Let’s talk about this if we can somehow manage to keep it non-political. What are your thoughts on the oil disaster? Are we all doomed?
I think it’s too early to call that, in fact Accuweather reports that the weather may actually start cooperating in helping containment efforts.
I’ve heard snippets here and there related to BP allegedly cutting some corners when it came to safety features on the new rig though, if so a perfect example why if there’s corners to be cut you don’t cut corners on safety.
BP is an interesting company,
On the outside they are one of the most forward thinking companies, with some of the highest investment in solar technologies of any company in the world.
However this is not the first time BP (specifcally BP) has had major enviornmental problems. Don’t get me wrong, others have too, but these others are generally failure during transportation i.e. boats sinking, whereas BP failings are on the major infrastructure level including oil pipelines, and now this.
Its very disappointing and quite alarming, and is yet another reason we should push harder for more sustainable technologies. Not just because of global warming, but because they are generally considered cleaner (assuming they are not made using heavy metals etc…)
Out of curiosity, who pays for the clean up? the public or the responsible party?
Thanks Alltaken.
In this modern age of globalisation, where things like a volcano has effects in far flung regions like . . .
Oh never mind, you have summed the situation perfectly. Good one Bro! Kia Ora!
BP pays for the clean up
and is yet another reason we should push harder for more sustainable technologies.
When it comes to making life more sustainable and having a light impact on the environment my state has an entire town rebuilding just to be that since a tornado destroyed it 3 years ago (anyone who watches Planet Green should know what I’m talking about)
Let’s face it, if there were 2,500 barrels of Jamaica’s finest spilling into the Gulf every day you could bet your britches there would be no problem cleaning it up; we’d have a military blockade keeping the cleanup crew in their jonboats out! Imagine if a few thousand bales of Cuban Gold or Columbian sugar were accidentally “spilled”. It’s a sad (if cynical) reflection on our values.
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Didn’t Australia have a similar incident not too long ago? I seem to recall they had trouble closing it. Though I guess 400 barrels a day isn’t nearly as big a deal as 25,000. I can’t help but wonder if we’ll be too slow about it… What if it permanently destroys the ecosystem in the Gulf Coast - and along with it a third of the nation’s fishing industry?
So much for off shore drilling…
I know,
Put a giant metal dome or something over it. That’ll fix it…
Oh wait…
Edit Plantperson why do you think that this could be our doom? A lot of spilt oil is quite a disaster, but not really for humans (not directally anyway), just the environment. It sucks, I hope they contain it soon and limit the damage…
Humans depend on the organisms in the environment and so if these are destroyed, we are, as well. Plus, the Gulf is filled with life, and it would be very sad to lose it all. It might not even end all of us! It might just crap up the economy! But anything that kills is not good.
Don’t forget that 12 persons are still missing; and probably dead from the explosion on that rig. I feel for them cause all everyone is thinking is about money and how much it will cost. Take a moment and think about the 12 and their families.
If it’s not contained it could cause serious damage to the ocean’s ecosystem, possibly spreading well beyond the Gulf. As things begin to die in the ocean, land ecosystems will be affected as well…and that’s not even to mention what happens when the oil reaches the coast. Oil is poison, and it’s currently getting injected into the ocean at a rate of thousands of gallons a day, with the potential of much more. That is seriously not good. It’s been only a few days and already the slick is larger than Florida.
And bigbad, yes, I’m sorry about the loss of the workers, but there will be time to grieve once we’ve solved the more pressing problem.
Don’t forget that 12 persons are still missing; and probably dead from the explosion on that rig.
a very good point.
but there will be time to grieve once we’ve solved the more pressing problem.
sorry PP, but your perspective is twisted a bit.
the reason to focus on containing the spill first, is because those 12 are dead, and we can’t change that now.
but if they let the oil run where it wants, a lot more will die, but if we contain/clean it up, we can prevent that.
and sorry to be harsh, but that’s a lot less than certain other recent events…
BP does not pay for the cleanup. Their liability is capped at US$75 million. If not stopped (what’s wrong with the dome idea?) it will destroy the shrimping industry and tourism industry, basically bankrupt LA and MI at least, if not most of TX especially Houston area.
Who really pays are the fish, shrimp, birds - they pay with their life.
The people who really pay are the fishermen, hotel employees, and everyone else who is going to have to move and find another life.
I don’t see why we cant get a sub in there to either cut off and seal the pipe or get Dr. Diane to stick a band-aid on it.
ZOMGBBQ, it’s teh apocalypse!
It seems they had some trouble with the robotic sub: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLiqvZOP8TY
I don’t have a lot of confidence in the dome idea, but I guess anything is better than doing nothing in this case. As for the liability cap: it goes without saying - these people know how to cover their ass, and make other people (suckers) pay for company mistakes.
There are multiple parallels one can draw between the financial woes of 2009 and this disaster. Not to say that an oil spill translates directly into fictional derivative values (obviously it doesn’t), but the corporate end-game is essentially the same.
Yea, but it’s still Kansas.
Ok, so there was an oil spill. Big deal. This is nothing new, we’ve dealt with this sort of thing before, we’ll deal with it again.
I’m all for creating renewable sources of energy. I am NOT for big ugly inefficient wind farms and solar panels. They generate a very little, very inconsistent amount of energy. So why the hell should we suddenly rush out and try to turn everything “green?” We still have plenty of time to research the right technologies, there’s no need to try to sell everyone on an inefficient “green” lifestyle just so they can feel better about “saving the planet” (no, I don’t believe in AGW, but that’s for a different thread). Nuclear power is in the grey area for me. One the one hand, it generates a crapload of power, but it also creates a substance so insanely toxic that it has to be locked away in an underground bunker for thousands of years.
If working conditions were unsafe for the people on that platform, then there definitely needs to be an investigation. You don’t have to exploit your workers to cut a profit. In fact in many cases, the old “a happy worker is a productive one” triumphs over cutting worker costs. Unfortunately, I don’t think oil and gas exploration is one of them, but that’s still no excuse.
Not really on topic, but am I the only person left that thinks modern wind farms look cool?
(Even if they are inefficient, which they are. In my opinion we should be focusing on advancing the really promising stuff like fusion power.)
I agree. If we can expend all this effort and money on improving solar and wind (both too ineffiecent right now) then why can’t we also invest money in nuclear sources of power, to make them more efficient (and safer).
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/physics/sobel/Nucphys/breed.html
This technology isn’t new, and we would be actually burning nuclear waste to make power- killing 2 birds with one stone. There is thousands of years of cheap energy already stored up- sadly, because it falls under the “Nuclear” category, it gets a bad rap.
Too bad about the spill, oil is dirty on many levels.Fusion power… now THAT would be great! 