Spill Update:
The numbers regarding the amount of oil being released into the Gulf, daily, have been updated by scientists, from what BP wanted us to believe. Turns out the amount is at least 10 times greater than what BP had estimated, and possibly even greater than that. (Link) So what can be deduced is after 24 days of unmitigated oil flow, at our new estimate of 50,000 barrels a day, from the failed exploration well, that around 1.2 million barrels have been released into the Gulf or approximately 50 million gallons. To put that into perspective with other oil spills it is now 5 times the amount of the Exxon Valdez spill and it continues. So far the biggest oil spill in American history.
Oil Industry and Offshore Oil Production Clarifications:
Furthermore, updates as to why this release happened have come to light and they are rather striking. What it boils down to is that there are no government standards on what is or is not an acceptable practice when conducting off shore drilling, and therefore no oversight. In recent court hearings, it has been shown that, all three companies involved in this well exploration are negligent and some grossly negligent. For instance, the knowledge that the blowout preventer was inadequate for its role, being that it had a dead battery, disconnected hydraulic hoses, and that it had been repaired using essentially useless parts. But apparently that does not mean it’s not expected to be a failsafe device. There were short comings, corners cut, and warning signs ignored by the well drillers. To top it off there was no regulatory oversight as to what safety or mitigation devices or practices are required as a contingency plan in the event of a well blowout. (link)
It Gets Better Though, There’s Nothing to Worry About:
Never the less, it’s just crude oil being released into the Gulf. This is not something that we should really be concerned with, or at least that’s what Tony Brown, BP’s CEO would like us to believe. In a recent interview he was quoted in saying "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." (link) No big deal. So what, right? I bet that all the dolphins, tuna, fish, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, sea turtles, whales, sea birds, fishermen, the army and coast guard and on and on all feel the same way. I mean why shouldn’t they right it’s a big ocean?
Conclusions:
Maybe it’s just me, but I have found all of the news produced this week outrageous to say the least. I guess it just goes to show the influence that Big Oil, and oil in general plays in our national economy and its perceived importance. BP was calling the shots in regards to the oil spill, and its documentation. Where was the government and the governmental agencies? They were outraged, or so they said, they did send the coast guard out to help in the cleanup, but never once did they attempt to exert control over the situation and why should they? The government doesn’t want responsibility for the cleanup, or the threats to the wildlife, or any of it. Maybe that’s the reason for the lack of oversight, regulations, standard practices, and safety or spill mitigation requirements.
The way I see it, after outside analysis, over 3 weeks after the oil spill started, we are finally being given accurate information regarding how much oil is being spilled and why. This is the largest oil spill in American history. Unfortunately, it’s not the largest in the Gulf and it definitely won’t be the last oil spill to occur out there. America has basically given free rein to the oil companies, and I really doubt this will change. Tony Harward said it himself:
Hayward insisted that deep-water drilling would continue in the US despite the growing environmental and political backlash against the company.
"Apollo 13 [the unsuccessful third mission to the moon in 1970] did not stop the space race," he said. "Neither did the Air France plane last year coming out of Brazil [which mysteriously crashed] stop the world airline industry flying people around the world. It's the same for the oil industry."
He pointed out that the Gulf of Mexico, much of it in deep waters, represented one-third of the US's oil and gas production. (Link)
I guess the reality of this is sad to me. We, America, are willing to let large companies continue to wreak havoc on our environments, oceans, fisheries, and people in the name of oil. We let them kill people in their haste and pursuit of profits. We fine them money, sure, but we don’t seem to be making meaningful strides to prevent these issues from happening. The really sad part about it is that, this situation isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Now we see that BP is concerned with the lawsuits they are going to face over this mess, and rightly so. But BP is the 3rd largest oil company in the world, they made 5.6 billion dollars in the first quarter of this year alone.(Link) I guess if anybody can pay for this mess its them. However, the limited compensation received isn’t going to “fix” the damage caused, and the impacts that we won’t even know about for years to come.
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