Having spent a good part of my life at, on, and near the sea, and its peoples, I dread every day's report of the ongoing tragedy that is the BP explosion and "oil spill" (if that's what one calls a 65,000 barrel-a-day still un-controlled seafloor gusher.)

While there's plenty of blame to go around (and many willing to apportion it) the enormity of BP's negligence is simply mind boggling.

They make even Exxon seem saintly.

Indeed, depending on the source . . . and degree of safety-and-procedure "violation" . . . and just how "egregious" egregious is . . BP appears to be, roughly, 700 to 800 times worse than most, if not all its competitors.

Once source, in fact cited BP for some 760 such "violations", compared to 8 for Conoco Phillips, and 1 for Exxon.

Our hunger for oil is a deadly addiction, producing dependence on those who supply it and a desperate need to cater to their every need and whim.

We've paid for it for years. Sometimes in blood. Enough is enough.