What's with the epidemic of oil spills??

reply to post by DeepestOne


BIGUPS.

UPDATE

According to an article by USA Today...

The number of spills from offshore oil rigs and pipelines in U.S. waters more than quadrupled this decade, a trend that could have served as a warning for the massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico, according to government data and safety experts.
The spills — and the amount of oil that leaked — grew markedly worse even when taking increases in production into account, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data shows. The leaks came as the oil industry repeatedly claimed that offshore drilling was never safer.
From the early 1970s through the '90s, offshore rigs and pipelines averaged about four spills per year of at least 50 barrels, according to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). One barrel is equal to 42 gallons. The average annual total surged to more than 17 from 2000 through 2009. From 2005 through 2009, spills averaged 22 a year.

It was difficult to dig up exact figures on oil spills per year (especially for the past decade), however I believe this is what the article was referring to:


Oil Spills Greater-Than 50 Barrels In the OCS (1964-1995)

Oil Spills Greater-Than 50 Barrels In the OCS (1996-2011)



OCS stands for Outer Continental Shelf...





As for oil spills in general since the 70's, it seems the number/size has decreased quite a bit, so that's good news:

www.environmental-research.com...

www.epa.gov...

I think it's the work of someone who wants to shut down oil production. Huge oil spills are a necessary evil to them. I'd say it's an environmental terrorist.

Originally posted by Jessicamsa
I think it's the work of someone who wants to shut down oil production. Huge oil spills are a necessary evil to them. I'd say it's an environmental terrorist.

That is a theory.

Here's another: Dick Cheney did it because US oil production threatens the mid-east oil contracts his companies benefit from. And because he hates America.

Here's another: Giant crab-people live on crude and caused this to make the oceans more habitable for them and their world conquest.

And there's this one: Saudi Arabia did it because they want us to be reliant on their oil, not ours.

Or perhaps it's the obvious one:--because demand for oil has increased dramatically over the same time period.: More oil drilling, production, and transporting equals more opportunity for accidents.

The notion that 'environmentalists' would be willing to contaminate the Gulf to this degree to 'save the planet' seems kinda far-fetched, unless you only listen to Rush and Glenn. "Environmentalists' demonize oil because it is environmentally destructive. Destroying the environment would be kinda counter-productive to saving it, dontchathink?

[edit on 2-9-2010 by justadood]

Or perhaps....there is intent...

The release of enough oil will reduce ocean evaporation temporarily,
which would warm the atmosphere...
which is being done in preparation, to minimize a nuclear winter scenario, from a planned
regional nuclear exchange in the middle east.

250,000 gallons of oil recovered from Ill. leak