“BP ‘Beyond Petroleum’ is Out … real energy environmentalism is In. And while the redistributionists, the ‘experts’, the rent-seekers hash-and-trash it out in Belém, Brazil (COP 30), the real producers, the on-the-ground energy makers, are perfecting their craft. Here’s to a great conference!”
It is (past) time for the fossil fuel industries to unite with a message of clean and green. After all, oil, natural gas, and coal are now environmental products, and the density and reliability of each is a gift to the living space. In the words of the late Peter Huber:
The greenest fuels are the ones that contain the most energy per pound of material than must be mined, trucked, pumped, piped, and burnt. [In contrast], extracting comparable amounts of energy from the surface would entail truly monstrous environmental disruption…. The greenest possible strategy is to mine and to bury, to fly and to tunnel, to search high and low, where the life mostly isn’t, and so to leave the edge, the space in the middle, living and green. [1]
So it was a delight to see the title and spirit of an upcoming conference in New Orleans next week (November 18-20, 2025), Clean Gulf: Beyond Oil Spills,” subtitled “Prepare, Respond & Recover: Real-World Solutions for Evolving Environmental Emergencies.” [2]
“As emergencies grow more complex,” the prospectus beings, “so does our commitment to real-world solutions.”
We’re excited to offer an expanded educational and solution-sourcing experience at CLEAN GULF 2025, which will bring the entire environmental and emergency response community together to define the future of environmental response. Attendees will walk away with new strategies, solutions, and working relationships that will effectively arm them for future incidents.”
“Build Critical Connections. Stay Current. Explore What’s Next,” the conference advertises.
CLEAN GULF brings together stakeholders from across the environmental response spectrum—including oil & gas, maritime, rail, environmental services, regulatory agencies, and spill response organizations—to exchange insights on pressing issues affecting the Gulf Coast and far beyond.
… roundtables, fireside chats, hands-on training, and live show floor demos—CLEAN GULF offers a dynamic environment to explore evolving challenges and solutions.
Access Practical, Forward-Thinking Education
Sessions go beyond traditional presentations to include immersive experiences that deliver best practices, lessons learned, and actionable insights for environmental emergencies affecting offshore, nearshore, onshore, and inland operations. Whether you’re responding to incidents involving railways, pipelines, refineries, or vessels, you’ll find relevant content delivered by industry leaders, regulators, and environmental experts.
Expand Your Network Across Sectors and Regions
Connect with professionals from both public and private sectors at all levels of response. From dedicated networking events to informal conversations sparked on the show floor, CLEAN GULF provides opportunities to build new relationships and strengthen the ones that matter most during an emergency response.
Experience Innovative Technologies and Services
Explore the latest tools and services that support prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery across all-hazard scenarios—not just oil spills. The exhibit hall features a wide array of solutions designed to help teams operate more effectively in today’s complex energy landscape.”
Comment
BP “Beyond Petroleum” is Out … real energy environmentalism is In. [3] And while the redistributionists, the “experts”, the rent-seekers hash-and-trash it out in Belém, Brazil (COP 30), the real producers, the on-the-ground energy makers, are perfecting their craft. Here’s to a great conference!
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[1] Peter Huber, Hard Green: Saving the Environment from the Environmentalists (New York: Basic Books, 1999), pp. 105, 108.
[2] “Since 1991, CLEAN GULF has served as the leading forum for professionals in prevention, preparedness, and response. Originally created to support the oil spill response community, CLEAN GULF has brought together stakeholders from government, environmental, emergency planning, and industry sectors — including maritime, facility, rail, and pipeline operations.
For more than 30 years, CLEAN GULF has united a tight-knit community of responders, planners, and regulators to exchange insights, share lessons learned, and build relationships that strengthen real-world readiness. Through engaging sessions, expert panels, and a robust exhibit hall, attendees gain access to best practices, emerging technologies, and regulatory updates that directly impact their work in the field.
Our programming delivers actionable solutions from every angle — featuring industry professionals, government leaders, consultants, and environmental experts. Topics span the full spectrum of hazard response, including planning and preparedness, ports and maritime operations, dispersant use, training and exercises, and applied research.”
[3] The Deepwater Horizon/BP debacle, which embarrassed the whole industry, resulted from a European corporate culture that put climate change imaging above real safety and environmental protocols. As I stated in “Deepwater Horizon at 15: Remember ‘Beyond Petroleum’ BP“:
… oil companies that think they are ‘beyond petroleum’ are value destroyers for shareholders and for the environment.… Fake environmentalism driving out real environmentalism: climate and energy reality, anyone?
Other BP posts relating to an oil-and-gas company gone bad are:
BP Fools the “Socially Responsible” Investors (‘Green’ Enron did too)