Keep it in perspective

Before members of Congress begin to fall over each other and the president changes his mind on offshore drilling, it's important to keep some things in perspective. The explosion of a British Petroleum rig near the Louisiana coast is the largest such leak from a drilling operation since one off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969. The other large leak people want to compare this with — the Exxon Valdez — took place in 1989 and involved a tanker, not a well. Even a decision to completely shut down offshore drilling wouldn't prevent tanker disasters.

The world, and the United States in particular, is addicted to oil. That has been stated and restated in recent years by all sides in the debate over energy supplies. But it's a reality that isn't going away. And while we applaud those who are working to find viable alternatives to oil for propelling automobiles, airplanes and other vehicles, and for heating many of the nation's homes, it is important to remember that offshore oil extraction has a commendable safety record.

These are things we hope elected leaders in Washington keep in mind during the coming days, although we have little reason to believe they will.

The current disaster is not being overstated in any way. Until BP finds a way to stem the flow, 200,000 gallons of crude will continue to leak into the Gulf each day. So far, weather conditions and officials both from BP and the Coast Guard have kept the oil from reaching coastal areas or interfering with the fishing industry. But it is hard to believe such a leak can stay away much longer. Earlier this week, BP crews were assembling a four-story tall dome they hope can be lowered over the leak and used both to contain it and allow it to be pumped safely to the surface.

But Americans have a history of learning from mistakes and making improvements. No public official would advocate abandoning air travel following the crash of an airliner. Instead, horrific crashes have led to the development of early warning systems that protect against dangerous storm conditions, among other things. Certainly, no oil company wants to incur the expense or the public relations nightmare that accompanies a spill such as this one. All sides have an interest in determining what went wrong and how such leaks can be prevented in the future.

Speculations and accusations are swirling. Eleven men died when the drilling platform exploded. Other workers from the rig, as well as environmental interests, have hired attorneys who are hearing from people who claim corners were cut in order to save money. Some have accused BP of exceeding the depth its permit allowed it to drill.

The upcoming hearings and investigations must thoroughly and fairly establish the facts. Emergency crews need to continue their efforts to protect the Gulf coast. Congress and the president, meanwhile, have to demonstrate the discipline to separate this rare but serious disaster from the need to extract oil for the nation's needs.