Deepwater Horizon disaster

[mike_v_s]

The federal government has zero ability to do anything about stopping this leak.

They don't have the knowledge, or equipment to do it - and they never have.

I suppose they could attempt to do some sort of temporary nationalization of oil company resources and personnel... but that ain't going to fly real well with the Supreme Court.

Maybe I should be more clear: I don't expect the US government to physically stop the leak on the ocean floor, either. The commandeering and coordination of supplies, vessels and personnel to deal with the slick that's been sloshing around for 5 weeks is well within their capability. Instructing the Corps of Enginners to fast track the permit to build temporary protection berms and to help in the construction using equipment they very much have access to (a lot of it is currently in Plaquemines Parish being used by the Corps for another project) is well within their capability.

It seems they haven't really been on top of it, at all. I'd have thought that, after it appeared BP was in over it's head, perhaps they would have consulted their own pool of experts to evaluate the situation. I don't expect the Administration to know how to do everything. But something would have been nice.

As far as what equipment or knowledge the government does or doesn't have (access to or outright ownership of), I'm quite sure that isn't known.

Mike

 

[Gard]

...here's a link to a live feed from the "top kill" attempt:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[KeithBMI]

I watched it for a couple of seconds before I couldn't take the self-righteous political arguments.

 

[Gard]

I watched it for a couple of seconds before I couldn't take the self-righteous political arguments.

...yeah, I have the video on full screen so I can't see any of that STUPIDITY going on...

 

[TheVoiceless]

Oh SNAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to say something that now may sound odd, but logically it makes sense: We shouldn't be drilling in 5000 ft of water, we should be drilling in ANWR. Oil is a heck of a lot easier to clean up when you can get to it.

ANWR? Yes, I'm not expert but I think we can get only easier then this.

 

[Gard]

ANWR? Yes, I'm not expert but I think we can get only easier then this.

ANWR = Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve

I find the concept of staying with dry land drilling instead of deep sea drilling because it's easier to clean the mess up to be disturbing. How 'bout we just not f*** up and make any messes in the first place, no matter WHERE we're drilling?

And, until we can do that, let's not go screwing up any pristine wildlife reserves, hmmkay?

 

[TheVoiceless]

ANWR = Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve

I find the concept of staying with dry land drilling instead of deep sea drilling because it's easier to clean the mess up to be disturbing. How 'bout we just not f*** up and make any messes in the first place, no matter WHERE we're drilling?

And, until we can do that, let's not go screwing up any pristine wildlife reserves, hmmkay?

NO WAY!!! I say TEXAS

 

[aborgman]

Maybe I should be more clear: I don't expect the US government to physically stop the leak on the ocean floor, either. The commandeering and coordination of supplies, vessels and personnel to deal with the slick that's been sloshing around for 5 weeks is well within their capability.

No, actually it isn't.

The government can't just commandeer anything they want, whenever they want - the private owners have significant rights.

Instructing the Corps of Enginners to fast track the permit to build temporary protection berms and to help in the construction using equipment they very much have access to (a lot of it is currently in Plaquemines Parish being used by the Corps for another project) is well within their capability.

You're making the assumption that the hold up isn't because of other environmental concerns - personally, I'm not certain that these "temporary barrier islands" are going to help at all, and may have an environmental impact of their own.

Needless to say - the only people I trust less than the locals when it comes to protecting things is the Corps.

It seems they haven't really been on top of it, at all. I'd have thought that, after it appeared BP was in over it's head, perhaps they would have consulted their own pool of experts to evaluate the situation.

They have... whole bunches of experts in fact...

As far as what equipment or knowledge the government does or doesn't have (access to or outright ownership of), I'm quite sure that isn't known.

Yeah, it generally is.

 

[Kitsapbass]

I agree that we shouldn't be screwing up, making massive messes - but the fact remains, now that we (the US) HAS this issue, maybe drilling off-shore is not the best place to drill. Especially dealing with clean up issues. That being said, if you want to drill in Texas, go for it.

 

[sleepytime]

ANWR = Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve

I find the concept of staying with dry land drilling instead of deep sea drilling because it's easier to clean the mess up to be disturbing. How 'bout we just not f*** up and make any messes in the first place, no matter WHERE we're drilling?

And, until we can do that, let's not go screwing up any pristine wildlife reserves, hmmkay?

I haven't read up on this. Could someone explain to me why ANWR is not some of the most useless real estate on the planet?

 

[sloasdaylight]

I haven't read up on this. Could someone explain to me why ANWR is not some of the most useless real estate on the planet?

Hippies and their dirty dirty tundra love.

I actually have no idea.

 

[ModulusFan]

Hippies and their dirty dirty tundra love.

I actually have no idea.

Correct, we as humans trump all rights of any other life in the universe for our own needs. Let's tap the earth completely dry, torch the rest.

Drill baby drill.....

 

[sloasdaylight]

Correct, we as humans trump all rights of any other life in the universe for our own needs. Let's tap the earth completely dry, torch the rest.

Drill baby drill.....

got a better idea?

 

[mike_v_s]

No, actually it isn't.

The government can't just commandeer anything they want, whenever they want - the private owners have significant rights.

You're right, they can't. That does nothing to my point however. Before you respond, read up on the EPA's National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contigency Plan. There's a Supreme Court case that dovetails with some of the language in there.

You're making the assumption that the hold up isn't because of other environmental concerns - personally, I'm not certain that these "temporary barrier islands" are going to help at all, and may have an environmental impact of their own.

No assumption made: that's exactly the concern. I suspect that a few million gallons of crude will pretty much make that a non-issue, anyway.

The barrier islands that were there before have slowly eroded due to, among other things, channels cut in the marshes since the 1940 and levees changing the natural flow of the water. What was left was all but erased by Katrina. If the environmental concern was damage to the wetlands, I can't help but laugh. It's been a known fact here for years that they are in grave danger and now that's going to be used as a reason to allow oil to flood in?

Needless to say - the only people I trust less than the locals when it comes to protecting things is the Corps.

In this particular case, the locals appear to the only people with a sense of urgency. I imagine it's easy to be ok with BP's response when you don't live near it.

They have... whole bunches of experts in fact...

They've done a stellar job to date making a real impact.

Yeah, it generally is.

So you're saying that federal government has no equipment whatsoever (you know, boats n stuff) that could be useful? Amazing.

Mike

 

[ModulusFan]

got a better idea?

Hmm, get off of the oil tit?

 

[sloasdaylight]

Hmm, get off of the oil tit?

Duh. Again, I repeat my question.

 

[ModulusFan]

Duh. Again, I repeat my question.

I don't have the answer to that, and you obviously know that. Duh. As long as big oil lobbyists are greasing the right palms, good luck of the engineers behind any alternate energy having any luck.

I say we seize BP's US assets.

 

[sloasdaylight]

I don't have the answer to that, and you obviously know that. Duh. As long as big oil lobbyists are greasing the right palms, good luck of the engineers behind any alternate energy having any luck.

I say we seize BP's US assets.

March with me Comrade!

 

[sleepytime]

Correct, we as humans trump all rights of any other life in the universe for our own needs. Let's tap the earth completely dry, torch the rest.

Drill baby drill.....

Take that tone after you stop benefitting from the drilling.

 

[Gard]

I haven't read up on this. Could someone explain to me why ANWR is not some of the most useless real estate on the planet?

It is the last un-f****d-up bit of tundra in Alaska, large numbers of threatened species depend upon it remaining as such for their continued survival, and gee, maybe it'd just be nice if us greedy, lazy, self-indulgent humans don't find some way to totally screw up every bit of the planet, maybe leave a little corner here and there that we haven't totally managed to ruin in the pursuit of profit for some multinational corporate CEO so he can buy yet another gas guzzling yacht to spend his free time on.

Otherwise, yeah, who cares about ANWR....





...I've already made it abundantly clear that I'm not a PETA-member, chain-myself-to-a-tree patchouli-wearing eco-commie, just a guy that wants to be able to believe there is some chance my grandkids (step grand kids) will have somewhere to go and see actual living animals in the wild where the f****** belong, instead of in some enclosure at a zoo.