Gulf Oil Slick

[weatherboi]

Thanks Linus for opening this thread!!!

I am intimately acquainted with the Gulf Coast. I have spent many a houseboat vacations putting up and down Cayo Costa seashore. I also have spent many September weekends diving for scallops in the Steinhatchee area of Florida. I gave a quick call to check in with the owners of the place I stay when I go scalloping. Now this is the Northern coast before the panhandle just along the south end of the curve of Florida panhandle. She told me they were already seeing birds and animal life coming in contact with oil. She said there will be no scalloping business for her this year. She was very upset. She was born and raised there. After getting off the phone with her I got pretty nervous calling the couple that owns the houseboat rental business I use when I go down there. They realized right away when this happened how it is going to ruin their business. I could hear her voice cracking when we talked about the animals and plant life that will be wiped out. I may not care for the politics of my state but I can say I have had a love affair with Floridas waterways and all they have to offer since i was a small child. I am sad over this!!!!

[Rockinonahigh]

When the platform sank they said there was NO leak,then we had a BIG leak and it has gone on far to long.They keep trying new things to stop it but I know they have got a centerfuge machine that can suck up sea water and oil and separate the two..WHY ARENT THEY USEING IT????The well owners, who ever they are,have screwd up the ecosysten of my state for generations to come.If they had used some things I have herd about like paper shreded that will soak up oil or big nylon bags to store the spill in by sucking up the oil and sea water into it.They store oil and gas in these things and float them out in the ocean..its should work for this as well.Now how do I know this..My X was,last time I saw him was into big oil as an exutive and has showd me the things mentioned..years ago.

[Andrew, Jr.]

This is what I mean. They have to know what to do. Something is up. I feel like a hostage.

[Jett]

Animals Caught in Gulf Oil Spill: How you can Help

A Matter of Trust

[Rockinonahigh]

Andrew..yesterday I filld up my car at the circleK for $2.89 a galon....ouch! Hostage isnt the word ,if the prices are this nigh now ,godess help us by time this is over.

[Boots13]

This is a catastrophe of such proportions we will feel the impact of the devastation for decades.

How many times did we campaign against this? I cant believe the impunity private enterprise has shown, despite the concerns and warnings from us "tree-huggers". Such denial in thinking that this would or could never happen has set them up for the catastrophe we are all experiencing now.

I am sick over what has been done, and despite any entity's best effort, the oil continues to flow.

[Andrew, Jr.]

See this is what I don't understand. As a youngster I was pounded into a pulp about being responsible, and respectful of nature. And here I am with my 2 great nephews asking me why the grown ups aren't doing anything. I just am at a loss of what to say. Really, I have no idea of what to say because here on the East Coast there is nothing shown being done that is slowing down the flow of oil, or cleaning up the spill. Everything is like this and that. Nothing of real importance. I am just so upset over this event, and everyone knows it.

Rockinonahigh,
Gas here is about the same price. It is a dent in my wallet each week.

[Medusa]

I am trying to do some research to find out how BP and other oil companies get approval to drill so close to our shores and the shores of Mexico and islands in the Carribean.
Anyone know where to look?

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Boots13

This is a catastrophe of such proportions we will feel the impact of the devastation for decades.

How many times did we campaign against this? I cant believe the impunity private enterprise has shown, despite the concerns and warnings from us "tree-huggers". Such denial in thinking that this would or could never happen has set them up for the catastrophe we are all experiencing now.

I am sick over what has been done, and despite any entity's best effort, the oil continues to flow.

I keep remembering walking the shores in Valdez, Alaska in 2003 (a long time after the spill there) and rolling over rocks with oil deposits.... Although Exxon was found liable, the people there losing their livelihood as well as what it did to the environment and critters - it has still not paid up. There are eco-systems lost there that will never return. Oh, and the cruise ships still pump sewage into the waters, there.

The impact of the environmental devastation will never stop..... they are now using chemicals to try to stop the flow, and synthetic materials...

Also, the 11 people that died on that rig were blown to hell. Others are suffering from severe PTSD. Why are we going to continue to do off-shore drilling just due to this loss of life? Oh, that's right, coal-mining companies that cut corners, block labor unions, etc. are also a dime a dozen...

But, you know, there are senators in Congress trying to block off-shore wind energy fields primarily due to bird losses... Yes, I care about birds but data demonstrates that wind energy bird losses are minimal.

I do not know what all the possible problems could be with wind energy (or so-called clean-coal, but just can't help but think about the mega-billion dollar oil industry will not lose in the end.

I have made personal changes in my own energy use, but until we all do, nothing much is going to change. There are some new solar hot water residential systems now out that can be financed at zero interest rates- take a look! But, yes, its damn hard for most of us in this economy to even think about these kinds of changes. Soooooo... how about big-buck corporations having to make changes on their buildings?

You know, that pipe may never be able to be corked! And BP is far more interested in what it is losing in sweet crude. They will probably gain a means to re-build that rig as the only means to divert that oil. And the fact remains that that area is far too deep to drill in and have any kind of safety surrounding it. It never should have been able to be there in the first place. Do you see any efforts to shut-down all this rigs in this heightened risk area?

And…. To date, we still have no way to dispose of nuclear waste generated by nuclear power plants. But, you can bet there is going to be a big campaign (billions toward lobbying) to build more of these plants.

[Spirit Dancer]

Originally Posted by weatherboi

Thanks Linus for opening this thread!!!

I am intimately acquainted with the Gulf Coast. I have spent many a houseboat vacations putting up and down Cayo Costa seashore. I also have spent many September weekends diving for scallops in the Steinhatchee area of Florida. I gave a quick call to check in with the owners of the place I stay when I go scalloping. Now this is the Northern coast before the panhandle just along the south end of the curve of Florida panhandle. She told me they were already seeing birds and animal life coming in contact with oil. She said there will be no scalloping business for her this year. She was very upset. She was born and raised there. After getting off the phone with her I got pretty nervous calling the couple that owns the houseboat rental business I use when I go down there. They realized right away when this happened how it is going to ruin their business. I could hear her voice cracking when we talked about the animals and plant life that will be wiped out. I may not care for the politics of my state but I can say I have had a love affair with Floridas waterways and all they have to offer since i was a small child. I am sad over this!!!!

WB
We were recently there in the Panhandle and yes there were brids and sealife coming to shore via the tides, dead covered in oil. my heart breaks for our sea life and the businesses. It's also true business is going to suffer BIG TIME the shrimpers were venting at the local Marina and it wasn't pleasant to hear.
Someone needs to step up PDQ and take accountability. Let whomever necessary tell BIG MONEY how to CLEAN this mess up.