Gulf Oil Spill: The Disaster That Never Was

[dbackjon]

BP oil spill: Endangered species still at risk

US officials recorded a big jump in the numbers of dolphins and endangered brown pelican and sea turtle injured or killed by the BP spill over the past week, even as officials were proclaiming that the oil was rapidly disappearing from the Gulf.

Some 1,020 sea turtles were caught up in the spill, according to figures (pdf) today – an ominous number for an endangered species. Wildlife officials collected 177 sea turtles last week – more than in the first two months of the spill and a sizeable share of the 1,020 captured since the spill began more than three months ago. Some 517 of that total number were dead and 440 were covered in oil, according to figures maintained the Deepwater Horizon response team.

"It is a high number for any endangered species," said Elizabeth Wilson, a scientist for the Oceana conservation group. The number of dolphins, whales and other marine mammals captured or found dead also rose last week, from 69 to 76. An analysis by the National Wildlife Federation said the numbers of oiled birds collected had nearly doubled since the well was capped, from 37 to 71 a day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/au ... -oil-spill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kalm]

It's starting to sound similar to the global warming debate:

There's no oil on my beach (it's a light winter), besides why should we trust the experts?

[Gil Dobie]

Though I hope the impact of this spill turns out to be less than feared, I think it is way too early to make that kind of determination. I saw a demonstration where a guy poured a quart of oil into a container of water, then poured in oil dispersants and then threw a fish in the container. He mixed it up well and any visible sign of the oil disappeared. He then took the fish out of the container and asked, "you can no longer see any oil, but would you eat this fish?”

The jury is still way out on the long term impacts.

Doesn't sound like the fist was in the container long enough for the dispersants to go through the digestive system and taint the meat, if the dispersant even would be absorbed by the fishes body eventually to a harmful level is questionable .

[Gil Dobie]

BP oil spill: Endangered species still at risk

US officials recorded a big jump in the numbers of dolphins and endangered brown pelican and sea turtle injured or killed by the BP spill over the past week, even as officials were proclaiming that the oil was rapidly disappearing from the Gulf.

Some 1,020 sea turtles were caught up in the spill, according to figures (pdf) today – an ominous number for an endangered species. Wildlife officials collected 177 sea turtles last week – more than in the first two months of the spill and a sizeable share of the 1,020 captured since the spill began more than three months ago. Some 517 of that total number were dead and 440 were covered in oil, according to figures maintained the Deepwater Horizon response team.

"It is a high number for any endangered species," said Elizabeth Wilson, a scientist for the Oceana conservation group. The number of dolphins, whales and other marine mammals captured or found dead also rose last week, from 69 to 76. An analysis by the National Wildlife Federation said the numbers of oiled birds collected had nearly doubled since the well was capped, from 37 to 71 a day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/au ... -oil-spill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Curious to know which sea turtles were turning up. Some are endangered, some have populations of 600,000.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

Though I hope the impact of this spill turns out to be less than feared, I think it is way too early to make that kind of determination. I saw a demonstration where a guy poured a quart of oil into a container of water, then poured in oil dispersants and then threw a fish in the container. He mixed it up well and any visible sign of the oil disappeared. He then took the fish out of the container and asked, "you can no longer see any oil, but would you eat this fish?”

The jury is still way out on the long term impacts.

Doesn't sound like the fist was in the container long enough for the dispersants to go through the digestive system and taint the meat, if the dispersant even would be absorbed by the fishes body eventually to a harmful level is questionable .

The fish was, obviously, just for effect. The point being made was that even though the dipersants hid all visable signs that there was oil in the water, the water was still toxic.

[Gil Dobie]

Doesn't sound like the fist was in the container long enough for the dispersants to go through the digestive system and taint the meat, if the dispersant even would be absorbed by the fishes body eventually to a harmful level is questionable .

The fish was, obviously, just for effect. The point being made was that even though the dipersants hid all visable signs that there was oil in the water, the water was still toxic.

Most of the water is already toxic in this respect. In our Minnesota fishing manuals there are guidelines to eat only so much of certain species per month due to contaminants.

[CID1990]

Nice revisionist history written by BP's public relations office.

Truth is, we won't know the full environmental impact for decades. The chemical dispersants used on the oil spills will likely turn out to be far worse than the oil itself.

The Oil Spill WAS, and STILL IS, and environmental disaster. Any attempts to spin otherwise is full of ****, and if you believe any of it, you are one dumb mother ****.

DB, I'm tellilng you. I"ve been "out there" a number of times. Most recently I went out to look at an area that was made to sound like an absolute horror by a media report. It was nothing. While I was out I saw an Island surrounded by oil booms. There were probably more than a thousand pelicans there. Several hundred were sitting on the oil booms surrounding the Island. They were happy and healthy as can be.

I told the State officials with me that if I'd somehow just woke up from a three month sleep and there weren't oil booms and people messing with them I wouldn't have even noticed there was anything out of the ordinary going on.

I'm tellin' you, this has been much more of an economic and public perception disaster than a real environmental disaster. Now, maybe it would've been more of an environmental disaster is so much effort hadn't been put into fighting the oil. I'll never know. I commend the people who spent so much time and energy skimming and dispersing and cleaning. But the bottom line is that the impact wasn't that bad.

The dispersant thing? I've heard/read toxicologists repeatedly say they are no big deal. For some reason people seem determined to believe they're a big deal. But they're not.

Somebody here once told me that you had been everywhere but the moon, and seen everything but the wind.

I told him he was crazy but now I see he was correct.

[clenz]

WE ARE FUCKED!!!!!!!!!



Oil will soon engulf the entire world! Start building your oil proof arcs!

[AZGrizFan]

It's starting to sound similar to the global warming debate:

There's no oil on my beach (it's a light winter), besides why should we trust the experts?

You're right. It IS starting to sound like the global warming debate. Anyone with the temerity to question the "experts" numbers when evidence plainly shows their hysteria was misguided is beaten down as a non-believer.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

It's starting to sound similar to the global warming debate:

There's no oil on my beach (it's a light winter), besides why should we trust the experts?

You're right. It IS starting to sound like the global warming debate. Anyone with the temerity to question the "experts" numbers when evidence plainly shows their hysteria was misguided is beaten down as a non-believer.

Actually, it is kind of the opposite of the global warming debate.

Global warming - statistics show the earth is getting warmer, but the cause is unknown. The cause is being argued.

Gulf oil spill - millions and millions of gallons of toxic shit were pumped into the Gulf for three months. The cause is known, but the effect is uncertain. A bit different, no?

[GannonFan]

You're right. It IS starting to sound like the global warming debate. Anyone with the temerity to question the "experts" numbers when evidence plainly shows their hysteria was misguided is beaten down as a non-believer.

Actually, it is kind of the opposite of the global warming debate.

Global warming - statistics show the earth is getting warmer, but the cause is unknown. The cause is being argued.

Gulf oil spill - millions and millions of gallons of toxic **** were pumped into the Gulf for three months. The cause is known, but the effect is uncertain. A bit different, no?

That's a good synopsis and yes, that is the difference in the debate (although there are still some who actually don't think the Earth is getting warmer, but probably not many).

The similarity, though, is the attempt to drive a political process with the unwavering assuredness of science when the science is actually decidedly incomplete in the matter. We don't know what's causing global warming nor do we know how to reverse it (if it's actually possible to do so) and we don't know the impact of this event on the local or global environment. That won't stop people on both sides of the political aisle trying to claim scientific superiority over the other side to pursue political goals though.

[houndawg]

It's starting to sound similar to the global warming debate:

There's no oil on my beach (it's a light winter), besides why should we trust the experts?

You're right. It IS starting to sound like the global warming debate. Anyone with the temerity to question the "experts" numbers when evidence plainly shows their hysteria was misguided is beaten down as a non-believer.

In any case, I don't think I'll be eating any seafood from the Gulf for a while. Just in case.

[AZGrizFan]

You're right. It IS starting to sound like the global warming debate. Anyone with the temerity to question the "experts" numbers when evidence plainly shows their hysteria was misguided is beaten down as a non-believer.

In any case, I don't think I'll be eating any seafood from the Gulf for a while. Just in case.

Agreed.

Two in one day. Whodathunkit.

[Gil Dobie]

In any case, I don't think I'll be eating any seafood from the Gulf for a while. Just in case.

Agreed.

Two in one day. Whodathunkit.

Fine, more for me

[houndawg]

In any case, I don't think I'll be eating any seafood from the Gulf for a while. Just in case.

Agreed.

Two in one day. Whodathunkit.

Must be in the ......Twilight Zone.

[∞∞∞]

Twas a post that was a bad idea...

[death dealer]

I think it's a pretty fucking big stretch to suggest that just because it hasn't immediately destroyed the entire ecosystem in the gulf, that all that oil isn't going to have some pretty signigicant long term effects on that region of the gulf for years to come. I'm actually more concerned with all those fucking dispersants. We'll see.

I can mix up some pretty nasty shit that if you drank it wouldn't necessarily immediately kill you, but it would assuredly fuck you up over time. I have a feeling that's the category the dispersants are going to fall into.

[∞∞∞]

Just something to look out for today, but the oil well might be leaking again (supposedly from cracks caused by drilling to cap it that have grown larger over the year, although I can't imagine anyone scientifically proving that this soon). It was reported last night locally and around some environmental message boards, but now the AP has picked it up. BP is currently looking into it...

I think it's a pretty fucking big stretch to suggest that just because it hasn't immediately destroyed the entire ecosystem in the gulf, that all that oil isn't going to have some pretty signigicant long term effects on that region of the gulf for years to come. I'm actually more concerned with all those fucking dispersants. We'll see.

I can mix up some pretty nasty shit that if you drank it wouldn't necessarily immediately kill you, but it would assuredly fuck you up over time. I have a feeling that's the category the dispersants are going to fall into.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/ ... 2410.shtml

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/201 ... ersary.htm

http://today.ucf.edu/ucf-scientist-dolp ... oil-spill/

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkist ... astal.html

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20 ... gall&tc=ar

and etc.

[D1B]

Enter Clenz, a 2.0 GPA social work major who barely passed statistics and is now shift leader at IHOP - the environment expert, as anointed by the conks....in 3...2...1...

[BDKJMU]

You're right. It IS starting to sound like the global warming debate. Anyone with the temerity to question the "experts" numbers when evidence plainly shows their hysteria was misguided is beaten down as a non-believer.

Actually, it is kind of the opposite of the global warming debate.

Global warming - statistics show the earth is getting warmer, but the cause is unknown. The cause is being argued.

Gulf oil spill - millions and millions of gallons of toxic **** were pumped into the Gulf for three months. The cause is known, but the effect is uncertain. A bit different, no?

And according to the below the Gulf has over 679 quadrillion (or is that quintillion) gallons of water. Over 3.2 billion gallons of oil leaked for every one gallon of water. The dispersant released was far less than the oil, so the dispersant is probably in the one part per tens of billions.

Even if these #s are a good bit off, the amount of oil and dispersant released is incredibly infinitesimally small compared to the amount of water in the gulf. Heck, I'd be more worried about the water coming out of your damn faucet at home than I would be about the water in the Gulf.

615,000 Sq miles of Gulf
27,878,400 Sq ft per sq mile
17,145,216,000,000 Sq ft of Gulf
5,298 Avg depth in feet of Gulf
90,835,354,368,000,000 Cubic feet of Gulf
7.4805195 Gallons of water per square foot
679,495,639,639,234,000 Gallons of water in Gulf
5,000,000 Barrels of Oil Leaked
42 Gallons of oil per barrel
210,000,000 Gallons of oil leaked into Gulf

0.00000003% Oil Leaked as % of Water
3,235,693,522 Gallons of water for every gallon of oil

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_a ... _of_mexico" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BDKJMU]

Agreed.

Two in one day. Whodathunkit.

Fine, more for me

Same here Love seafood, and have no problem eating seafood from the Gulf.

[Cap'n Cat]

Nice revisionist history written by BP's public relations office.

Truth is, we won't know the full environmental impact for decades. The chemical dispersants used on the oil spills will likely turn out to be far worse than the oil itself.

The Oil Spill WAS, and STILL IS, and environmental disaster. Any attempts to spin otherwise is full of shit, and if you believe any of it, you are one dumb mother fucker.

Truth.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

I don't know what is more annoying on this particular issue - the people who are so eager to proclaim it a disaster of such epic proportions that the world may well end, or the people so eager to prove that "see, nothing is actually wrong"... both are largely full of shit.

the enviros are wrong in that they SEVERELY underestimate natures recuperative capacity - especially when something like this is spread over a massive area like the Gulf - nature will recover- it will take time, and this was certainly a disaster - but, just like Prudoe Bay, nature will recover in time. (in fact it's already a long way along that path)

the anti-enviro crowd is just as divorced from reality when they allege that it was "no biggie"... it was a big deal... the initial die-off and the residual effects, but economically and ecologically are still not fully known - so to pronounce things as "just fine" and that everything is "back to normal" is also bullshit.

The big questions out of this aren't "will the Gulf survive" it did... but rather, "what are the long term effects of both the spill itself, but also the disbursing agents used?" and "How much more can nature take before we fuck it up to the point that it's a wasteland for decades? and how do we prevent that?" (because, frankly, even if we eviscerated it with a dozen oil spills... on a long enough timeline - it would recover... the real question is - could we wait that long?)

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

I believe the evil oil is laying in wait under the surface of the ocean. Its going to attack, when we least expect it to. Its training and honing its skills.........I have a video.

I will post it as soon as spanos gets it back to me.

[AZGrizFan]

I believe the evil oil is laying in wait under the surface of the ocean. Its going to attack, when we least expect it to. Its training and honing its skills.........I have a video.

I will post it as soon as spanos gets it back to me.