Showing posts with label Deepwater Horizon Disaster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deepwater Horizon Disaster. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Website to submit clean up proposals for the Horizion Deepwater Well
There is a process for citizen suggestions on capping the pipe Link to Horizon website
This post is to underscore the fact that a process for submitting suggestions on capping the pipe exists and private citizens (Like Mr. Posey) can take an active part in proposing solutions, which are noticeably lacking in local commentary on the oil spill .
Link provided by J. Lesow
This post is to underscore the fact that a process for submitting suggestions on capping the pipe exists and private citizens (Like Mr. Posey) can take an active part in proposing solutions, which are noticeably lacking in local commentary on the oil spill .
Link provided by J. Lesow
Saturday, June 5, 2010
President Obama's letter about Gulf Coast
Elisabeth --
Yesterday, I visited Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana -- one of the first places to feel the devastation wrought by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While I was here, at Camerdelle's Live Bait shop, I met with a group of local residents and small business owners.
Folks like Floyd Lasseigne, a fourth-generation oyster fisherman. This is the time of year when he ordinarily earns a lot of his income. But his oyster bed has likely been destroyed by the spill.
Terry Vegas had a similar story. He quit the 8th grade to become a shrimper with his grandfather. Ever since, he's earned his living during shrimping season -- working long, grueling days so that he could earn enough money to support himself year-round. But today, the waters where he has worked are closed. And every day, as the spill worsens, he loses hope that he will be able to return to the life he built.
Here, this spill has not just damaged livelihoods. It has upended whole communities. And the fury people feel is not just about the money they have lost. It is about the wrenching recognition that this time their lives may never be the same.
These people work hard. They meet their responsibilities. But now because of a manmade catastrophe -- one that is not their fault and beyond their control -- their lives have been thrown into turmoil. It is brutally unfair. And what I told these men and women is that I will stand with the people of the Gulf Coast until they are again made whole.
That is why, from the beginning, we have worked to deploy every tool at our disposal to respond to this crisis. Today, there are more than 20,000 people working around the clock to contain and clean up this spill. I have authorized 17,500 National Guard troops to participate in the response. More than 1,900 vessels are aiding in the containment and cleanup effort. We have convened hundreds of top scientists and engineers from around the world. This is the largest response to an environmental disaster of this kind in the history of our country.
We have also ordered BP to pay economic injury claims, and this week, the federal government sent BP a preliminary bill for $69 million to pay back American taxpayers for some of the costs of the response so far. In addition, after an emergency safety review, we are putting in place aggressive new operating standards for offshore drilling. And I have appointed a bipartisan commission to look into the causes of this spill. If laws are inadequate, they will be changed. If oversight was lacking, it will be strengthened. And if laws were broken, those responsible will be brought to justice.
These are hard times in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast, an area that has already seen more than its fair share of troubles. The people of this region have met this terrible catastrophe with seemingly boundless strength and character in defense of their way of life. What we owe them is a commitment by our nation to match the resilience they have shown. That is our mission. And it is one we will fulfill.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
Yesterday, I visited Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana -- one of the first places to feel the devastation wrought by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While I was here, at Camerdelle's Live Bait shop, I met with a group of local residents and small business owners.
Folks like Floyd Lasseigne, a fourth-generation oyster fisherman. This is the time of year when he ordinarily earns a lot of his income. But his oyster bed has likely been destroyed by the spill.
Terry Vegas had a similar story. He quit the 8th grade to become a shrimper with his grandfather. Ever since, he's earned his living during shrimping season -- working long, grueling days so that he could earn enough money to support himself year-round. But today, the waters where he has worked are closed. And every day, as the spill worsens, he loses hope that he will be able to return to the life he built.
Here, this spill has not just damaged livelihoods. It has upended whole communities. And the fury people feel is not just about the money they have lost. It is about the wrenching recognition that this time their lives may never be the same.
These people work hard. They meet their responsibilities. But now because of a manmade catastrophe -- one that is not their fault and beyond their control -- their lives have been thrown into turmoil. It is brutally unfair. And what I told these men and women is that I will stand with the people of the Gulf Coast until they are again made whole.
That is why, from the beginning, we have worked to deploy every tool at our disposal to respond to this crisis. Today, there are more than 20,000 people working around the clock to contain and clean up this spill. I have authorized 17,500 National Guard troops to participate in the response. More than 1,900 vessels are aiding in the containment and cleanup effort. We have convened hundreds of top scientists and engineers from around the world. This is the largest response to an environmental disaster of this kind in the history of our country.
We have also ordered BP to pay economic injury claims, and this week, the federal government sent BP a preliminary bill for $69 million to pay back American taxpayers for some of the costs of the response so far. In addition, after an emergency safety review, we are putting in place aggressive new operating standards for offshore drilling. And I have appointed a bipartisan commission to look into the causes of this spill. If laws are inadequate, they will be changed. If oversight was lacking, it will be strengthened. And if laws were broken, those responsible will be brought to justice.
These are hard times in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast, an area that has already seen more than its fair share of troubles. The people of this region have met this terrible catastrophe with seemingly boundless strength and character in defense of their way of life. What we owe them is a commitment by our nation to match the resilience they have shown. That is our mission. And it is one we will fulfill.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Live Video from B.P. Site
Watch live streaming video from wkrg_oil_spill at livestream.com
Link to copy of U.S. Coast Guard Bill to B.P.
America - the School of Hard Knocks
The Deepwater Horizon disaster is a reminder of the impact big oil production has on the environment. It also demonstrates oil's potential impact on the economy and how deeply the national dependence on oil is woven into the social fabric of this nation.
Americans are justifiably angry that B.P. got us into this mess and they are demanding that B.P. pay for all the clean up costs. But this anger, as easy as it is to understand, is misplaced. The demand for cheap gasoline and the refusal to let go of the "American way of life" has resulted in the United States' refusal to implement safer production methods that may have prevented the gusher spill. It's not unreasonable to state that a fair, carefully planned regulatory production framework could have prevented this disaster and saved all of us billions and billions of dollars.
Recently, President Obama said that "if existing laws were not sufficient to prevent the incident, then the laws must change."
"What's being threatened - what's being lost - isn't just a source of income but a way of life." Obama opined.
In closing, Obama reiterated, " that he expects regulatory changes to reform what he termed "a far too cozy" relationship between oil companies and the government.
The U.S. and other nations provide billions of dollars in direct and indirect taxpayer subsidies to oil corporations, including low interest loans, grants and tax credits. We also provide indirect subsidies through the money we pay in increased pricing following the aftermath of pipeline explosions and massive oil spills. This is a very public problem with serious economic consequences for a nation that is struggling to pull out of a major economic recession.
Last year, the Conservative Heritage Foundation stated that, ""When and if renewable energy becomes cost-efficient, it will be adopted by private industry and won't need subsidies." Perhaps the Deepwater Horizon disaster is the catalyst that will provide the economic stimulus that private industry needs to generate a sincere interest in renewable energy and safer off shore production standards.
The 2010 budget includes $18 billion in tax breaks to oil drillers, refineries and distributors. Nevertheless, conservatives complained when the federal stimulus package contained $61 billion for energy efficiency programs. (In contrast, foreign nations pay up to $310,000 billion to subsidize oil, gas and coal companies). In return for our assistance, the American people have a right to demand safer production standards and greater efficiency.
B.P. claims that it will pay to clean up the spill. I'm not sure that is even feasible, now that the spill has been dumping thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf for over 30 days. But the estimated cost of clean up will never be able to compensate American taxpayers for the money they will shell out for unemployment and the massive economic slow down that the Deepwater Horizon disaster will create for residents in the Gulf states. The cost to tourism and fisheries will be in the billions. The long term environmental and health impacts to the Gulf of Mexico will be devastating for those who live in the region.
I find it chilling to realize that the only way America can learn that it needs a fair, but firm regulatory system is by experiencing catastrophic disasters like Deepwater Horizon.
Americans are justifiably angry that B.P. got us into this mess and they are demanding that B.P. pay for all the clean up costs. But this anger, as easy as it is to understand, is misplaced. The demand for cheap gasoline and the refusal to let go of the "American way of life" has resulted in the United States' refusal to implement safer production methods that may have prevented the gusher spill. It's not unreasonable to state that a fair, carefully planned regulatory production framework could have prevented this disaster and saved all of us billions and billions of dollars.
Recently, President Obama said that "if existing laws were not sufficient to prevent the incident, then the laws must change."
"What's being threatened - what's being lost - isn't just a source of income but a way of life." Obama opined.
In closing, Obama reiterated, " that he expects regulatory changes to reform what he termed "a far too cozy" relationship between oil companies and the government.
The U.S. and other nations provide billions of dollars in direct and indirect taxpayer subsidies to oil corporations, including low interest loans, grants and tax credits. We also provide indirect subsidies through the money we pay in increased pricing following the aftermath of pipeline explosions and massive oil spills. This is a very public problem with serious economic consequences for a nation that is struggling to pull out of a major economic recession.
Last year, the Conservative Heritage Foundation stated that, ""When and if renewable energy becomes cost-efficient, it will be adopted by private industry and won't need subsidies." Perhaps the Deepwater Horizon disaster is the catalyst that will provide the economic stimulus that private industry needs to generate a sincere interest in renewable energy and safer off shore production standards.
The 2010 budget includes $18 billion in tax breaks to oil drillers, refineries and distributors. Nevertheless, conservatives complained when the federal stimulus package contained $61 billion for energy efficiency programs. (In contrast, foreign nations pay up to $310,000 billion to subsidize oil, gas and coal companies). In return for our assistance, the American people have a right to demand safer production standards and greater efficiency.
B.P. claims that it will pay to clean up the spill. I'm not sure that is even feasible, now that the spill has been dumping thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf for over 30 days. But the estimated cost of clean up will never be able to compensate American taxpayers for the money they will shell out for unemployment and the massive economic slow down that the Deepwater Horizon disaster will create for residents in the Gulf states. The cost to tourism and fisheries will be in the billions. The long term environmental and health impacts to the Gulf of Mexico will be devastating for those who live in the region.
I find it chilling to realize that the only way America can learn that it needs a fair, but firm regulatory system is by experiencing catastrophic disasters like Deepwater Horizon.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Public Integrity BP Safety Inspection Report - Two Refineries Account for 97 percent of all Flagrant Industry Violations
"Two refineries owned by oil giant BP account for 97 percent of all flagrant violations found in the refining industry by government safety inspectors over the past three years, a Center for Public Integrity analysis shows. Most of BP’s citations were classified as “egregious willful” by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and reflect alleged violations of a rule designed to prevent catastrophic events at refineries."
Data on Cherry Point is included in the report
Link to Public Integrity BP Investigation
Data on Cherry Point is included in the report
Link to Public Integrity BP Investigation
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Worst. LTE. Ever.
From the Bellingham Herald Letters to the Editor...
Feel free to make a comment over at the Herald and tell them all about how lucky you feel to have BP here right now.
Update:
* Please note that the letter was not written by a local BP employee.
We have all by now heard about the terrible accident that has happened in the Gulf of Mexico.
However those of us who live in Whatcom County must not overlook the benefits, the BP Cherry Point oil refinery has brought to our county.
The many good jobs they provide to their employees, subcontractors and the business those employees, subcontractors provide to so many other businesses in the county, from buying a cup of coffee to buying a house or car.
BP Cherry Point refinery is one of the biggest contributors to charities in our county and they are a very good neighbor.
We are lucky to have them and they do not get enough credit for the good they do.
Feel free to make a comment over at the Herald and tell them all about how lucky you feel to have BP here right now.
Update:
* Please note that the letter was not written by a local BP employee.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Oh, [Bad Word]!!!
BP is telling the media that the "Top Kill" approach may not be stopping the oil breach in the Gulf.
And just to make this even more dramatic, hurricane season begins on June 1st.
And just to make this even more dramatic, hurricane season begins on June 1st.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Oil spill brings ‘death in the ocean from top to bottom’ - Times Online
This is terrible, just terrible,” says Dr Shaw, back on the boat. “The situation in the water column is horrible all the way down. Combined with the dispersants, the toxic effects of the oil will be far worse for sea life. It’s death in the ocean from the top to the bottom.”
Oil spill brings ‘death in the ocean from top to bottom’ - Times Online
Oil spill brings ‘death in the ocean from top to bottom’ - Times Online
Monday, May 17, 2010
Nerditorial: KGMI's Patti Brooks bristles at criticism of oil industry
Ms Brooks recently posted an article on her KGMI blog in which she takes great umbrage at criticism of the oil industry’s track record on... um...
...safety.
No, really. She did.
...safety.
No, really. She did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)