Discuss the five main issues raised by a deeper understanding of the interplay between society's energy needs and environmental sustainability as a result of the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010.

First,the oil spill calls into question the idea that all problems can be overcome by technology and human ingenuity.The inability of the world's leading experts (in industry and government)to stop the spill confirms that we may not be as smart as we think.
Second,the oil spill has led some experts to question whether North America will be able to satisfy its growing energy needs without triggering other environmental catastrophes.For example,geologists in the 1970s pointed out that at some point easily accessible oil will run out.According to this theory,as oil becomes harder to get,oil companies will take more risks to reach it,including deep-sea drilling (e.g. ,the Gulf of Mexico,off the coast of Newfoundland,or Europe's North Sea),from oil sands (like the ones in Northern Alberta),and from oil reserves located underneath vulnerable ecosystems (like Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [ANWR]).
Third,many have questioned the role of government in regulating the energy industry.In this case,BP did not drill a relief well because American law did not require it to.Having a relief well would have prevented the tragedy but such wells are expensive to drill.As a result,many governments,concerned about oil companies taking their business elsewhere (thereby taking jobs and tax dollars with them),soften regulations to promote more drilling but at higher risk.
Fourth,the oil spill will hopefully promote efforts to find an efficient and sustainable replacement for oil.Currently,petroleum is used not only to fuel our cars but to make fertilizers and pesticides for crops,to transport our food,to pave our roads,and to make plastic products.Finding another product as energy-efficient and as versatile as oil has puzzled scientists for decades.Current proposals involve solar,nuclear,wind,hydroelectric,and hydrogen power.However,each technology has its own environmental risks.For example,solar panels require more energy to produce than the energy they return (<BIB>Kuntsler,2006</BIB>).
Finally,the Gulf oil spill has made sociologists question whether the health and economic consequences borne by the citizens of the Gulf Coast are worth the jobs and tax dollars that the oil industry provides in the region.For nearly two generations,Gulf Coast communities have suffered from the environmental pollution and related health complications caused by the oil refineries that dominate the region,giving south Louisiana the nickname "Cancer Alley." Many in the region are now questioning whether the jobs and tax revenue are worth the costs.