TWC Today Forums
Other => General Discussion => Topic started by: The Weather Guy on May 16, 2010, 08:50:26 PM
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The recent explosion of the oil rig in the gulf has claimed 11 lives and may affect thousands. As the oil slick grows many people are worrying not only about the environmental effects, but the economic ones. NOAA is working hard to try contain the leak while BP tries to plug it. One way people can help is donating hair to a company that creates them into pads.
Our response has been instantaneous and sustained. We would like to have more assets. We would like to be doing more. We are throwing everything at it that we physically can.
The oil rig had failed pipe pressure testing, the blow out preventer and the dead-mans switch were hooked to a dead battery. An investigation is currently under way. Another concern is that if the leak is not capped soon ic could get in the loop current and travel into the Atlantic ocean.
Oil slick forecast - (Updated daily)
http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/~liu/Drifters/latest_rtofs.htm (http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/~liu/Drifters/latest_rtofs.htm)
Any body have any thoughts on that?
**UPDATE**
Check out this video.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36800673/ns/us_news-environment/#37242125 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36800673/ns/us_news-environment/#37242125)
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I feel that BP and the government are NOT doing enough to fix this problem. There is far too much finger pointing going on and threats to raise OUR taxes to fix this. This isn't our, the tax payer's, fault.
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The sad part is that some other countries force oil rigs to have additional emergency shut-offs. I know other rigs have an acoustic signal backup where a ship can send a sound wave towards the valve on the ocean floor, and it would shut itself off automatically. That kind of technology would have been nice to have here. I'm with Jesse in saying that all parties are responsible.
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The sad part is that some other countries force oil rigs to have additional emergency shut-offs. I know other rigs have an acoustic signal backup where a ship can send a sound wave towards the valve on the ocean floor, and it would shut itself off automatically. That kind of technology would have been nice to have here.
Yes, I've read a lot of criticism that the U.S. doesn't require them. Unfortunately, profit was put before safety.
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There is a valve on the floor but its unable to be properly shut off. I feel BP really is the only one doing a thing. BP is only chartering the rigg anyway. The government is sweeping this under the table and protecting their image imo. Seems like they haven't learned much since Katrina with disasters.
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I feel that BP and the government are NOT doing enough to fix this problem. There is far too much finger pointing going on and threats to raise OUR taxes to fix this. This isn't our, the tax payer's, fault.
You are one of the many people who agree on this. They should do MORE! This is causing so many problems. It might even reach the Atlantic!! :cry3:
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It has gotten into the loop current, as stated by the local cheif meteorologist at WTVT tonight, and it looks like it could impact us if a hurricane were to hit us in June (like I see that happening). :yawn:
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Seems like they haven't learned much since Katrina with disasters.
This country is prepared for nothing.
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Seems like they haven't learned much since Katrina with disasters.
This country is prepared for nothing.
I kinda agree with you.
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The recent explosion of the oil rig in the gulf has claimed 11 lives and may affect thousands. As the oil slick grows many people are worrying not only about the environmental effects, but the economic ones. NOAA is working hard to try contain the leak while BP tries to plug it. One way people can help is donating hair to a company that creates them into pads.
Our response has been instantaneous and sustained. We would like to have more assets. We would like to be doing more. We are throwing everything at it that we physically can.
The oil rig had failed pipe pressure testing, the blow out preventer and the dead-mans switch were hooked to a dead battery. An investigation is currently under way. Another concern is that if the leak is not capped soon ic could get in the loop current and travel into the Atlantic ocean.
Oil slick forecast - (Updated daily)
[url]http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/~liu/Drifters/latest_rtofs.htm[/url] ([url]http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/~liu/Drifters/latest_rtofs.htm[/url])
Any body have any thoughts on that?
The forecast shows it is coming through the loop current! I may be affected! :cry3:
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I can only imagine what horrific damage related to the oil a landfalling hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could cause. I don't even want to think about that, actually!
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I can only imagine what horrific damage related to the oil a landfalling hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could cause. I don't even want to think about that, actually!
Neither do I.
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**New Information**
Some tar balls have been found in key west. They are currently trying to find out what is causing this.
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Here's an article about the tar balls in key west.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/17/coast-guard-tar-balls-key-west/ (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/17/coast-guard-tar-balls-key-west/)
**Tar balls are not from bp oil slick.
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Please limit the double posting you're doing here. You can just make edits to your previous posts if you have updates.
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Can anyone explain why gas prices have dropped? While millions of gallons of oil is just pouring into the ocean? :hammer:
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Can anyone explain why gas prices have dropped? While millions of gallons of oil is just pouring into the ocean? :hammer:
Diesel has dropped but not crude oil, here at least. :no:
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Can anyone explain why gas prices have dropped? While millions of gallons of oil is just pouring into the ocean? :hammer:
The markets are all down due to the huge debt crisis in Greece. That makes everyone else worry that we could get part of their financial problems, which pushes the projections of oil demand downward. As a results, prices are falling. So much about oil prices is driven by speculation anyway. :rolleyes:
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True
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True
We tend to steer away from one word posts such as these around these parts. Please keep this in mind for the future :thumbsup:
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Oh... Sorry. I'll remember next time. :blushing:
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Can anyone explain why gas prices have dropped? While millions of gallons of oil is just pouring into the ocean? :hammer:
Its 1 oil rig. If we were talking about hundreds or thousands of oil rigs and refineries then it would be a different story.
Government at its finest:
"Another Jindal complaint: a slow government response to his state's proposal to build a 94-mile-long string of sand berms across Louisiana's coast to keep the oil at bay.
The $350 million barrier plan was hatched by Plaquemines Parish officials shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as a way to keep out future storm surges and could work equally well to block out the oil, says P.J. Hahn, director of coastal management for the parish.
The plan would take four to six months to complete, but 12 dredges working simultaneously on the project would bring relief to coastal marshes almost immediately, says Nungesser, the Plaquemines president.
On May 11, Louisiana requested an emergency permit for the plan from the Army Corps of Engineers that would bypass lengthy environmental impact reviews. Corps and Coast Guard officials have voiced concerns, and the matter is still under review."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-05-27-Spill-poll_N.htm (http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-05-27-Spill-poll_N.htm)
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Billy Nungesser is a soldier for the Louisiana coast. He's basically calling the feds and BP out because they aren't doing anything while more oil hits the coast, killing the seafood and wildlife.
God forbid if the brown pelican goes back on the endangered species list...or disappear altogether.
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New 6 mile wide oil plume found 3,300 ft below sea level
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_SPILL_NEW_PLUME?SITE=PAYOK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OIL_SPILL_NEW_PLUME?SITE=PAYOK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)
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I've heard talk about the possibility of this oil getting caught in the Gulf Stream, though things are up for change at any moment. Creating blocks at the shore is not an effective shore-up. It's wasting valuable time, and not to mention money, that could be used to make the capping of the oil pipe itself go much faster.
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I've heard talk about the possibility of this oil getting caught in the Gulf Stream, though things are up for change at any moment. Creating blocks at the shore is not an effective shore-up. It's wasting valuable time, and not to mention money, that could be used to make the capping of the oil pipe itself go much faster.
how will that help? They already have people working on it and throwing money at the issue wont help. Its not money that was causing the problem trying to figure out how to stop the leak.
In any case looks like things are looking better:
'Top kill' stops gulf oil leak for now
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-top-kill-20100528,0,5782115.story?track=rss (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-top-kill-20100528,0,5782115.story?track=rss)
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I wasn't talking about throwing more money than is currently being used on the process altogether. I meant that the money that is being wasted on stopping the oil at the shore can be spent for developing solutions for more effectively stopping the oil at the source much sooner. Stopping it at the shore and cleaning it up does not mean it can't keep coming or go elsewhere.
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My question is, when will the oil spill end? I'm getting tired of hearing about it...
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I wasn't talking about throwing more money than is currently being used on the process altogether. I meant that the money that is being wasted on stopping the oil at the shore can be spent for developing solutions for more effectively stopping the oil at the source much sooner. Stopping it at the shore and cleaning it up does not mean it can't keep coming or go elsewhere.
They have hundred of scientists and people a hundreds time smarter then any of us working on it. Its not a matter of finding more people to work on it. This isn't one of those cases where more people working on a solution will produce faster results. Skipping trying to prevent the spread of oil and just focus on the source will destroy local economies and ecosystems.
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It's a double edged sword IMO. If there's a hurricane that comes through, then there's a possibility that some of the vapors that might be in solution in the water will evaporate and cause acid rain further in. No oil will come in rain because it has a different evaporation temperature and water and oil don't mix, so I wouldn't worry about it raining sweet crude in Atlanta. :) But in some sense, having a little bit of oil in the water might reduce evaporation and hinder hurricane development (highly unlikely, but possible).
My biggest worry is that tropical activity will carry oil to the Gulf Stream, and then you'll have a BIG problem. (And it might be @ Key West right now, but a tropical system stirs up the waters even more.
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Ive been watching the Congressional hearing with BP CEO Hayward. My god I have never in my life seen such complete and utter BS from politicians. Seriously its a complete joke! Stupak is the chair of this particular one. I listened to him not understand the concept of a failsafe mechanism. Its so sad that these are the people running our government. I think Mr. Haywards time should be better spent working with BP to fix this problem rather than listening to the dribble and hot air out of Washington politicians. Seeing our politicians speak with about as much intelligence as a 3rd grader enrages me so much.
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Maybe what I'm about to say isn't as simple as it sounds, but why didn't they have an emergency plan worked out well before this oil spill happened so they could be somewhat prepared for a disaster like this? I mean it's not like this is the first time there has ever been an oil spill in the world, there has been at least a dozen major ones in the past 35 years.
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Well from what I have been told, other countries do have an emergency plan of sorts. Foreign nations have an emergency shut off option, where you can have a ship over the well send a signal down to the well and shut it off. The United States does not require that sort of thing.
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Well from what I have been told, other countries do have an emergency plan of sorts. Foreign nations have an emergency shut off option, where you can have a ship over the well send a signal down to the well and shut it off. The United States does not require that sort of thing.
Thats what the blowout preventer is. Its the failsafe that should automatically shut off or can be manually closed in an incident. Its not clear why it failed here but the fact the oil rig above caught fire and sank may have caused damage to it. Every undersea well in the US and world has this.
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So I have looked over a couple clips on youtube of the hearings yesterday. All I can say is... wow. Evasive is an understatement to how Tony Hayward responded to much of the questioning. I know less about the company and operations than he does and I could have answered the questions better. One misconception that just about everyone has is that it is not all BP's fault. Granted, BP very easily should have prevented this disaster, and they carried out the operations of the well. But they only lease it; they do not own it. Even though many are already on both the cleanup and shutoff operations, just about everyone can do more.
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So I have looked over a couple clips on youtube of the hearings yesterday. All I can say is... wow. Evasive is an understatement to how Tony Hayward responded to much of the questioning. I know less about the company and operations than he does and I could have answered the questions better. One misconception that just about everyone has is that it is not all BP's fault. Granted, BP very easily should have prevented this disaster, and they carried out the operations of the well. But they only lease it; they do not own it. Even though many are already on both the cleanup and shutoff operations, just about everyone can do more.
Why is it all BPs fault? As you said it wasn't even their own oil rig but contracted out. Could they see into the future and forsee this accident? Does CEO Steve Jobs know everything about his company? No and no. Its ridiculous to expect Hayward to be able to answer every single question. Just because you are CEO doesn't mean you know every single piece of information about the company. I think he did a fine job and made a good point that answers should not be given until all the facts and reports are in. BP has hired outside parties to help distribute relief money and has the largest cleanup operation ever in place. Sure in a perfect world we would all be driving electric cars and oil free. But the fact is the technology and costs are not there yet. Oil is a part of our daily lives and will be so for years to come.
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Just like you have the highest position on this site, he has the highest position at BP. He has the responsibility of being proactive with choices made at BP below him. He obviously did not care, and did not even attempt to say he did not have an answer or respond correctly to the questions. He was sent a letter several days in advance of the hearing, and could have gone to others who knew more about what happened and the poor choices that were made. He was asked once if he made a commitment to safety, and if he followed through on that commitment. His response? "I am distraught". I fully understand it is not completely BP's fault. But they could easily have prevented it by taking safety into their own hands and being proactive with decision making.
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Just like you have the highest position on this site, he has the highest position at BP. He has the responsibility of being proactive with choices made at BP below him. He obviously did not care, and did not even attempt to say he did not have an answer or respond correctly to the questions. He was sent a letter several days in advance of the hearing, and could have gone to others who knew more about what happened and the poor choices that were made. He was asked once if he made a commitment to safety, and if he followed through on that commitment. His response? "I am distraught". I fully understand it is not completely BP's fault. But they could easily have prevented it by taking safety into their own hands and being proactive with decision making.
I dont think you can compare my admin position with that of a CEO. A CEO doesn't own the entire company and isn't responsible for all divisions under him. He can even be kicked off by stock holders or a company committee. Why is it obvious that he did not care? He didn't want to be held accountable for words he wasn't prepared to make. Every question asked by those retards we call congressmen related mostly to questions that still have no been ancestored or to solutions that haven't been properly researched. Did you actually watch the whole thing? It was several hours long. Once a BP, independent, and government investigation finds out what actually went wrong then I will assign blame. Right now the media and the rest of the zombies just blame BP for not being safe. When someone explains how not being safe led to his accident or/and that someone knew about it, then I might reconsider.
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In some sense, from what I've seen, it was probably inevitable that given the design of the rigs, something like this would happen. And based upon the fact that oil companies (by design) go for giant profits (I get dividends EVERY quarter from my shares in ExxonMobil) they could care less about regulation by the government.
The sad thing is that the government can regulate it, but there are certain people (who shall remain nameless) who HATE government regulation at any point, and would rather "live free or die". And then they run their mouths when something bad happens. I say this: the politics of this, as with most environmental things, is not even worth discussing because it's all Grade A, USDA Prime bovine excreta. The hypocrisy and the fact that no one wants to be offended until it's time to point fingers is probably why the oil hasn't been shut off by now.
And BTW, Katrina's still a wide open book. There's an article that I want you all to read in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/opinion/30rich.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/opinion/30rich.html) - it compares Katrina to the oil leak. I wrote an op-ed to the op-ed for one of my classes, available http://www.psu.edu/dept/e-education/blogs/geog030/2010/06/ethical-hurricane-a-response-to-frank-richs-obamas-katrina-maybe-worse-by-steve-zwolinski.html (http://www.psu.edu/dept/e-education/blogs/geog030/2010/06/ethical-hurricane-a-response-to-frank-richs-obamas-katrina-maybe-worse-by-steve-zwolinski.html)
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Ive heard some talk about not even doing the drilling moratorium. Is it just me or does the news just keep getting worse??
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Ive heard some talk about not even doing the drilling moratorium. Is it just me or does the news just keep getting worse??
Actually things are improving. A lot more oil is being collected before it gets into the gulf and BP hopes to get somewhere close to 90% of it collected within a few weeks
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/me bumps this thread with her poking stick
So I'm hearing all around the news that BP has a new cap and it's finally sticking in the leaking well. Well finally we're seeing some results here. I hope this ends the leaking thats making the spill worse. :yes:
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BP will be testing the cap to see if they can turn it off almost completely if they had to leave in case of a tropical system. The new cap should capture close to all of the oil escaping the well. Relief wells are also supposed to be finished within a week
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Apparently the most recent report is that BP has been able to stop oil from flowing into the Gulf. :biggrin: But, they also maintain that this is not over, and that the vent will have to be reopened eventually. :hmm: Story: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/15/gulf.oil.disaster/index.html?hpt=C1 (http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/15/gulf.oil.disaster/index.html?hpt=C1)
And don't blame it on "global warming", either. You'd be asking for trouble if you did so. :club:
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Has anyone heard that BP is considering acquiring into buying the name "Amoco" to rebrand themselves and start a clean slate after this whole Gulf Oil Spill Disaster. Some folks are mixed about the idea, what do you guys think? :dunno:
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Has anyone heard that BP is considering acquiring into buying the name "Amoco" to rebrand themselves and start a clean slate after this whole Gulf Oil Spill Disaster. Some folks are mixed about the idea, what do you guys think? :dunno:
All the stations in my area used to be Amoco but then BP bought them and they became BP with "Amoco Fuels". I don't think they have to buy the name just switch back
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Has anyone heard that BP is considering acquiring into buying the name "Amoco" to rebrand themselves and start a clean slate after this whole Gulf Oil Spill Disaster. Some folks are mixed about the idea, what do you guys think? :dunno:
A lot of companies try to do that... Just look at comcast <_<
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Huh? I thought BP already owns Amoco? :blink:
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British Petroleum and Amoco merged in 1998 to become the BP we know today. So, they could try bringing the Amoco name back even though it's still the same company.
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I still think its quite ridiculous they even have to do this. I can't believe there are actually a lot of people not buying BP because of the oil spill. It's not like Exxon or any other company is any better.
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British Petroleum and Amoco merged in 1998 to become the BP we know today. So, they could try bringing the Amoco name back even though it's still the same company.
Very interesting. Like Martin said, it is rediculous that they would have to do this. People are ignorant. Many of these "BP" gas stations are LOCALLY owned. If you boycott BP, you are boycotting local business, and hurting innocent people. I for one don't usually buy BP gas anyway, because it is generally 5 to 10 cents higher than other gas stations. Of course I say that, and went to BP for gas yesterday..does not happen too often.
14 BP stations in my area were bought out by 7-Eleven, so I don't know how much longer BP will be around here.
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Bad thing is my Crown Vic loved BP gas with the Invigorate (R) additives....if they're not around, I have to hunt for Shell gas.
But yea, actually, no matter what happens, I'm willing to bet my bottom dollar I'll probably get calls as a physical geographer/meteorologist/climatologist to help with this situation for my first job out of college. Sure, it stinks, but no matter what happens, it will make me a LOT of money.
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But if BP owns Amoco already, then why do they have to "purchase" it? :unsure:
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But if BP owns Amoco already, then why do they have to "purchase" it? :unsure:
A lot of people noticed in the late 90s/early 2000s that all most Amocos became BP. However when one is passing on the road they dont have time to see the print on the BP signs that say "with Amoco fuels". I noticed it rather quickly because I didnt drive when the changes occurred and i read almost every business sign/billboard that I was able to notice back before I started grade school :P
If my theory is correct based on Tavores' post, people may think that Amoco is returning if and when they see the names on some signs or if they were to use the old logo again people will consider Amoco a different company if BP doesnt put their name on the signs. Down here a chain that moved into several old Amocos that BP didnt acquire called GasKwik never advertised their fuel source (which I doubt was their own). They were changed to Marathon stations in 2007/2008 but atop the store part the name 'GasKwik' was still used :yes:
/me ends stupid thought :club:
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But if BP owns Amoco already, then why do they have to "purchase" it? :unsure:
A lot of people noticed in the late 90s/early 2000s that all most Amocos became BP. However when one is passing on the road they dont have time to see the print on the BP signs that say "with Amoco fuels". I noticed it rather quickly because I didnt drive when the changes occurred and i read almost every business sign/billboard that I was able to notice back before I started grade school :P
If my theory is correct based on Tavores' post, people may think that Amoco is returning if and when they see the names on some signs or if they were to use the old logo again people will consider Amoco a different company if BP doesnt put their name on the signs. Down here a chain that moved into several old Amocos that BP didnt acquire called GasKwik never advertised their fuel source (which I doubt was their own). They were changed to Marathon stations in 2007/2008 but atop the store part the name 'GasKwik' was still used :yes:
/me ends stupid thought :club:
Yes thats the whole idea. Get people from thinking of BP and the bad PR that came from the spill. Doubt it will happen. Most if not all BP stations still have Amoco Fuels posted
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Yes thats the whole idea. Get people from thinking of BP and the bad PR that came from the spill. Doubt it will happen. Most if not all BP stations still have Amoco Fuels posted
Not the ones here. About two years ago they replaced the "Amoco Fuels" sign with "BP Gasoline."