i agree with professor finkelstein. one of the real risks is what we call license to operate which is the confidence of the public which permits you to go about your business. bp and all these oil companies, they operate all over the world. it's not just the u.s. government. it's governments everywhere. they have to have their confidence. without that, they can't function. >> lehrer: what about the exxon and the exxon valdez oil spill. we all know about that but exxon is still in business now many years later. what is the difference? or how did they handle it and how were they able to survive it? >> exxon, the first thing, it was a terrible disaster in prince william sound but nothing like the mississippi delta which is arguably the greatest marine swan spawning ground in the world. a lot more people's lives were affected. this has gone on longer. exxon valdez was a tanker spill. all the oil just went out. but i that i the exxon regained the confidence of people because they have such strong operating standards. they ha