Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Is BP Turning a Deaf Ear to Solutions?

Artist credit:  Wolverine080976 @ Deviant Art

There are two camps in this gulf oil disaster:  (1)  Those who think and believe BP and the government are doing everything in their power to clean it up and (2) those who do not.

No surprise, but I'm in the 2nd camp.

Maybe I'm missing something and as always, I welcome enlightenment from anyone wiser, more educated, and more knowledgeable than ordinary folks like myself.  It just seems to me that I'm seeing a lot of solutions being offered up, some seemingly quite viable, reasonable, cost effective, and far more environmentally friendly yet they are being shot down by BP or whoever is in charge.

Examples:

Bio remediation.   Two links provided for your perusal:

(1)  Spill Fighters

(2)  Gutsy Solution Restores Environment in Six Weeks (YouTube video)

BP has so far shown themselves to be liars.  Not good ones mind you, but liars nonetheless.  They've spouted all sorts of contradicting figures about how much or how little oil is in the gulf.  They also deny any underwater plumes.  They minimize the damage in any way they can while more stories, more photographs, more evidence everywhere down there indicates not only the opposite, but that things are going to get a helluva lot worse before we see a modicum of improvement.

Meanwhile, the whole of the natural environment is being pretty much raped 24/7, including just about all sea, land, and air life in the area.  But never mind that.  It's much more important for BP to save as much oil as it can.  Saving the turtles, birds, fish, coral reefs, dolphins, whales, etc. simply is not profitable.

In addition, would it surprise you to know that the U.S. has known for at least the past decade that this oil spill disaster was a real possibility?  If so many people involved in the govt. and the oil business have known about this for at least that long, why wasn't anything developed to prevent this damn thing from happening?

I'll say it again:  If we have the technology to drill into the earth a mile under the sea, then we damn well should have the technology to prevent such a disaster.  I realize my thinking is flawed because after all, people have car accidents and after much trial and error, adjustments and modifications are made to reduce accidents and minimize injuries, etc.  But various reports out there indicate that the people working on the Deep Horizon oil rig and BP KNEW there were problems BEFORE the explosion and millions of gallons spewed out into the gulf.

They can't say this was an accident.  They can't say they are not at fault and that basically "shit happens."  They KNEW and yet ignored the reports of problems.  They KNEW and figured "It's not going to happen to us."

I know I sound redundant on this whole matter.  It just pisses me off.  Because here we are, almost 2 months later with no end in sight to the biggest global environmental disaster in human history.

Based on what I read on various news sites, both mainstream and alternative, I get the impression that BP is basically just taking rags and mopping up the mess and not much else.  So if they are claiming to be as frustrated as everyone else is on this issue, then it's time to take their thumbs out of their asses and look at all the various ideas being offered to help clean this up.  Continuing to put a band aid on such a humongous wound isn't working, And  continuing to spray dispersants over the area when it's been well documented that it causes further negative effects on the water and wildlife obviously isn't working either.

Is Bio remediation the answer?  Is Kevin Costner's solution the answer?  I don't know.  But to hell with liability issues, etc.  BP needs to stand down and basically try every single thing until something actually works instead of behaving like mice running on a wheel.

Personally, I wouldn't want the fate of our future environment resting solely in the hands of oil executives and politicians.  Would you?

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