"A Research Vessel with Scientists has discovered that the oil spill might be much worse than estimated. Scientists say they have found giant plumes of oil in the deep waters of the Gulf, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick. The plume reports added to the many questions that have been raised about the amount of leaking oil, which many scientists have said is far higher than the official estimate of 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons, a day. That estimate was reached using satellite imagery, flyovers and visual observation, company officials have said." This is from a New York Times article out today. It is not good news for anyone involved. The fact that 210,000 gallons of oil are leaking out into the Ocean every day was bad enough. At that rate, if the spill is not stopped or significantly slowed, it will surpass the size of the infamous 1989 Exxon-Valdez spill by Father's day. But with these new findings, it would likely happen before that with oil likely leaking out faster than estimated. All of this should not be lost on the American people. Everyone' focus right now should be on stopping the leak, cleaning up, and helping the people and animals who will likely be affected by this for the rest of their lives. But after that, Americans need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and check their priorities. Are we going to keep allowing big oil lobbyists infiltrate our elected representatives? Or will we hold their feet to the fire and force them to enact tougher drilling laws and safety standards that will help to prevent this sort of disaster? Another problem has been enforcing the laws already on the books. According to USA Today, "The federal agency that inspects oil rigs, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, fell far short of its own policy of doing at least one inspection each month, according to an Associated Press Investigation. Since January 2005, the agency conducted at least 16 fewer inspections aboard the Deepwater Horizon than the policy specifies, a sharp decrease from prior years, the AP reports. The MMS, which both regulates the oil industry and collects billions in royalties from it, also allowed dozens of oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without required permits, according to a New York Times Report. The story says one of the approvals include the Deepwater Horizon well that exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and spewing thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf each day. In addition, the agency did little to fund research on how better to clean up oil spills, the Houston Chronicle Reports. It spent a tenth of a penny on such research for every dollar it collected in royalties for drilling rights since 1990." All of this should make Americans re-assess whether or not we should be drilling for oil so close to our precious shores. Wouldn't it be smarter to focus our time and resources on developing renewable sources of energy that are already out there like Hydrogen, Algae and other technologies? What about electric or battery powered cars hitting the market? If we force our elected officials to give tax breaks and funding to small businesses to help develop this technology (much like President Obama has called for), wouldn't that help to speed up the time it will take to implement this into our vehicles in a timely and cost effective manner? All of these seem much smarter, much safer and much cheaper than lifting drilling bans off of shore for the first time that will let Big Oil drill in places that put much of us and our local economies in danger. I for one hope the President reverses course on his recent decision to authorize some off shore drilling over the next decade. I know he was trying to extend an Olive Branch to Republicans in doing so, but at what cost? Mark "Marky Mark" Grimaldi The Leslie Marshall Show "The Only True Democracy In Talk Radio - Of, For and By The People" |
Monday, May 17, 2010
BP Oil Spill Should Change Minds On Off-Shore Drilling...
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Doesn't this oil spill make you a little suspicious? The BO announces he will allow offshore drilling, then a few days later there is a major offshore accident that just happens to be owned by a company that is pretty chummy with BO, British Petroleum. The timing is just "Too Perfect" for me to believe in coincidence.
ReplyDeleteNow it has people saying things like;
I for one hope the President reverses course on his recent decision to authorize some off shore drilling over the next decade. I know he was trying to extend an Olive Branch to Republicans in doing so, but at what cost?
I worked in the oil patch for over twenty years and this has the ring of sabotage, not accident.
We need to continue exploring for new domestic sources of oil and producing known fields if we are to turn our economy around. If the Billions of dollars going for foreign oil were instead spent here in the U.S. our economy would improve dramatically.
Of course if you are determined to destroy the United States of America as the current administration has proven itself out to do on numerous occasions, then a disaster such as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill fits right in with your agenda.
Exactly. First we must plug the leak, and then we must consider comprehensive reform. Or at least do both simultaneously. It certainly wouldn't make any sense to do the latter instead of the former.
ReplyDeleteThe same logic, of course, applies to the oil leak as well, not just to the Southern border.
Latest update: 65,000 gallons per day estimated.
ReplyDeleteNot often I agree with the left point of view but I do agree we cannot throw caution to the wind, which is what happens when you take Big Oils word for safety, or expect what is now an addicted to money Congress (both parties) to police objectively. I think we do need to err on the side of caution.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the development of alternatives, it's not an either/or situation. Our cars do not run on atoms, hydrogen, big windmills, or electricity yet. We MUST do both and ease out over twenty years. In the interim it would be nice if Congress, and especially the democrats in bed with govt contract wannabe's would stop subsidizing $83,000 cars no one can buy, and cease regulating genuine low speed alternatives such as golf carts, mopeds, roller skates or walking off city streets. Every highway doesn't have to be a 75 mph super hwy and every one person vehicle doesn't need safety features of a tank to stay within a designated 25 mph speed zone. Imagine a world where poor people and older folks could actually navigate themselves to the store again.
There are too many points to cover here, however the one thing that jumped out at me was the mention of lobbyists. I do believe John Podestas' brother is the lobbyist for BP therefore there is a huge conflict of interest in the Obama administration. And lets not forget the 2 billion dollars Obama is underwriting to Brazil for their state owned deep, deep, DEEP oil drilling. This whole thing stinks to high heaven and it is time we stand up to those in Washington who think they know what's best for us, obviously THEY DON'T!!
ReplyDeleteAll the great inventions of long ago where not subsidize by the government let alone controlled or solely done by the government. It's time we allowed the people to rise to their utmost abilities and save this once great nation or we shall surely parish.
THE OIL SPILL IS JUST ANOTHER STEP IN A GRAND PLAN - SO ITS TIME TO IGNORE THE MEDIA'S RIGHT/LEFT PONY SHOW AND STAND UP FOR AMERICA!
ReplyDeleteHERE'S WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO:
In the global economy, the economic elite don’t need the US public anymore. When you see Obama taking trips to meet with the leader of China, and having his first official White House State Dinner in honor of the Prime Minster of India, you should know that the elite have moved on. There are billions of people in just these two countries that they believe can do all the work we do for much less pay. It is a race to the bottom, and we are considered obsolete to technocratic leaders who think it is better to hire cheaper workers in foreign lands.
As the US continues to collapse, the technocrats have already moved on to the next country to rape and pillage. The economic elite don’t have a home country, to them the entire globe is theirs, and the majority of the US can collapse into poverty for all they care, and that’s exactly what they want to happen.
The US working class is the biggest threat to them and they want us eliminated.
As the IMF would say, there has been a structural adjustment program in place, and the US working class is obsolete.
When you understand this, you can understand how the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are wars against the US public. Wars that weaken and drain the US working class of vital resources and social safety nets.
In the overall picture, the technocratic elite see everyone as a number on a spreadsheet. To them you are what your economic net worth says you are. Considering this perspective, most in the US public have much more in common with an Afghanistan farmer than the billionaires on Wall Street. And the billionaires have put us in the same category as those in Afghanistan. To them it really doesn’t matter if it’s an American life ended or an Afghani life ended in the war, as long as the profits keep coming in… they can care less.
Common sense and statistics demonstrate that the more troops you send into war, the higher the causality count will be, and the more costs will rise, leading, of course, to higher profits.
So as the Obama illusion and the motives behind this war become exposed, and the massive theft by the economic elite becomes known to a critical mass, the elite are ramping up their psychological operations on the US public by turning up their mainstream media distraction machine. And in one way or another they will use the gulf oil spill to their advantage and our demise.