So as you know from previous posts I have recently been contracted out by The Oil Company (name changed obviously!), one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. After my first week of work here I have been faced with some moral issues that are really a lot more complicated than I originally thought them to be. Namely - I’m working for one of the world’s largest contributors to pollution and environmental damage.

Some of you will say “Quit now! Don’t let a big pay cheque blind you to the effect this company is having on our environment!” and you would be partly right. Others will say “Don’t stress too much about it - whether or not you are working for them, it will continue and there’s nothing you can do about it, might as well cash their cheques!” and they would also be partly right.

But over the last few days I have realized that it isn’t as simple as that. Yes, there’s a bit of a moral issue working for the largest oil and gas company in the world in that they are doing damage to the environment. But it’s a unique situation as The Oil Company knows they are and have the potential to do some major damage (and I mean major - I am literally sitting in a small trailer right next door to one of the world’s largest chemical bombs - if anything should ever go majorly wrong I will most likely die in an instant) and knowing this, this company strives to maintain the environment and resources that ultimately are thier livelihood!

I may seem like I am defending them - but in some regards, I am. Not necessarily the work they do or the damage that is done in the name of civilization and economy but the people that work here, because The Oil Company is ultimately the people who work for her. These are not bad people - they do not purposefully pollute and are actually more environmentally aware than the average activist shouting out to shut down the oil sands. These are people who understand the gravity of what they are doing, they understand that a false move, a wrong signal or an outdated manual can mean the difference between environmental disaster and business as usual.

I am also in a unique situation in that what I will be doing here will significantly impact the way that the average Oil Company employee views their job and the industry in general. My current contract is one to create and update training materials for their employees. In a while, all Oil Company employees at my specific location will be using and learning via my materials - which puts me in a position to really drive home the importance of environmental concerns and the reduction of damage in every way possible. I will be able to make it a more personal responsibility for each and every employee that walks through those doors (if my materials are successful in their objectives.)

But the real concern here is how do I personally come to terms with the fact that I will be contributing to this never-ending cycle of environmental damage and pollution? Well, I haven’t really figured that one out yet but I have a feeling that my research and work will help me to reconcile that in my own heart and head - and that’s really all that matters.

What do you think?

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