Boycotts and Big Oil

Opinion: June 12, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: You’ve got every right to be furious with BP. So are we. But unleashing fury on independent businesses — owners of BP service stations — only hurts local businesses and doesn’t make much of a statement to the giant oil company. Sales from service stations is a tiny part of the company’s revenue stream.

Nevertheless, the group Public Citizen is organizing a boycott of BP stations around the country. The action was devised “as a way for people to register their anger in a peaceful, constructive way to send a clear message to BP’s management in London that their actions in the United States are reprehensible and we’re not going to tolerate it,” said Tyson Slocum, director of the group’s energy program.

BP franchise owners say they’re feeling the pain from this misguided effort.

CONSERVATION

There are better ways. ... Americans can rededicate themselves to conservation. Driving fewer miles, car pooling or riding a bike to work can cut consumption and send a message that we’re serious about ending the nation’s dependence on oil.

As voters, we can pressure our representatives to impose tougher standards on offshore drilling and to ensure that BP remains responsible and responsive to the cleanup along the Gulf Coast.