My conspiracy comments weren't directed at the Corexit, although I still disagree with fighting something terrible with something a little less terrible. My issue was with the handling of it all. The amount of time that it took for them to stop the leak is unacceptable in every sense of the word.... I would compare the BP thing to the Nuclear reactors in Japan. In both situations, when humans are playing with the earth and with power in such a way that when bad things happen, you just have to sit there and watch it get worse for days and weeks . And in the reactors case, they just said, well, you can't stop it. You just have to let it spout out toxic waste for 6 straight months... Welllllllll.... If that is the protocol for a nuclear meltdown, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE you should not have build a nuclear reactor.... Same with BP. If you can't stabilize a mistake within a 24-48 hour time frame, you should NOT be allowed to do what you are doing..... Just because us humans figured out some stupid sh** to do to provide fuel and power, does not mean that we SHOULD do it. So, I yes, the BP thing was a conspiracy. A conspiracy to minimize the media exposure, to lie to the public about the severity of things and to deflect the fact that these drilling pipes and platforms are NOT safe and should not be approved by ANYONE to use. And then the coast guard shuts down airspace for days and weeks? Why would they do that? What business do they have there other than taking orders from the commander and chief and doing what they are told..... I mean, it is what it is, accidents happen, but when the results of said accident can render an entire portion of the OCEAN dead and contaminated for the next 10 years, they should have NEVER proceeded. And same as the Japanese situation. Watch the vice episode of that. They are still just removing layer after layer of toxic waste off the soil. The water is trashed. The fish are trashed, its been creeping across the pacific for years. Just cause you can, doesn't mean you should. And you want to talk about conspiracies, you will get 10 years in jail in Japan for even COVERING this in the media. They straight lock people up for it. Its a joke. You would think that Japan had enough disasters with nuclear energy (I.E. the us wiped out 2 cities in a heartbeat), you would think they would be a little more careful. So, like I said, I am the last guy to start talking about government conspiracies, we have our own in house guys that take care of that on SI. But it seems simple to me. Don't build a nuclear powerplant and reactor that YOU CAN"T TURN OFF!!! I mean, I know there is a lot more science behind all this, but come on man, a 3 year old could have explained how bad of an idea it is. Oh, just let it continue to destroy the world for 6 months, it will eventually melt down to the point where we can MAYBE touch it... But until then, lets just fill giant drums with the toxic dump water that is now eating through all the drums and leaking directly into the soil.... And next, lets just drill into the ocean floor and HOPE that nothing bad every happens, because there is no plan to stop it. We just roll the dice, collect a boat load of cash and if something goes down, we go on vacation and have the federal government keep everything under wraps for us. Ugh.
Right on Zach, I'm glad you spend so much time "making food orders". Haha. SS, how did you even find this thread? I thought someone hijacked my handle until I saw the date. As I've previously stated, the search function and I aren't friends .
This is why it is important to join and support reputable and effective organizations such as Surfrider Foundation and locally based coalitions of stakeholders. Individuals can be dissuaded, coerced, muzzled, and discounted way easier than popular and well funded science based organizations. Here in Florida we have been largely successful keeping the oil barons at bay, but they are beating at the castle walls as we speak. Don't forget to vote. Think globally and act locally sounds cliche, but I'd rather go down swinging than whining.
Careful with Vice, Zach. They are a shock alternative media source, and not exactly a pillar of scientific research. They are going to make everything seem worse than it is, because that is what they sell. I like some of what they do, but I take it all with a grain of salt. As for media coverup, I doubt it. I am not sure what news you watch, but the scientific news sources were covering this catastrophe non-stop. They still are covering it today. I just read about issues with local marine life a couple months ago. This all comes down to energy, man. We all need it, we all waste it, and someone has to make it. The government can only regulate so much. Remember, we have a large portion of the population that wants less government regulation and control. Hell, many members on here are part of this group. The gov can't control everything without ending up pissing off wealthy powerful people. So they end up with minimal regulations, companies take advantage of this, then you end up with major disasters. Remember all this when you vote. Even our own Republican governor here is SC wants to welcome off-shore drilling with open arms. Do you think she will push to heavily regulate this for safety?
I think I just searched 'oil spill' and this was the top hit...I knew there were a couple threads on it, I think this was the most recent so I ran with it. As far as Vice, I see some of the shock value stuff, but they won my respect when they infiltrated the wolf killing derby in Salmon Idaho last year and exposed the sadism of the wolf hating cretins.
Agreed. But like I said, I am the last guy you will ever hear b**ing about any of it. I get it, supply and demand and we don't want to have to live off the middle eastern tit forever, but at what cost? I mean, I don't use solar power at home, I have a V6 in my truck and a use a decent amount of fuel, so I certainly can't sit here *****ing about fuel. I am just saying, why can't BP just spend a little extra coin and have better safety functions. Have better shutoff protocol. A secondary containment chamber or something that will just lock down if sh** goes south. I am not an engineer, but with all the billions and trillions spent on oil, the least they could do from a regulatory standpoint is "have a backup plan". Not much you can do with an oil tanker sinks or two ships crash, or an 18 wheeler hauling fuel explodes or crashes. There is collateral damage, same as there is in anything else in the world. And yes, I definitely smell the sensationalism in VICE, but it just shocked me, because they are the ONLY media outlet I have heard mention the BP spill in years. I mean, I follow CNN, and will check FOX NEWS and will even check Huffington for laughs sometimes. I don't dig all that deep, but I assure you that this topic is out of sight, out of mind for most people in the country. When there is potential catastrophic damage being risked here, there has to be a better safety mechanism. The Nuclear example is a more clear cut one. Like I said, if you cannot shut down a nuclear reactor during a meltdown, and further more not turn it off for a year, MAYBE you should have thought that through. Was disposing of an entire HUGE region of you country and your people really worth nuclear energy? That whole region is a toxic wasteland. Just like the gulf has been. And it WILL happen again. It most definitely will. And we will watch them all scramble in the hopes that they can shut off the oil flow. I mean, how many days and weeks did we all sit there watching that live underwater feed of the oil just pouring out. Day after day after day. I mean, really? Not blaming the government completely, but come on now. If you give these companies the green light to do it, you should at least make sure they do it safely. Don't just give the keys to your Porsche to a guy that is stumbling around after pounding a whole bottle of jack. Seems like a similar scenario.
I agree that Surfrider can be mercenary. They require money to keep being effective in suing large polluters. There are many things they do that I do not agree, but overall they serve a good purpose. My point is that rather than complaining on a website, it is more positive and effective to complain to your elected officials both locally and nationally. The time spent sending emails, letters, and petitions is one way to be heard, and if enough people make enough noise, it becomes very uncomfortable to open large areas of the coastline to nearshore drilling platforms. I'm sure the fishermen, hoteliers, waterfront landowners, scuba divers, surfers, beachgoers, and other stakeholders in your town/city would agree that the message needs to get out that it is bad economics for a large majority of people on the coast to have oil pumped from the bottom of the ocean near by.
They're taking away the one thing we will need when it crumbles, and that is the land we'll need to live on and with. They'll have enough money hoarded that they won't need it. "What then is a frontier? The frontier, in my view, is that forgotten country where men and women live with and by and for the land, in self-reliant communities of mutual aid, in a spirit of independence, magnanimity, and trust."
Well thats it, nothing can be done. (sarcasm) Most people I know believe in less regulation for individuals not for corporations. Corporations that have the capabilty of creating huge ecological disasters should be regulated for the publics safety .People are held responsible for their actions why not corporations? All I have read about drilling for oil off SC coast has shown little benefit with hugh potentially negative consequences (ie Gulf Coast). I'm with Zach when he points out the lack of preparedness or even capabilty to deal with a spill. As for media, I'm sure BP wouldn't tell an untruth.(sarcasm again). Oh, and when BP takes a dump in your ocean you will have to hire lawyers to fight for years if you hope to be compensated for any damage caused by their recklessness.
Well now that the government is allowing corporations to have religious rights like people, the line will be further blurred. I am 100% against off shore drilling on the SC coast, but the Republican leadership is all for it. This is the same party that wants less EPA involvement in big business. We need to be careful when we talk conspiracy and government. The government isn't one massive unified body that has the same opinions and supports the same actions. The EPA, OSHA, and CEQ would love to impose more regulations on oil companies. However, the GOP fights this every chance they get. The positions of our political leaders, and their actions in government, are quite transparent. That is why I question the conspiracy theory. BP was no cover up. They got away with trashing the environment, because our elected leaders have passed policies and laws to benefit big oil over the years. Not to be an environmental hippy here, but if you have missed all this then you haven't been paying attention. (Not you personally, but anyone claiming coverup)
I read somewhere that the government is a much bigger polluter than industry. Not sure if true but it makes for an interesting irony.
I hate to get political here, but there is way more to the GOP statements because this entire plan is being executed through the Obama administration. Not sure the quality of the source here, but this was the first decent article when I googled this and it is pretty interesting which states were targeted for the offshore drilling by the Obama Admin. There are plenty in the GOP who be all for the drilling, I understand that, but isn't it interesting how almost NO blue states were targeted on the east or west coast. This article also irritates me because it some who devalued the North Atlantic and Gulf coasts, while boasting how important the pacific waters are for wildlife. Pretty Ironic..... http://californiawatch.org/dailyreport/how-did-california-dodge-obamas-offshore-oil-plan-1591 I guess SC and GA are doomed because I have never seen or heard a liberal adverstisement or campaign ad since I moved here. And to be honest, in September, 2012, the first day at my new business on Hilton Head, I was visited by a member of the largest local media publication in the county and the first thing they asked me to do, was hang a 200 foot wide "Mitt Romney" banner. My place of business is the first thing you see when you cross the bridge. Can't miss it. I respectfully declined to "help their cause" and they argued, but 80% of the people that live in this county and visit hilton head are GOP supporters. I replied, you are the media, I am a business and if you think I am going to alienate 20% of my consumers, you are nuts. Have a nice day. So yeah, I knew SC was screwed from the day I got here. Every other ad is about some GOP guy who is going to protect all of our gun rights.... So, yeah, I am sure at sometime in my lifetime, I will see my local waters trashed. Maybe if someone with more knowledge on the system or subject could suggest an effort any of us can make to try and stop it. I am usually the one saying, ohh well, can't fight the system, but I am listening on this one........ ?????
You are very perceptive. Even in conservative minded communities, those who live work and play on the coast, and depend on the ocean as a resource economically and recreational are much more open minded and more willing to stand up to big money interests. Since South Carolina culture is so engrained with a keep them carpetbaggers out mentality, it is feasable that a campagn could be organized to unite all Cakalakeeans. Carolina beaches for Carolinians. Keep Big Oil Out! That's the best I got for now. I know you are busy running a business, feeding your family, putting America to work, and catching a few waves as therapy. It is good to be able to look back and say, "I fought those bastards till the end". Hopefully the seemingly inevitable is not, and cleaner greener energy becomes the revolution that increases our quality of life and the ocean and our planet's health.
Well it's at least worth some research on my part. I am sure there is some activity out here in SC against it and if nothing more, I can offer any help that I can. I tried to stay out of a lot of the politics in California, but for the most part, the one thing that they don't waver on, sometimes to a fault (coastal commission), they NEVER compromise their coastline. A lot of that is smoke and mirrors, because it's recognized as an almost 50 Billion $ per year "coastal economy", so their intentions are sometimes not what they seem, but at least they can spin it that way and keep big oil out of the waters. Unless Jerry Sanders is in office, then bad things happen.
