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Going to Lollapalooza, we saw all sorts of oddities, curiosities and plenty of people handing out shit. The one group we stopped to talk to was the Chicago Park District, who were taking signatures for a petition to help stop BP/Amoco dumping their industrial waste into Lake Michigan over in Whiting, Ind. Point blank, it sucks. As someone on a message board commented, "even animals know not to defecate in their drinking water." No kidding.
We were happy to see that Eddie Vedder has lost none of his fire for good causes; he told the audience Sunday night about the petition and how important it was to fight BP/Amoco. He beseeched the crowd to make a different choice when buying gas, and then led the crowd in an impromptu song — "Don't go/BP Amoco." A fellow Chicagoista noted, "That may have been one of their catchiest songs in the last five years." As far as a pop hook, he's got something there.
Even more encouraging is that Alderman Ed Burke is also offering up a solution to the "Don't go/BP Amoco" refrain. He is putting forth an order that would cut off BP Amoco in that city vehicles would no longer use BP gas cards to fuel up. To make things even more serious, he is suggesting that the city deny three major banks who share corporate directors with BP from city bond deals unless the oil company changes its tune. Yeah!
This is exactly the sort of action that makes sense and will really hurt BP — getting them in the bank account. It wouldn't hurt for all of us to blow past there and check out some other gas station, too. If you want to help, you can sign this online petition.
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The sad thing is that no matter what revenue BP loses in the short term, they're going to go ahead with their Whiting expansion anyway. What we need is actual legislation to stop this from happening.
I think you're right pantagrapher, BP has (with help) taken on countries before. Still I'm glad to see that at least locally people aren't letting this lie.
So where did the BP ads go?
Take a stand against BP, but we will run ads for them to spin their story. Ah, Guestist loves the hypocrisy
Coverage of BP on this site has been plenty critical. You're a little late to the game, guest #4.
In 2006, BP's revenues were $274,316,000,000, give or take a million. Unless the city's gas cards ring up a billion dollars worth of gas (in the neighborhood of 300-400 million gallons of gas) a year, I doubt the accountants at BP will even notice.
I've been boycotting BP long before this latest fiasco. In a time of record profits they refused to invest in pipeline maintenance in Alaska. When their pipeline corroded we paid dearly at the pump. Screw 'em.
james: i am reluctant to take the "they'll never notice" attitude. it starts to go toward, "why bother?" i think if more people acted on their conscience with their wallet, things would eventually start to change.
It's a fine idea, because no retail company likes to get that much bad press, but the reality of it is, there's little way to know if the gas station you are at is BP (other than at Oil-Company-branded stations). If there's a time when BP has excess supply coming out of that refinery, they undercut others by a penny a gallon or less and sell all of their production to Jewel or Costco or Walmart or Meijer or 7-11 or whatever.
Around Chicago, if you want to be sure you avoid BP, you need to go to Mobil (Exxon Valdez spill), or Citgo (controlled by virtual-dictator (altho he too dislikes GWB) Hugo Chavez) or Shell (props up the Migerian government, through good times and massacres).
I guess you're pretty okay with Marathon/Speedway (same company), who, as far as I know, haven't done anything that's not exactly what every other oil company does.
So, if you want to boycott BP, make sure you are actually boycotting BP.
As someone on a message board commented, "even animals know not to defecate in their drinking water." No kidding.
Where do fish defecate? In their own water?
I agree with the poster above who suggests that one should not drift into a "Why bother" or "It'll never work" attitude. If you go through through life with that approach, you will never change anything. Small gestures add up...and every once in a while, those gestures DO accomplish something big.
As for me, I'm going to Shell, which I do not blame for the mess in Nigeria, or Mobil, which has improved since the long-ago Exxon Valdiz spill.
There's no way I am going to Citgo or BP.
I bet most people don't care enough about Boycotting BP. Most of the Hummer owners are the type to read Chicagoist anyway and they want cheap gas.
Besides boycotting doesn't do anything anyway. And how many of you on her boycotting actually have a car and drive.
Or...don't buy any gas just ride a bike and take public trans. All of those companies are pretty bad really.
Guest 12,
I think you've been huffing a little too much gas junior.
Yep let's boycotting that will show'em!
we're not gonna take it..anymore! well, except you keep taking those BP ad revenue checks. i'm 100% positive BP is very happy that they're able to so easily connect people with their point of view in this context, and chicagoist is a willing accomplice to BP, regardless of how many posts they do on this. it would be wholly different if this was some kind of a journalistic exercise, but this shrill snarky web site hardly qualifies. you are hypocrites, lazy lazy hypocrites.
Yep let's boycotting that will show'em!
Well Let's is a pretty connected dude and once let's gets involved people pay attention. You know who Let's is don't you? He's got mad clout!
If not BP, then who? Which gas station or oil company is the least of all evils?
I've passed 3 BP stations, 3 Mobil stations and 2 Citgo stations, not to mention an assortment of jobbers that put the bare minimum of additives in their petrol....let me know quick, Chicagoist, I've got an 1/8 of a tank left....
"....Besides boycotting doesn't do anything anyway. And how many of you on her boycotting actually have a car and drive...."
I see that you have Chicagoist readers all figured out. What will you tell us next? That we all ride unicycles?
I do have one question for you, Chicagoist - for all the fighting of BP, why are there BP Box ads on the site that say:
BP Whiting Refinery
Secure Reliable Energy Learn The Facts About Lake Michigan
bp.com/US
I realize your ads come from Google, but that's just WEIRD. I wish that could be blocked or something. *sigh*
Oh heck, I should read the comments before I post. Ha.
...well, except you keep taking those BP ad revenue checks...
As much as I think Chicagoist sucks at times, I'm not going to fault them on this. I don't see anything wrong with presenting both sides of a controversy, even if it is just propaganda. I read BP's ad, and I still think they're full of shit...
As I understand Google's advertising model, Chicagoist could block them if they so chose. Or perhaps the problem is the advertising is actually done via Gothamist, and they don't care over in NY.
But never fear. Chicagoist could block BP's ads if they wanted.
I drive, and I haven't been buying from BP. I've been buying from Mobil, not that that's a great thing. The best thing that you can do in the long run, which I did, is buy a more fuel efficient car.