Oil spill: Obama to 'make BP pay'

Hooray...

And I sure hope that they pay for EVERYTHING!!!!

Pay out for the total costs of claims, cleanups, damage done, loss of life (all varieties) polluting the environment and anything else I can't currently think of.

Pay up for their negligence and greed in a court of law for this criminal act.

This should not just be about money. Someone, somewhere is ultimately responsible and heads just have to roll.. including the top brass.. they are the ones who have the first and last say.

President Barack Obama has vowed to "make BP pay" for damage caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, in his first national address from the Oval Office.

Mr Obama said he would meet company executives later and tell them that they must set up a fund to compensate those affected by the spill.

He described the spill as an assault on the shores and citizens of the US that tested the limits of human technology.

And he said it demonstrated the need to end the US "addiction" to fossil fuels.

A government panel of scientists now believes 35,000-60,000 barrels were leaking each day, up from its estimate last week of 20,000-40,000. BP's initial estimates were 1,000-5,000.

Politicians have spoken of legal action - and even the possibility of criminal charges - against BP.

news.bbc.co.uk...

The attitude of others reflects the thoughts of millions of other people around the world. We MUST break away from oil. We MUST be sure that this never happens again.

He's not going to do anything. No president will until we have a government free from oil funding.

Originally posted by Extralien
And I sure hope that they pay for EVERYTHING!!!!

In a way that's kind of funny. Stop and think about this for a moment. BP will pay? And where do you suppose they get their money from? That's right, YOU. YOU are paying for this, with the money YOU all gave BP when purchasing their product(s). YOU! And they are probably laughing laughing laughing about THAT too.

reply to post by SoulofBlack


Yes, we are more than aware that what one person says and what they actually do is two completely diffeent things...

But one thing pops into my mind... It's a bit random, but not impossible..

Considering that this spill has not been made a 'national emergency', as such, it does kinda make me wonder if they actualy do want and need to break away from oil and that there is already an alternative energy source readily available. Possibly collected from any one of the many supposed crashed/shot down alien craft... It's just a thought..

When you look at the relatively slow progress made by all the oil companies and the car companies and even the power suppliers for our homes and businesses, you'd think they would have enough profit to do some heavy duty research and bring about a massive change.. but they haven't.. it's all been in drips and drabs..

Now, all of a sudden, we have this massive major problem and a demand to get away from oil dependancy..

Just makes me wonder what they've got up their sleeves.

reply to post by Divinorumus


In many ways, we all pay.. wehter it be out of our pocket or pay with our health or lives..

I do my best to not use as much as I used to take for granted..

I haven't driven or owned a vehicle in over 7 years now and don't really miss it, although there are the odd few times where I could do with a vehice of some description.

As for other products that require oil, if it wasn't for the manufacturers leaving us with no other choice but to buy a product made from oil or was in the need of oil to be produced, then maybe my own personal 'footprint', so to speak, would be a lot less.

BP should when all is said and done be finished. However i can't see that happening, i can't see all the issues even being brought up to hold them accountable, just the official public friendly line which to be fair is bad enough on it's own.
There is a big difference between what should be and what actually is.

reply to post by pazcat


But isn't it about time that a company such as this was made an example of.. an example that shows that we will not tolerate such attrocities ever again.

The law does it with the usual 'run of the mill' criminals. Companies do it to employees who have made errors, bad judgements, too many sick days etc..

So why not do it to a company that is as big as this?

It's not just these companies that need to learn a lesson.. it's the people who rely on them too.. and that includes you and me..

we all need to break away from this reliance, but it can't be done if this is just going to be swept under the carpet in a few years and BP carries on as normal.

Mr Obama has set up a bipartisan, seven-member committee, drawing together leading scientists, environmentalists and energy experts to determine what caused the rig to explode and sink in April.

Earlier today, the scientific group put together by the US Government to assess the amount of oil flowing from the leaking well estimated the spill rate as being in the range of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day.

The group added that the cap currently in place over the well is capturing "up to 18,000 barrels of oil per day".

BP said the cleanup and compensation effort cost had risen to about $US1.6 billion, which included "the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs".

www.optuszoo.com.au...

it all will probably come from bp's share dividends, a bit each year for enviromental cleanup and maybe something like a one off payment for those with claim, wether there is anymore to add to the funds stated or if the figures will get calculated until the very end or just as an estimate sum for an undefined period, time will tell.

without a clear end in sight for the spill, how can a definate payment be allowed or worked out. it'll be a long wait if things stretch out for years or decades before someone can be fully compensated. if at all.

reply to post by Extralien


Yes, i agree with you fully and i hope that they do make an example of BP and any others involved.
I am just really unsure if that will happen, of course there will be punishment but whether it will go far enough i don't know.

He needs to make them pay in blood with how things are going.

Just wondering if their will be a trial?

Probably not, carry on.

Fascism is so RIGHTEOUS!

The only people who will ultimately pay for this are the british people. BP and the government will recoup all their losses through even more cuts for us all.

There should be NO dividends for any BP stockholders or profits for BP until all reparations and cleanup (not to mention um stopping this damn leaks and spill). That's Capitalism 101...what's known in the business AND investment world as RISK. That they're even "mulling over" cutting dividends is absurd...ludicrous.

In addition, um I missed the speech but did he not address how we're going to STOP this leak/spill?!

[edit on 16-6-2010 by ~Lucidity]

Oil firm BP is to place $20bn (£13.5bn) in a special fund to deal with compensation payouts after the Gulf oil spill, Barack Obama has said.

Reports said there would be no cap on the amount BP might be asked to contribute to the fund.

dividends would not be paid for the rest of this year.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Now that's gonna hurt some pockets

And for good reason too. I can just see BP's shares dropping even more after the breaking of this news. There is also a new estimate at the bottom of the report as to how much oil is being lost... 35 to 60,000 a day.