Why oil spills are no big deal

This thread really is beyond stupid.

Another victim of the public education system bites the dust!

Originally posted by Freedom or Death
So let's say the equivilent of an Exxon Valdez is spilling into the gulf from the BP well every 4 days. That means that every 8 days what is comming from the BP well equals what occurs naturally in the gulf every year. It's just the fact that the oil is comming from a singular souce and at such a rapid rate that is causing alarm.

"Twice an Exxon Valdez spill worth of oil seeps into the Gulf of Mexico every year...

Oil that finds its way to the surface from natural seeps gets broken down by bacteria and ends up as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas."

www.sciencedaily.com...

Really given enough time, like in a 100 years or so, the gulf will return to it's natural state. That is unless the spill is allowed to continue for an extended length of time.



[edit on 23-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

And you say this is No Big deal? Are you MAD?

There are people living in those places who's lives will be seriously adversely affected.

Perhaps in 100 yeas everything will return to 'normal' but don't you feel/care anything for these people NOW who will be effected?

What kind of Monster are you?

I'm a real jerk I know, but I'm not THAT bad.

Alright settle down everyone.

The OP is wrong in broadly stating that 'its no big deal', but is correct that in the long term there will be lackluster trace as proven by history:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Oil IS organic and goes away eventually via bacteria. What lasts the longest is tar (which bacteria still eats), which is only 6% of the crude content. 50% of the crude content evaporates in a relatively short time. A major portion of the stuff spewing is also Natural GAS, which totally evaporates. Additionally, crude oil isn't remotely as bad as as the used motor oil / automotive fluids that drips from EVERY vehicle and in larger volume than oil spills, averaged out over several years.

The truth is always in the middle, and in this case there is little long term damage yet tons of immediate damage where directly hit by various concentrations of the various compounds in crude. The fear / guilt mongers can't have it both ways. YES, where the oil slicks hit things WILL DIE. It WON'T be pretty. But this damage isn't permanent, nor will the entire Gulf or whatever be as damaged as the immediate area. The further the oil gets from ground zero the more it is diluted and separated chemically, yet everyone screams about it leaving the area, while screaming about it being in the area.

Personally, I stepped into the issue to better understand it, and as I've seen thru the many myths being spewed I've been attacked for challenging those myths. Honestly, it's all good fun for me but these sorts of malicious emotional tactics can push someone into taking a stance against those most irrational, and in my experience the past week its more been the guilt mongers who've been the most illogical and nasty.

Originally posted by Whine Flu

Originally posted by Ahmose
OP..
maybe you did not get the memo..
but
the motto here is
"deny ignorance"
not
"embrace ignorance".

You Fail.
and your "logic" sucks.

[edit on 23-5-2010 by Ahmose]

I see you like taking the cliche route when slandering an opinion.

I see you enjoy selective reading.

What? lol

Wow, how could you even say this.. It is a big deal , if its not a big deal then I suggest you jump into the water off Louisiana and take a nice batch, after you do that let us know how you feel.

Originally posted by IgnoranceIsntBlisss

... crude oil isn't remotely as bad as as the used motor oil / automotive fluids that drips from EVERY vehicle and in larger volume than oil spills.

I would like to add this to your observation Bliss.

Where do tire treads go?

You know the 1/2 inch of rubber between the time that a tire (Made from petroleum)is new and the time that all of the tread is worn off?

How about plastic bags and other plastics made from petroleum?

There is a vast region of plastic floating in the Atlantic ocean and Pacfic ocean (ref: The great Pacfic ocean garbage patch en.wikipedia.org... ) and yet no one seems to care about that. Or how about the floating trash in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic. geography.about.com...

This event is completely overhyped compared to all of the other pollution going on in the world.

It's really kind of ironic that the same people that hate technology and human achievment also enjoy it's many amenities.

The oil spill just looks bad becuase it's all in one place at the same time. It's a concentrated form of pollution, but people fail to see the large amounts of unconcentrated sources of pollution all around them everyday.


[edit on 23-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

No Big Deal huh? You are severly impared...how about this..
Why Oil Spills Are A Big Deal....

" food scientists are raising the alarm over probable food contamination. News are reporting that the government underestimated the effect the oil contaminated oceans will have on our food supply. The nation’s marine food supply is endangered by twin attacks: the oil spill and the poisonous chemicals used to disperse the oil.

Plans to evacuate the TampaBayarea are expected to be announced in the coming days as FEMA prepares for what is now being called the worst oil disaster in the history of the world.

The evacuations will be necessary for the elderly and those with respiratory problems along much of Florida’s coast, including the Tampa Bay area, if plans proceed to set the massive, approaching oil slick on fire, according to Oilprice.com. (examiner.com)

The various estimates of exactly how much water is contaminated, and what the eventual environmental effects will be are still up in the air. Affected elements include: seabirds, marine life (and the consequential affect on the food chain), the Gulf fishing industry, weather patterns and human health. We have yet to see the total economic and environmental bill from this catastrophe."

Full Story Here:
______beforeitsnews/news/48/023/Possible_evacuations,_contractor_profiteering_and_food_endangerment_in_wake_of_worse_oil_disaster_in_history .html

[edit on 24/5/10 by spirit_horse]

I think you might be missing the point...

We care about the plastic bags...

And we care about what Big Business is doing to our planet....

You are the one who doesnt seem to care.....

Thats like saying 3000 people died on 9/11, but thats no big deal, because 1000 children a day die of malaria in Africa...

All life forms matter to me...be they aquatic, human or otherwise...

I repeat...

You are the one who doesnt seem to care....




[edit on 24-5-2010 by benoni]

Originally posted by spirit_horse

Plans to evacuate the TampaBayarea are expected to be announced in the coming days ...

The evacuations will be necessary for the elderly and those with respiratory problems along much of Florida’s coast, including the Tampa Bay area, if plans proceed to set the massive, approaching oil slick on fire ...

The coast of Florida is likely being evacuated because it is downstream of the radioactive fallout that will occur if there is a miscalculation in the size of the nuclear weapon that will be put into play to stop the leak.

[edit on 24-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

Originally posted by benoni

You are the one who doesnt seem to care....

I do care.

On the scale of caring I would put myself at a 9.5 out of 10.

If you fall under a 9.5 I might care more about the issue than I do about you.

It's all relative to your perspective on an issue.


[edit on 24-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

Originally posted by Freedom or Death
The coast of Florida is likely being evacuated because it is downstream of the radioactive fallout that will occur if there is a miscalculation in the size of the nuclear weapon that will be put into play to stop the leak.

You know something about that? The Russians have used a tactical nuke 5 times to stop blown out wells. I don't think Obama has the nads for that one!

Originally posted by spirit_horse

Originally posted by Freedom or Death

The coast of Florida is likely being evacuated because it is downstream of the radioactive fallout that will occur if there is a miscalculation in the size of the nuclear weapon that will be put into play to stop the leak.

You know something about that? The Russians have used a tactical nuke 5 times to stop blown out wells. I don't think Obama has the nads for that one!

I wouldn't doubt the man. I think he'll do what must be done.

How would you like to be in his shoes?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/698f4bd62663.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 24-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

Someone who cared "9.5 out of ten" would not say "oil spills are no big deal" that will "fix themselves in 100 years...".

At best its infantile naivety, at worst you a) work for BP

b) are a troll with a really low IQ.....


Got any BP shares mate??

I'd dump 'em if I were you......

Originally posted by Freedom or Death

Originally posted by Ahmose
OP..
maybe you did not get the memo..
but
the motto here is
"deny ignorance"
not
"embrace ignorance".

You Fail.
and your "logic" sucks.

[edit on 23-5-2010 by Ahmose]

Perhaps you would like to talk about facts instead of making unfounded accusations?

Naturally occuring oil seepage into the ocean and it's benifits to undersea life is well documented.

NASA Satellites Help Track Natural Oil Slicks as Potential GHG Sources
www.treehugger.com...

[edit on 23-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

The "fact" is that if your house is on fire you don't throw another gallon of gasoline on it just because it's already on fire, so it doesn't matter.
And my third grader stepson told me to remind you that there is no apostrophe in the third person singular possessive pronoun "its". And you mispelled benefits.

Comparing the Exxon Valdez, a tanker with the capacity to carry roughly 1.5 million barrels of oil, to the Earth, a planet with the capacity to hold ALL the oil is a little silly is it not?

They still don't know how big the well is, and even if this thing stops tomorrow it has already adversely affected the Gulf coast ecosystem irreversibly for at least our lifetimes. That's hardly a non-issue. Tomorrow they are trying their plan ... E? Let's see...

A. Riser Pipe Containment (Blowout Prevention) ... Fail
B. Deadmans Switch... Fail
C. Remote Controlled Submarines to Close Valves... Fail
D. 125-Tonne, 40-Foot-Tall Containment Chamber... Fail
E. Relief Well... Not expected to quell the entire leak
F? Detonate Explosives Around the Well to Force Collapse?

This leak alone isn't the worst disaster we could face, sure, but it's entirely man made and unnecessary, so to say that it's not a big deal is naive and thoughtless.

Can you give me 1 good reason, just 1, that we need to be collecting oil from the Ocean floor? There aren't any. There's enough oil can be drilled from land to supply the plastics industry, and we all know that alternative energy is in abundance if we pooled the resources we wasted on fossil fuels into tapping the natural energy sources.

Finally, and a big concern, is the amount of Methane which is leaking alongside the Crude. A previous poster mentioned that this 'just evaporates' which isn't the case. Methane in the atmosphere is eventually oxidized which produces Carbon Dioxide. In massive quantities this would be catastrophic. AGP (Anthropogenic Global Warming) is not a theory I follow, as the earth produces much more natural Co2 than we ever could... BUT given enough release from a leak such as this could be the catalyst to warm the Earth just a couple of degrees over a couple of years. This would lead to the defrosting of Permafrost. Just the Methane held under the frost in Siberia and Alaska is enough to warm the atmosphere by at least 10 degrees. Eventually the air becomes unbreathable and we're talking a literal man made ELE.

Not a big deal really. Don't sweat it.

Although I tend to go against oil corporations (mainly for suppressing advanced technologies); in this case I think we may be looking at something far more sophisticated and complex than just that.

I do not blame BP really, I blame everyone. We all use the oil. We all demand cheaper fuels. So now we all face the penalty for our gas guzzling ways, our negligence (or treachery) ends up in this leak.

Blaming BP here for pollution, this is all of our faults. Ignoring your own direct responsibility here is atrocious. YOU and I are more responsible than BP. See, if we didn't buy gas anymore by CHOICE; BP would have gone bankrupt years ago...

Everyone is guilty because we use petrol for virtually everything. From the computer you are using, it's manufacture and transportation, to the food you eat every day. Only like 2-3 people are totally off the petro grid.

Anyways. I agree that in a few hundred years, this will be nothing. If we can stop it from gushing by then LOL!


Oh don't worry. Once they finally try my "Drop huge boulder rocks on it" plan, and they finally close the leak, things will get back to normal in a few decades/centuries.

I don't suggest quitting oil 100%, I see no problem using it in some limited applications; but if we can get rid of wasting it on transportation, and throw away products, and increase the recycling rates significantly; we can make substantial progress technologically, economically, and politically.

There are many alternatives to fill the gaps, and perhaps a multi-faceted approach is the best. Like a car with 4-5 alternative fuel sources. Solar, water, plant oils, electric charged batteries, you name it.

Rather than using fleets of trucks to deliver goods, we could switch to train systems or a new system that could use advanced tech to transport only goods but at fast/cheap rates.

Anyways, the point is, the OP may not be a troll. He seems to be actually trying to argue his case.

He does have a high favor of seeing the blame off of BP, which is suspicious but it is not an automatic qualifier.

I personally think we are all to blame, and I see blaming BP any further as a waste of time. We already reamed them good. Maybe we need to look in the mirror and see who's fault all of this REALLY IS!



Real change needs to happen. There are solutions everywhere. But attacking BP simply isn't a viable solution. Although I know a lot of people dislike Henry Ford, and Edison, they had solutions for this EXACT problem. Perhaps we should say "screw Dow Chemical and big Oil", and just legalize hemp industry and get back to our roots.




Just a video to show a excellent alternative to our current stupidities.

"There's enough alcohol in one year's yeild of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for one hundred years." - Henry Ford
www.hempcar.org...

Oh and PS- They also want that carbon tax thing so this could have conspiracy written all over it. So I am cautious as there are a myriad of possibilities as to why/how this happened. And who is manipulating things behind the scenes and throwing BP under the bus? Who is standing to benefit/gain?

Originally posted by Pr0t0

Can you give me 1 good reason, just 1, that we need to be collecting oil from the Ocean floor?

Because we have reached peak oil on the easy to access oil reserves. In order to keep up with demand it's time to drill further out.

There's enough oil can be drilled from land to supply the plastics industry, and we all know that alternative energy is in abundance if we pooled the resources we wasted on fossil fuels into tapping the natural energy sources.

They can't make money off of renewable energy sources. Our entire economic system is based upon using non-renewable fossil fuels.

Can you imagine how many jobs would be lost if energy was free?

BUT given enough release from a leak such as this could be the catalyst to warm the Earth just a couple of degrees over a couple of years. This would lead to the defrosting of Permafrost. Just the Methane held under the frost in Siberia and Alaska is enough to warm the atmosphere by at least 10 degrees.

There are untapped oil sources near the north and south poles. A decrease in the ice pack would make it easier to access these untapped oil reserves.

[edit on 25-5-2010 by Freedom or Death]

reply to post by Freedom or Death


I watched the Michael Ruppert documentary too, and I'm not convinced that peak oil has been reached, and most definitely not when you consider the untapped oil reserves in the US, Russia & Northern Europe, the ME, China and Africa, South America. There's plenty to sustain plastics and polymers. The only reason we've used so much in the first place is that it's wasted in combustion engines and in power stations to generate small amounts of electricity which don't warrant the amount of fossil fuel used to convert.

Creating sustainable eco-friendly power would actually create jobs. We can re-deploy many oil workers to the manufacture, distribution, installation and management of Wind & Water Turbines, Solar Panels, Geothermal Power Stations and such. We have wind farms now, but say a certain percent of your power is gained from those already... did they drop your bill by that percentage? No of course not. So it would have a positive impact on a failing economy... which I'm against anyway, being that the CEO's will still come out with ridiculous undeserved pay checks even if they weren't ruining the planet at the same time.

As for the melting of the frost to get to Oil... I see you have chosen the second option in your Nic - Death. If you want to help to destroy the very air you're breathing send that suggestion to BP. They're the kind of like-minded thinkers who'd be only too happy to oblige. Melting the caps is an idiotic response at best. How could you even think drilling at the poles could be good for humanity, when there are giga-joules of natural energy just begging to be tapped?

[edit on 25-5-2010 by Pr0t0]

reply to post by Freedom or Death


You're probably right about one thing. In a century, I expect that the Gulf coast will pretty much be back to the way it was before the spill. In fact, I expect it to see a noticeable recovery beginning sooner rather than later. Still, that doesn't address the here and now. For those directly affected who will lose their way of life, it most certainly is a 'big deal', just as it is for the marine and coastal wildlife that will be killed as a result.

As far as the natural oil seeps are concerned, the one fact that you have to realize is that all of that oil from the seeps wasn't being dumped into a concentrated area as this one is. Its true, the environment can process a certain amount of oil with few ill effects, but we're well past the point where it can do so. Granted, I do believe its likely that a few natural seeps have probably turned into gushers of this magnitude in the distant past, which is another good sign for recovery in the long run, but again, that's little consolation for the people and wildlife affected in the immediate term.

[edit on 25-5-2010 by vor78]

reply to post by Freedom or Death

As I read your post, you said that it could take up to 100 years for nature to take care of this Oil mess; IF it gets taken care of within the next month which I believe will probably happen. If it doesn't... well lets pray it does.

So there are a few things different in the Gulf of Mexico than in than off the coast of Alaska. One being that millions of people live within the general area of the oil spill. The coastal areas are being used to feed many people throughout the world with some of the most high quality seafood available. That is probably ruined for the several years, effecting thousands of fishermen and the communities that depend on them. The other thing is ships that use New Orleans, LA to transport their goods, picking up Oil and depositing into currents that go out of the gulf. Thousands of ships use New Orleans daily.

You would say, at this point that nothing really bad hasn't happened. As I have been listening to the news, listening to scientist on the subject, and reading between the lines, I realistically believe as of today (May 25, 2010), the equivalent of 5 times the amount of oil has been dumped into the Gulf than from the Alaskan Valdez Spill.

The pictures we see from NASA Space Satellites and the media there is no doubt more oil is spilling into the Gulf than nature can handle and it also true that as mankind we are in uncharted territory, not really sure what to do and what this is doing to our environment.

Right now we think we are doing OK with the Oil Spill, BUT there are big problems on the Horizon. Hurricane Season!! When that first Category 3 or 4 Hurricane comes into the Gulf? What do you think it's going to do with the Oil? At minimum, push it onto the beaches. If it goes right through an Oil Slick Area what would it do to the oil? Do we really know? Will it pick some of it up and spew it everywhere, even on land? Will it make the storm bigger (warmer water) as some suggest? Make it smaller as others suggest? Do we really know? One thing for sure, it will push the oil somewhere. I'm thinking as many of the early storms do, and heads to the Mexican and Texas border as a large category 3, 4 or 5 storm that it may track a little more north due to the warmer waters due to the oil heating it up. If the oil is pulled into the Hurricane will it deposit the Oil on land? If it does what will it do to the fruit, vegetables, and livestock? Would the whole area smell like your local full service truck stop? What will Tornadoes and waterspouts that are a natural part of a hurricane, do with the Oil. Remember the first hurricane is probably less than 30 days away! There is no way to even begin to prepare for it. I don't think there are any scenarios of how Oil is going to affect the track of a hurricane.

And for the “worst case scenario" folks. What happens with the massive amounts of lightning that is part of a hurricane and OIL, Methane Gas and Natural Gas, do with the storm? If the storm sucks up the Oily mix will it send down fiery oil globs, catching roofs, trees, barns and refineries on fire? Will the Oil on the Ocean surface catch fire? Boy that would make a movie!

We can't leave the "Conspiracy Theorist" out either, because it's so compelling. Let's just suppose our Government wanted to make an environmental "oil happening". Remembering that BP was one of the President's biggest supporters and one of the bad guys at the same time. Strange Huh? The event was to last several days, just enough to make headlines to help get an environmental bill through congress. Instead the explosion was way bigger than it was supposed to be, safeguards didn't work, and now we are in a scenario that BP nor anyone else knows how to control. Seems like a plot for the "24" TV series.