As the situation in the Gulf of Mexico worsens by the hour, the efforts to stem the flow of oil into the environment is beginning to look like, in bird terms, a major cluster flock. British Petroleum (BP), the oil company responsible for the large scale pollution and subsequent loss of animal life, habitat and the accompanying loss of food and jobs for humans, is pouring poisonous chemicals into the mix in an effort to disperse the oil. This despite the fact that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has told them most sternly to stop. And here is problem number one: The EPA has no teeth.
Lisa Jackson, current head of the EPA may issue as many warnings and requests as she likes. There is no way to back them up. BP can soak her in oil and until she drowns, there is no enforceable way to stop them. If President Obama were to step in and issue a supportive executive order or any sort of backing for Jackson at all, it would be a huge step forward for the EPA.
The EPA is so powerless that it trains its dozen or so enforcement officers (One for each region. Ours covers Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. He's a very busy man) not to stand still while on site for inspections so no one will get a good bead on them and shoot them. Obviously, the EPA is more of a "tattle-tale" agency and there is no one to do that spanking.
Let's give the EPA enforcement powers. Let's give them the authority to stop companies in flagrant violation of the Clean Air and Water Acts. Let's give them the powers to close down life-threatening operations immediately. Let's let them do more than suggest fines. And let's protect those dozen guys and gals who are out there trying to protect us from those multi-million dollar companies who don't care if we are poisoned by their moneymaking.
Another problem is the impunity with which BP is handling this situation. First there was the lying about the amount of oil escaping. This went on until government officials demanded BP put a live feed camera on the leak site. Then there was the "blame-shift-shuffle" in front of Congress among BP, Transocean and Haliburton. Here, I believe, there is plenty of blame for all and no one need go without.
Then BP had the US Coast Guard chasing television reporters from the soiled beaches. (and of course, that was live on camera. Plus they announced that all damage assessment and animal rescue should cease in wildlife areas and preserves because they (BP) would be sending in their own experts to take care of that damage, a declaration which was blatantly ignored by those already toiling to save the beaches and wetlands.
The failure to stop the use of dispersants upon request and the subsequent failure to lower the amounts upon request tell us all we need to now about BP. Dispersants make it look like less oil is leaking, therefore a smaller lawsuit.
Meanwhile people's livelihoods are crashing into oblivion and endangered species are rocketing toward extinction. So what to do?
OPTIONS:
Seizure: We can seize all BP holdings in the US and keep them until this is over (if ever). That way when BP balks at paying for this mess, we can just liquidate their holdings and pay for it ourselves.
Dispersants: The dispersants that British Petroleum is using were banned as too dangerous in Britian. That shows us that BP doesn't give a flying rat's butt about our environment. Especially not when they have a safer dispersant stockpiled in a Houston, Texas dockyard. Much safer still is the gentle detergent that is used for cleaning animals and birds covered in crude.
I believe we should load two huge tankers of Dawn dishwashing liquid and take them to the Gulf. There they can be torpedoed and allowed to leak into the same area as the oil spill. Dawn is safer for the animals, it's a pretty color and comes in several lovely scents. There may be some bubbles, but remember, "Dawn gets grease out of your way". Too bad it doesn't work on sleazy executives.
Leak Stop: Finally, stopping the leak. It seems that all of BP's leak containment methods are centered around recovery of oil. The huge concrete bell with the siphon on top was an attempt to cover and recover the leaking oil. These clogging ideas also allow for later recovery. Likewise, the alternative drill sites they are planning to use to take pressure from the leaking well will also provde BP with more oil.
What we really should be doing is finding something big to go over the entire site and just forget about recovering the oil. In the Department of Energy, these items are referred to as BFRs or Big Freaking Rocks. DOEs BRFs cover the enterances to underground bunkers in which plutonium pits are stored. But using a BFR to stop this spill could be just what we need.
We will need to maneuver a large rock or huge concrete pad over the site, then drop in onto the entire area. This will cover the entire ocean floor for at least a half mile around the site. The pipes will be crushed closed and the oil held back in the ground by the weigh of the BFR. Of course, there will be no access to the original well. Will BP agree to that?
If that seems too difficult, perhaps we can take those huge tankers of Dawn and as they sink, guide them into the same position as the BFR would have to be and crush the leak that way. Unfortunately, this option, too, would mean foregoing access to the oil.
So what's more important here? Stopping the oil or saving the oil?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave Comment