that the number of dead or stranded bottleneck dolphins marked around 160. “It represents a faction of true mortality,” explains Mac Donald. “If you wipe out a year class, you don't see that effect for several years.” For example, after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the killer whale population in Prince William Sound dropped by 40 to 45 percent. This assessment is confirmed, by Samantha Joye, marine scientist of the University of Georgia. She stresses: “I've been to the bottom, I've seen what it looks like with my own eyes. It's not going to be fine by 2012.” Moreover, the consequences for fishermen are still far from being over. Tracy Kuhns, the wife of her fisherman told the Financial Times that her husband has still not been compensated for the losses suffered due to the oil spill. According to the Financial Times, only $3.8 billion of the total $20 billion in compensation funds has been paid out. People living in the area of Louisiana report suffering from persistent coughs and blisters. Meanwhile, the energy sector seems to conduct its “business as usual.” In the past, BP donated more than $200,000 to Republican and Democrat candidates each year. During the electoral campaign, Barack Obama received $71.000 in BP related donations. This connection is now one of the factors that undermines credibility in energy politics. The White House is now criticized by environmental groups for issuing new permits to drill oil wells without having established a program to contain possible future spills. During the last few weeks, the Obama Administration issued 10 new exploratory permits. One year after the catastrophe, the conclusion could be drawn that neither the Obama administration nor multinationals such as BP have learned their lessons. BM
