Small Change in the World of Big Oil: Jerome Ringo on the Gulf

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Jerome Ringo, Enviro Advocate and Ruth Richardson, Small Change

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uploaded by Ruth Richardson

Jerome Ringo is an oil-rigger turned activist. Hailing from Louisiana, his commitment to being an advocate for environmental justice, clean energy, and quality jobs started a few decades ago when he started to notice the harmful impacts of the oil industry from the inside. His path took him from the industry to community organizing to being the first African American in history to chair a major conservation organization.

Earlier this week he was in Toronto, at a lunch hosted by the Laidlaw Foundation, to talk about the Gulf oil spill. “It’s way worse than you see it on TV,” he said. “You can’t smell the oil on TV. You can’t taste the oil on TV… We are afraid in Louisiana.” Afraid not just because of the ecological, economic, and social devastation caused by the oil spill, but afraid because of the potential for the perfect storm. Oil in the Gulf plus hurricane season spells disaster. “We’ll have oil in the Latin Quarter in New Orleans.”

His message was sobering, depressing at times even. But his real message is one of hope. He argues that we have an opportunity unlike any other to push for energy, transportation, and climate legislation at an accelerated rate. The opportunity is here – the question is how do we take advantage of it? “It’s crazy what’s happening in the Gulf but it’s not so crazy if we don’t respond.” 

Ringo’s answer is to reactivate activism. Big complex problems can require big complex solutions but not necessarily, not always. He spoke about his journey through the writings of Martin Luther King Jr. discovering his roots in community organizing. “The civil rights movement was won one community at a time.” We need to start with issues that are local, knock on doors, and find out people’s connection to the big challenges of the day. We then need to bring communities together around common goals with their differences left outside the door. Small steps that are easy to take when your neighbours can taste oil in the air.

Talking to a bunch of Torontonians, he was quick to emphasize that this isn’t just an American issue. “Canada has its own Gulf of Mexico. You have the oil sands. Just most Canadians aren’t aware of its impact because you haven’t seen a catastrophic event yet.” Catastrophic event or no, Canadians are becoming aware of its impact, particularly at the local level where change starts. Groups like Headwaters Initiative, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, and Small Change Fund are working for grassroots change one community at a time. Legislative change and audacious solutions are as important here in Canada as they are in the United States but we mustn’t forget the power of small change and grassroots action to challenge the world of big oil.