Healing the Gulf

(Artist credit:  Sky_19 @ Deviant Art)

Did you watch Obama's speech last night?  I did and I have mixed feelings about it.

While I appreciate that he finally addressed the nation on the oil spill disaster, I do not feel he said enough or offered up any information that we don't already know.  I also do not feel that he came across as reassuring, encouraging, or as positive as he could have been. 

I'm cynical when it comes to politicians. 

That said, I have to be nit picky about a couple of things here.

Obama said: " Scientists and researchers are discovering clean energy technologies that will someday lead to entire new industries."

We've had these technologies around for ages.  The reason why they haven't been made public is because it's not profitable.    Take away our dependence on oil and move to free energies, you take away billions of dollars in profits and taxes to a lot of powerful people.  It's all about money.

"Already I have implemented a six month moratorium on oil drilling."   No offense, but that's not good enough.  We should have a permanent ban.  I don't care how many safety features they add, the oil spill in the Gulf has proven that (1) our sea floors are fragile and drilling into them creates further disasters and (2)  we'll never get off oil as long as we continue to allow new drilling.

This takes me back to the free energy, clean energy, alternative energy, etc.  It exists.  It's been proven to be out there.  It's obvious why they aren't currently being used on a wider scale.

Obama also talked about accountability of the oil companies and basically learning a lesson now from the Deep Horizon explosion.     That's also not good enough. It's also been proven that for at least the past decade, reports have existed of various problems on various rigs around the world.  This is not the first accident that has happened and it certainly won't be the last.  It's happening now in Venezuela, Alaska, the Amazon, etc.  Please stop insulting the intelligence of good people everywhere. 

I'm no expert and I'm the first to admit it.  So some solutions I've been reading about, to a layman, certainly make a lot of sense.

(1)  Kevin Costner's oil clean up machines.  We've heard they've been bought by BP.  But we have not heard if they've been used yet. 

(2)  Bio-remediation.  Spill Fighters details how this works and it appears to me to work better than that stupid environmentally dangerous dispersant BP is currently spraying over the miles and miles of the Gulf ocean. These dispersants have been proven to cause more harm to the water, the wildlife, and to the people living in the region.

(3)  Seize BP assets, holdings, cash, etc right now and tell them to get lost.  Have someone independent take over the clean up.  BP has proven thus far to be completely incompetent and to care more about maintaining their profits than the damage they are doing to the environment, the wildlife, and the people living along the Gulf states.

(4)  Stop keeping things tight to the vest and start being more transparent about everything that's going on.  Just a reminder, Mr. President. One of your campaign promises was that the government would be more open and transparent. It's another insult to good people everywhere that we are not being 100% informed of what is going on out there.  And let people help.  If Florida wants to take charge of protecting their own shores, then let them.  Stop the bureaucracy and get it together.  Time is of essence.

(5) If you're thinking you're going to get away with taxing more people on the climate bill and/or the Cap and Trade, you'd better re-think that Mr. President.  People are being taxed to death enough as it is.  We are trillions of dollars in debt as a country.  Who's fault is that?  The politicians in D.C.   The American people are sick and tired of bailing out corporations, banks, politicians, etc for every bumbling poo poo they make without regard for the consequences.  It's got to stop now.

Like I said, I'm no expert.  I freely admit some or all of these ideas have their pros and cons.  But politics and business as usual just isn't going to get it done.

Obama said:  "..for decades, we have failed to act with the sense of urgency  that this challenge requires. Time and again, the path forward has been blocked - not only by oil industry lobbyists, but also by a lack of political courage and candor."

Please remember your words Mr. President and act on them.  Again, time is of essence.

In the meantime, if you believe in the healing power of vibrational light energy, then please take a moment to look at this video and participate:

Share Visualization for Healing the Gulf

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?