Black treasure (2014) blown glass
Artist: Antoine Brodin
The U.S. government has approved plans by Royal Dutch Shell to begin drilling for oil off the Alaskan coast this summer. This comes after years of industry lobbying to explore what some estimate to be major oil deposits in the Chukchi Sea. Some estimates run up to 15 billion barrels.
On the one hand, the U.S. administration has followed a course of promoting environmental responsibility.
On the other, this administration has pursued a policy of domestic production and self-reliance. Unfortunately, that self-reliance has been pegged to oil and gas production, including fracking. Despite the inevitable oil spills (and no matter what the companies say, they are inevitable) and the damage done by drilling and fracking, fossil fuel exploitation continues unabated.
Meduse.X (2014), ink on paper
Artist: Antoine Brodin
Despite common knowledge that carbon-based fuels are leading to rapid and irreversible changes in the Earth’s atmosphere (and no matter what a few voices say, the knowledge is common and the scientific consensus is resounding), the U.S. government and others continue to subsidize, promote, and approve fossil fuel development.
The word that comes to mind is ‘hubris’. In modern usage, hubris means exaggerated confidence or pride.
Shell is one of the most powerful companies in the world, as well as one of the richest. It also has a long track record of overestimating oil reserves, of regular oil spills on a large scale, of inconsistent safety for workers, inhabitants and environment alike. Shell oversaw oil spills in Nigeria that were the size of the catastrophic Exxon Valdez spill – not just once, but annually over the course of years.
Hubris implies arrogance so great that suffering or humiliation will follow.
Usually, though, the humiliation or suffering is experienced by the party demonstrating hubris.
Birdy (2014), blown glass, sandblasted
Photo: Antoine Brodin
In the case of Shell, the humiliation is never experienced by the company. Not by the individual decision-makers, not by the company as a whole.
The humiliation and suffering is experienced by anything affected by the inevitable oil spills and the damage done by exploitation and drilling. People can argue in favor of jobs or for energy independence, but in the end, it is the company that makes the money by using the resources, land and environment that should belong to everyone.
While these lands and waters are being exploited, they belong to the company exploiting them – at least until the inevitable spill.
When it comes to the damage and clean-up, suddenly the soiled lands and seas belong to all of us again.
Corolla (2014) blown glass
Photo: Antoine Brodin
It’s like a gambler who only gambles with someone else’s money, keeps any winnings, and assigns any losses to the foolish lender.
In ancient Greek, the word ‘hubris’ implied an shameful act perpetrated for personal gratification that brought shame upon both the victim and the perpetrator. Its contemporary equivalents might be closer to what we think of as ‘contempt’ or ‘insolence’.
And considering this decision to drill in the Arctic, a region under severe environmental pressure already due to carbon emissions, perhaps the ancient Greek version of hubris is more suitable. This plan shows genuine contempt for the Arctic, for the environment, and for anything that doesn’t turn a profit.
If only a company could feel shame.
Hubris (2014) Hot glass sculpted
Artist: Antoine Brodin
