Robert Redford attacks big oil, politics on spill

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   OLBERMANN: Amid growing outcry over how the government and BP have kept people out of the loop , we learned today that the Gulf oil spill is now confirmed to be in the loop. The spill having now reached the so- called Loop Current , the current that carries water to the Florida Keys and the Gulfstream . In our number one story tonight, both Republicans and Democrats today are saying the Obama administration has not released enough information, has not taken enough action before or after to prevent and clean up this disastrous spill. Robert Redford joins us presently. Today, ten environmental groups called on President Obama to take the reins in the Gulf and no longer let BP run the monitoring or testing there, and to release all the findings so far. Mr. Redford , with the Natural Resources Defense Council , asking the president to get tough with big oil .

   ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR: The Gulf disaster is more than a terrible oil spill . It`s the product of a failed energy policy , one that puts oil company profits ahead of the people and the environment. America needs a safe, clean and renewable energy , not more oil spills . That means politicians in Washington have a choice: keep bowing to the demands of big oil or stand up for the American people . Tell President Obama to lead America towards a clean energy future.

   OLBERMANN: BP is preparing to try a new capping method, it says, called top kill that would smother the surge in heavier material, and then seal it with cement. The administration has down-played reports of an underwater plume resulting from the spewing oil, telling " Huffington Post " it believes most of the oil to be on the surface, and the researchers who have found it, reportedly, have been told to stop speaking to the media. The blog "Fire Dog Lake" has now turned up a 2000 field test by the MMS , along with big oil , including BP . It shows they knew deep water spills could lead to massive, submerged plumes of oil, because oil and gas behave differently at depths of great pressure and low temperature. We learned today that MMS specifically warned BP about the Deep Water Horizon site. To quote, "exercise caution while drilling, due to indications of shallow gas." Gas which could end up igniting to deadly effect. So much so that it`s Republicans now calling for more government spending and Washington bureaucracy.

   REP. JOHN MICA (R), FLORIDA: We`re here to get the facts. I`m not going to point fingers at BP , the private industry, when it`s government`s responsibility to set the standards, to do the inspections. I haven`t gotten into the lack of inspections that they didn`t conduct and should have conducted.

   OLBERMANN: As promised, we`re now joined by long time environmental activist , Robert Redford , a trustee of the board of the National Resources Defense Council , also an Oscar winning director, and a genuine old school movie star. Mr. Redford , it is a pleasure. Thanks for some of your time tonight.

   REDFORD: Thank you, Keith .

   OLBERMANN: In your ad, you`ve asked Americans to tell the president to lead America towards a clean energy future. Expand upon that. What is each in that equation supposed to do, in your opinion?

   REDFORD: Well, the voters sent President Obama to Washington to be a bold and visionary leader, and to do things that weren`t being done or couldn`t be done by others before him. And I think that`s what they want. And they need more of that from him. He showed what he could do with the health care bill when he put his energy behind it. But in this case, I think, you know, we don`t need a disaster manager. We need a leader, somebody that`s going to look ahead and see problems before they arise, before they become catastrophes that cost money, lives and well being and so on.

   OLBERMANN: What does the viewer at home or the viewer of that spot that you did do to affect that -- get that message across to this president, besides the votes they`ve already cast or the votes they will cast?

   REDFORD: Well, first of all, I think this is a great time -- there`s kind of a wisdom around D.C. , you know, a political wisdom that -- particularly with people that are more interested in preserving their seats -- that this is not a time to have a bill, an energy bill . There`s too much going on. There`s immigration. It`s a midterm year and so forth. I think wrong. I think now is exactly the time, because the American people are really focused on this. My voice is just one of many. I mean, the American people are raising their voices. Otherwise, you wouldn`t see all this jumping around by the politicians trying to get on board a bandwagon that says we`ve got to do something. I think this is a great time. I think when you ask what people can do, I think the more they raise their voices, because they`re focused on this -- and what a great time for Obama to act, what a great time to get a bill passed, although they say it can`t be, because the American people are focused. And they want it. I believe that.

   OLBERMANN: Yours of these voices is an informed voice . Can you explain where you would stand on this newest call for what would seem to be an automatic process here, that the government should be taking over the complete operation in the Gulf and not leaving this to BP to clean up its own spill, that it hasn`t even stopped yet?

   REDFORD: Well, yeah, you said it. The fact is that -- it`s pretty obvious you can`t expect BP to police themselves, nor most of the oil companies . Look at Valdez , and look at Santa Barbara , Whitney , so forth. In all those cases, they were policing themselves and look what happened. That`s a gone issue. I think there has to be more transparency. There isn`t. I think the American people deserve more transparency. I think the government, including the administration, and certainly BP -- although I wouldn`t count on it -- but I think there has to be a lot more transparency for us to get the facts of what`s really happening. What about the tests and so on?

   OLBERMANN: You drew a line in this spot between the spill and the failed energy policy . And I think that does kind of cut to the chase here. And a lot of people aren`t seeing that forest through the trees. When you talk about the failed energy policy , is that 2008 `s failed energy policy or is it 2010 `s failed energy policy .

   REDFORD: Well, I`m actually talking about a failed energy policy that goes back 30, 35 years. I think we`ve had either a non-policy or a poor policy all that time. In the early `70s or in the `70s, there was an attempt to get a policy that would get us off fossil fuels and focus on clean renewable energy . It didn`t pass. And I think we`re now paying that price. So I think now is the time . We could have been a world leader in energy had we seized the reins then. You know, they say it`s never too late, but, boy, time`s running out, that`s for sure.

   OLBERMANN: When Senator Salazar was named the new secretary of the Interior when the Obama administration started, you were quoted as saying you think very highly of him. What did you think of his reforms or the lack of reforms he effected prior to this spill? It seems he`s been playing catchup here. Is that a fair assessment? People tend to throw out the names of potential scapegoats every day at something like this, but is there blame to be placed on his doorstep?

   REDFORD: Oh, there`s no problem placing blame. It`s all over the place . But the problem is where it goes. Look, I have to -- I`m slightly prejudiced about Secretary Salazar because he did something I thought was very bold and smart and quick and that is the -- my interest is very strong in wilderness areas and protecting wilderness and western lands. And there was a sneaky move made by Bush the night of the elections, when he thought nobody was looking or the administration thought nobody was looking. They tried to open up 350,000 acres for oil and gas leasing in and around national parks and monuments and wilderness areas . So Salazar stopped it. And I will be grateful to him for that. Then, of course, what you see recently, you know, whether or not anybody is slow to the game or not, I don`t know. We see that he`s focused on the Mineral Management Services Agency and their failure, and certainly they`ve proven to be not only corrupt but ineffectual. And he`s already taking a look at that to decide what needs to be done to reform that agency within the government. So those are two moves that I think are good and the rest of it, I don`t know.

   OLBERMANN: What do we do about drilling in the immediate future? Do we need to shut down until there are more emergency plans in places for things like this when they happen next time?

   REDFORD: I think so. I think it`s pretty obvious. Let`s face it, the fact is we`ve been living with an energy policy recently, in the last few years, that was designed by Cheney . And he did it behind closed doors, in secret, with energy company executives, without the press being able to witness, without the public knowing what was going on. So transparency has been an issue for a long, long time.

   OLBERMANN: Robert Redford , actor and environmental activist , my apologies, I guess we had a technical glitch there. In any event, we thank you for your time.

   REDFORD: You`re sure welcome.

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