Deepwater Horizon

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 18 May 2010, 04:21

The Ecologist - 17/05/10

BP is in trouble. Big trouble. But others are to blame for the ongoing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, and the US Mineral Management Service is at the top of the list...

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JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 18 May 2010, 08:26

Hmm. Isn't that a little bit like locking ths stable door after the horse has bolted and putting the fox in charge of the hen house?

dudley · Post by **dudley** » 18 May 2010, 13:23

There are photos of the disaster here:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/0 ... n_the.html

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 18 May 2010, 21:09

Nice pics, Dud.

Crude Awakening is a phrase that seems to be catching on across the USA:
http://act.energyactioncoalition.org/p/ ... nt_KEY=584

and here's a clip of Senator Inhofe (yes, that one) trying to avoid making oil companies liable for their mess: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaNgHE3HgVw

And here's film of the BOP with a little hole: http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/audiof ... otage1.wmv

Michael Klare: http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175249/ ... sh_to_hell

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 18 May 2010, 23:20

The greens have succesfully destroyed the nuclear industry and now have started on the Oil industry. Maybe we can let the french take control of it all as they seem to have no trouble knowing whats important

syberberg · Post by **syberberg** » 19 May 2010, 02:32

ziggy12345 wrote:The greens have succesfully destroyed the nuclear industry and now have started on the Oil industry. Maybe we can let the french take control of it all as they seem to have no trouble knowing whats important

If we're talking USA, I the nuclear industry was closed by fear after Mile High.

With massive (but rare when regulated properly, unlike Nigeria for example) oil spills that wreck the environment, the oil industry is pretty much doing the job all by itself...besides which, the oil industry only ever had a certain amount of longevity anyway. That happens when you're dealing with finite resources.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 19 May 2010, 08:30

The Guardian - 18/05/10

Atlantic coast now under threat as current spreads Gulf oil slick

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emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 19 May 2010, 10:14

ziggy12345 wrote:The greens have succesfully destroyed the nuclear industry and now have started on the Oil industry.

Bollocks.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 19 May 2010, 12:43

Aurora wrote:
The Guardian - 18/05/10

Atlantic coast now under threat as current spreads Gulf oil slick

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[i]The Guardian, [/i]amongst other things, wrote:Salazar, under heated questioning from some senators, was forced to concede that the agency had not been entirely cleansed in the 15 months under his charge. "We need to have the right regulatory regime in place and we will work hard to make sure that happens," he said.

Now where have I heard that sort of thing before?

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 20 May 2010, 06:46

BBC News - 19/05/10

US oil spill 'enters Loop Current' with Florida at risk

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Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 20 May 2010, 10:53

Tom Whipple - FCNP - 19/05/10

It has been nearly a month since the tragic events aboard BP's drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, which suffered a blowout, caught fire, and sank in the Gulf of Mexico releasing prodigious amounts of oil into the sea. So far there has been little damage to the coastline; however, this could change quickly as oil is still pouring from the damaged well pipe and it could be months before the blowout is brought under control.
The possible damage to the environment ranges anywhere from minor, which is doubtful, to wiping out the seafood and tourist industries along the Gulf coast for many years.

Although BP and the government continue to talk about a leak of only 5,000 barrels a day based on photography of the surface slick, numerous outside observers who have viewed video footage of the broken pipe are saying this figure may be an order of magnitude too low. Thus far BP has refused to deploy instruments that could give a more accurate appraisal of the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf on the grounds that stopping the leak, not its size, is what matters.

No matter how much environmental and economic damage results from the Deepwater Horizon blowout, the ramifications of the spill are likely to linger for decades and have a major impact on the availability of deepwater oil as we enter the era of oil depletion. The U.S. government has already put a temporary hold on additional drilling until the facts of the current situation are clarified. The oil companies who are used to minimal government interference with their activities are already raising objections to the possibility of tougher regulation.

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biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 20 May 2010, 23:55

dudley · Post by **dudley** » 21 May 2010, 16:39

There's a CNN Spillcam here.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/ ... am2&hpt=T2

It's horrifying.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 21 May 2010, 17:09

"A spill."

"Oh dear, what a pity."

"Never mind pet, there, there."

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 22 May 2010, 05:42

BBC News - 22/05/10

Two political veterans are expected to head a US commission investigating a huge oil spill, amid criticism of the government's response.

Reports say former Democratic Senator Bob Graham and William Reilly, who once served as environment chief for the Republicans, will lead the inquiry.

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No change there then.