Crisis and compensation

Quote

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”  George Bernard Shaw.

News

Since April 22^nd up to 5,000 barrels (795,000 litres) of crude oil a day has been pouring into the Gulf of Mexico from the stricken borehole a mile beneath the surface.  The large seafood and recreational fishing industry is under threat, wildlife in the coastal wetlands are endangered by the oil, and tourism in the area is likely to be hit hard. 

In a statement, BP said they take full responsibility for cleaning up the oil spill, and for paying compensation for any loss or damage caused, including loss of earnings.  This reflects the conventional approach to risk and responsibility, which assumes that all damage can ultimately be reduced to a financial cost. 

Yet there is a cost to relationships also, beyond the reach of compensation – starting with those grieving for the 11 people killed in the initial explosion on the oil rig.  Tensions in families will rise if fishermen’s revenues fall, or if small businesses go bankrupt and people have to move away in search of other work; families and communities may be forced to break up.  The relationship between BP and the rig operator Transocean will be under intense pressure, along with relations between BP and workers in the oil and fishing industries; levels of trust may fall between conservation groups and government who authorized such risky deep sea drilling… and so it continues.

Read on...

A “relational lens” helps us to map the effects of this disaster on a range of people and relationships, which goes well beyond those affected by the economic and environmental impact alone.  A tool has been developed by the Relationships Foundation to incorporate this wider perspective into evaluating business or policy decisions; you can read the executive summary of the “3D7L model” here: www.relationshipsglobal.net/Web/OnlineStore/Product.aspx?ID=45

Walk the talk 

When an accident happens at home, it’s so easy to focus on the material damage first, not on the feelings or concerns of those affected.  Consequently many children are left with an impression that things matter more than people.  Next time there is a domestic incident, try to address the relational impact first.

The last word

From the Bible, Deuteronomy 22 verse 8: “When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.”