November 1998 Vol.219 No. 11  Editorial

Thomas R. Wright, Jr.,  Editorial Director

Thou doth protest too much

This summer’s end has been unusually active for those protesting and/or terrorizing energy facilities, which range from wellsites and tank batteries to nuclear research centers. Or, the abundance of incidents could be normal; we simply are hearing about more of them because of the internet. While most of the incidents are harmless, if irritating, some could cause significant injury or loss of life if carried to extremes by protesters who don’t know what they are doing.

In the irritating (and harmless, we hope) category was the breaching of the computer system at India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center in Bombay. The computer hackers, who were protesting India’s testing of nuclear devices last summer, were reported to have been successful in tapping into computer servers from which they stole and erased data. News of the hack first appeared on an internet site called Wired News, which had received e-mail containing purloined data. A group named MilwOrm claimed responsibility and left a calling card consisting of a mushroom cloud and the message, "Don’t think destruction is cool, coz it’s not." At last report, authorities, including the U.S. Defense Department, were trying to plug the security breach while being thankful that it was a civilian facility. But one has to wonder if India’s military facilities are any more secure. Scary, isn’t it?

Scarier still are the ongoing episodes of sabotage to sour gas wells and facilities around Beaverlodge, Alberta, Canada. Thus far, at least two gas wells have been bombed and a remote terminal building set afire. A gas pipeline also exploded, but it hasn’t been attributed to vandals as yet. Needless to say, the dangers involved with this sort of terrorism are significant, not only to innocent people traveling through or living in the area, but also to the numb-skulls doing the dirty work.

High on the suspect list are farmers and local land owners who, under Canada’s system of mineral ownership, don’t receive royalties from production. And since they don’t get paid for production, they have little patience for smelly gas leaks or surface facility sites that interfere with their activities. One particular farmer, who had been complaining to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, became so fed up with what he felt was inaction, that he went into the board’s office in Grande Prairie and poured sour oil on the floor, "...to give them an idea of the smell...," he said.

A much less menacing (and funnier) protest took place recently in Houston as the World Energy Council’s Congress was being held. Representatives from Project Underground and the Rainforest Action Network decided that the designated "protest" area immediately in front of the convention center was not appropriate for their message, so they scaled some huge cranes working nearby where a new baseball stadium is under construction. After hanging their "five-story banner" and drawing a meager crowd, they began to rappel down from the cranes. Problem was, their ropes didn’t quite reach the ground, so the protesters were left hanging until fire trucks arrived to "rescue" them.

The group was subsequently arrested and charged with criminal mischief, which, under Texas law, could carry a 20-year prison sentence. But what really surprised our clever climbers was the amount of bail requested by the local District Attorney. Would you believe, $200,000 each, for a total of $1 million? Much to our dismay, the group hired one of Houston’s more famous trial lawyers, who was able to get bail reduced, thus springing the protesters.

Flash from the past. The other day, a long-time reader called, looking for what he thought was a letter-to-the-editor giving details of how difficult it can be for travelers to communicate in a foreign land. After a brief description, we knew immediately what he had in mind, but the search to locate it took considerable time. The item appeared in the world of oil column, written by our international editor at the time, T. J. Stewart-Gordon. And while we are not in the habit of repeating prior articles, the time invested made us think it worthwhile to make an exception. Besides, it’s funny and many of you may not have seen it. The following phone call took place in a Bangkok hotel:

Room Service: Morny, rune sorbees.

Hotel Guest: Oh, sorry, I thought I dialed room service.

RS: Rye, rune sorbees. Morny, Jewish to odor sunteen?

HG: I’d like some bacon and eggs.

RS: Ow July then?

HG: What?

RS: Aches. Ow July then? Pry, boy, pooch...?

HG: Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry. Scrambled, please.

RS: Ow July thee baycombe? Crease?

HG: Crisp will be fine.

RS: Okay. An Santos?

HG: What?

RS: Santos, July santos?

HG: Ugh ... I don’t know ... I don’t think so.

RS: No? Judo one toes?

HG: Look, I really feel bad about this, but I just don’t know what judo-one-toes means. I’m sorry.

RS: Toes! Toes! Why Jew Don Juan toes? Ow bow eenglish mopping we bother?

HG: English muffin! I’ve got it! Toast! You were saying toast! Fine. An English muffin will be fine.

RS: We bother?

HG: No, just put the bother on the side.

RS: Wad?

HG: I’m sorry. I meant butter. Butter on the side.

RS: Copy?

HG: I feel terrible about this, but...

RS: Copy. Copy, tea, mill...

HG: Coffee! Yes, coffee, please. That’s all.

RS: One Minnie. As rune torinofie; strangle aches, crease baycombe, tossy eenglish mopping we bother honey sigh and copy. Rye?

HG: Whatever you say.

RS: Okay. Tenjewberrymud.

HG: You’re welcome.

Copyright © 1999 World Oil
Copyright © 1999 Gulf Publishing Company