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Deepwater Horizon disaster
- Thread starter Bigjohn
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I identified a slight problem here.
Ok so who has all of the facts? And if I can't trust a government official on public radio who should I?
Not sure what he would say, but I'm sure it would be done in an auto-tuned voice.
I mentioned that it was in another thread hoping you'd take the initiative....barring that, I'll do the legwork for you, but it wasn't the kind of source you're implying. As for my knowledge, I live here and have taken the time to read up on it.
EDIT: I've reread the post in which you questioned my source and my cut and past skills made it look as though I said something I did not mean. I had meant to comment on the reliability and failures of the BOP itself, not the acoustic switch. Here's an AP link citing a few numbers over the course of the article:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
And here's the one I originally linked in another thread, complete with the numbers:
Invalid Link Removed
I don't purport to know all the facts, either. To that end, the exact cause of the failure isn't know by anyone, so I seriously call into question anyone claiming that a political figure is to blame. IF what you posted is what NPR's guest had to say and there isn't more to it, i'd have to consider myself more informed. Sorry. I would not have assumed that prior to your post.
Unless there were regulations in place that would have prevented this disaster that were removed, I'm failing to understand how someone can reliably point at a political person and lay blame. As was mentioned, is that person also responsible for the lack of regulation over the 1.5 years?
I think what Gard had to say is far more plausible: the industry has been running with loose reins since it's inception.
Mike
Ok so you are directly effected and curious about the situation. So you rely on a news sources the same as I. Check.
Then I would assume the guest on NPR would be falsely accusing the unable to be named party. Hey I am just repeating what I heard again, from reliable sources.
And a blanket statement like "it is what its" is really no answer at all. Its basically saying this disaster was unavoidable. Which may be true, but when I hear someone say things like this could have been prevented with better regulation, I tend to believe them.
And I'm sorry I was not clear, in no way is this an endorsement for any one party. The people who are in charge now are just to blame as the people who have came before. Which was mentioned but the current party was not cited as being a causing factor, more like they are to blame for not acting.
Not trying to get political. I don't route for a color. And I do not endorse or condone any one party. Peace and Love.
True, but I also try to cross-check my sources.
At this point, I just don't see HOW someone can name a former VP as the problem, or really even a large enough part of it, without the full story even being known. False accusation? Probably. I'd really like to know what else the guy had to offer as evidence. I searched a bit and found the line repeated, but nothing backing it up.
Preventable through better regulation? Quite possible. The responsibility of the named person? I'm still not sure how.
I'd say you're right, the current people have probably slept a little bit on the reaction and previous people (several generations of them) haven't done enough to set regulations. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say it was a government official that cited the previous official as the problem? That's a big red flag. I seriously call into question his/her motivation.
Mike
You're right, we really do need Kanye's input here, he being the voice of a generation and all. Hopefully he'll express his thoughts in song, being the lyrical wordsmith that he is.
Hell man, the industry has had the reins in its own hands since it's inception, any appearance to the contrary is smoke and mirrors, folks.
Again, I firmly believe those IN the industry don't want to cause problems, and that there are certain companies in the industry that hold themselves to a very high and laudable standards.
I just don't think BP fits either description, sadly, and what we are seeing from them now is more PR than reality.
Sorta like Exxon in Alaska...
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
<ahem>
excuse me folks, and believe me, i am overjoyed at your discussion, and i fully intend to let you continue, but saddam had the biggest spill of all recorded history.
of all recorded history.
excuse me folks, and believe me, i am overjoyed at your discussion, and i fully intend to let you continue, but saddam had the biggest spill of all recorded history.
of all recorded history.
Without giving a name, the person in question has been outspoken against the last party in charge since 2005. His critiques spanned on all sorts of subjects. But he was in the thick of it. So I believe him.
Call me a fool but I was buying what he was saying. I don't believe what he was saying was for political gain. But my opinion is trivial.
What boggles me is how this can't be stopped? I mean isn't there a point in the line before the break that can be plugged? Or is it coming straight out of the ground? And if that was the case can't we drop a heavy rock on it to plug the hole? I am obviously down playing the complications of the matter, but what am I missing? Why can't they stop the flow of oil?
This will likely be my last post on this particular facet of the discussion, but if he wasn't able to provide an example of the regulation(s) that person A either lifted or put a stop to, I'm not going to buy it. Too convenient to blame the Darth Vader of the group you hate and only the Darth Vader. If his claim is that Darth Vader blocked the use of the acoustic switch and that makes him responsible for the disaster, the easy counter is that Norway began employing the acoustic remote in 1993.
Nah. Unless facts are provided, I'm calling BS on the claim. It's partisan politics (on the part of the guy being interviewed), as I stated. The switch has been in use for the last 17 years, but he's going to stop somewhere in the middle and blame a specific member of the executive branch because our country doesn't use it?
On top of that, the BOP itself has a history of failure. Even if the acoustic remote was in place, there's a very good chance it wouldn't have worked, anyhow. A google search will show a few articles have already mentioned this. So HOW can he be so sure it's the fault of one guy? Easy, finger pointing is less complicated than thinking.
Was that administration to blame? Probably. So was the one before that and the one before that, etc. So is the current, for that matter. MMS is largely felt to be too close to the industry to effectively regulate it. That's not one person's fault who was in office for 8 years. The US government makes quite a bit of money off the OCS leases. I'm pretty sure the "cozy relationship" with the oil industry was established long before Darth Vader began operating the Death Star.
I'll reiterate, I'd call into question anyone who is making the claim that one particular political figure is responsible who cannot provide information to back that claim up.
If I recall, there are 3 breaks in the line. Obviously, if the actual well can be plugged, the three leaks will stop. Why hasn't this happened? Well, I have theories.
To date, the most effort has been put into methods that either plug the well the way it was intended (mechanically activating the BOP) or ways that will capture the oil. Personally, I believe this is because BP is still trying to salvage the well in an effort to reduce the financial damage they are taking. I'm not sure at what pressure the oil is flowing out, but it seems that if we can extract enough earth to reach the oil, we ought to be able to put enough material back to plug it. The 5000 ft depth makes most of my bitching more or less uneducated, however.
Mike
Some heads are definitely going to roll over this. The question is will they be the right heads.
Both BP and the company under them should be required to pay all those losing jobs, and for all the damages to the industries in the area.
It is a terrible situation, and probably one that could have been handled better or differently. I don't really want to speculate there, it isn't my job.
I really am tired of hearing how Obama should have handled this differently or should be doing more or whatever.
It is a terrible situation, and probably one that could have been handled better or differently. I don't really want to speculate there, it isn't my job.
I really am tired of hearing how Obama should have handled this differently or should be doing more or whatever.
Agreed. I'd also add to the list Haliburton, who was doing the cementing at the time fo the accident, and Cameron, who manufactured the blowout preventer, IF either compnay is found to have cut a corner somewhere that could have played a part in the eventual spill.
I'm not so sure. At first, I was like you and willing to let the companies responsible handle the containment. Unfortunately, we've all watched on television as attempt after attempt failed while oil kept getting closer to the coast. It took FIVE weeks, but now we have an exponentially larger problem on our hands. At some point, I believe the administration should have stepped in to take control of the efforts.
No, instead the governor had to overstep the US government as the Corps of Engineers couldn't decide what to do with an emergency proposal to dredge barrier islands to protect the wetlands. They sat on it for about two weeks. He ordered it done without the approval. Illegal? Probably. Jefferson Parish commandeered 40 boats that BP was supposed to be using to lay boom, but that sat while the oil came in.
This has been mishandled by both the companies responsible and the Administration. At this point, I'd prefer they all step aside and let our own local officials be given free reign to tackle this as they see fit, since they seem to be the only ones with a sense of urgency.
Mike
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