Some are calling it a "river of oil" now, instead of an oil spill. "Spill" makes it sound like the oil rig exploded, then "spilled" some oil, which is now creeping toward the coast.
Instead, the broken rig is pouring 210,000 gallons of oil into the sea each day, and might continue, according to estimates, for two months or more.
I could weep, I could scream, I could wax holy as I did not use petroleum products to get to work today. Except for all I know the asphalt I rode my bicycle on — as well as parts of the bicycle itself (and my helmet), were made of petroleum.
Or the keyboard I type on.
But I don’t want to go there. I want to see this event as larger, as a metaphor.
Think of it this way:
