BP oil spill

[Troy Scott]

Folks,

Those of us who live on the Gulf Coast are living in dread of what is about to happen. The strong South Wind is blowing the BP oil spill ever closer to our sailing waters, estuaries, and wetlands. The local yacht clubs and marinas are gearing up for the mess. The Sierra Club and other groups are already organizing for cleanup and wildlife rescue. Those who fish and shrimp for a living see their livelihood about to disappear.

Keep us in your thoughts.

[Warren Kaplan]

What a god awful mess!!

[Steve Laume]

This doesn't appear as if it will effect only the gulf coast or is about to end any time soon. Unlike a shipping incident which we have always viewed as an environmental catastrophe, there is a nearly infinite supply at the source of the leak. I am all for a domestic supply of energy but it seems like deep water drilling is right on the edge of the current technology. They are able to do it but if something goes wrong it is beyond our current capacity to deal with it effectively.

I would include all of Florida and the Gulf Stream in the area to be effected. Throw in a hurricane and the entire East Coast is at risk.

This is a nightmare, Steve.

[Dick Barthel]

I'm afraid it is the price we pay for an insatiable craving for energy. I feel for everyone in the gulf area. Let's hope they can stop the leak a lot faster than they are saying right now or it may end up making the Valdez look minor in comparison. Let's hope not. I think drill baby drill has lost some of its charm.

I'm not meaning to be political because at this point we're all in this together.

[Zeida]

It is a nightmare what has happened... and will be catastrophic probably to the entire west coast of Florida. Let's pray that the possible dome they are trying to cover the well with may work, even if it takes up to 8 days. I can not even fathom the amount of oil that will come out in 8 more days, but it doesn't look like anyone has any solution for stopping the flow before that. The sad thing is that we must continue to drill in our own waters, or be in the hands of Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and company if not. We must be smart about how we deal with those companies that are currently drilling in there and with all the future ones, which for sure will and continue to do so. If this oil goes into the Gulf loop, watch out east coast of the U.S.!

[mgphl52]

And I wish the media would STOP calling it a "spill!" A spill is when you drop a glass of milk -or- a tanker with a fixed amount of crude runs aground, etc. If you have a water supply pipe in your house burst, no one calls it a "SPILL."

Regardless of how soon they can quell the out-flow of crude, this disaster will take many, many years to over come. Both environmentally and financially. The real "*%@##&$" is that only the lawyers are going to get any "reimbursements" from the lawsuits already started. But what else is new...

-michael

[Oswego John]

I heard on radio today that they estimate the loss is in excess of 5,000 gallons per day. My thought is that the loss is higher.

O J

[mgphl52]

I suspect it's more like 5,000 BARRELS per day, but they ain't gonna say so just yet... Once they finish closing the coastal passes (Pensacola is supposed to be already closed), our local gasoline prices will probably jump, regardless that all of our fuel barges navigate the ICW and don't even use the passes...

Of course, that's small potatoes compared the livelihoods of all the fishing fleets that may be shut down for years to come. But it really smacks you when the oil corps just finish reporting "great" profits...

-michael

[Oswego John]

Sorry. Another brain windy.

Something told me that 5,000 gallons an hour wasn't correct. Of course, I should have said 5,000 barrels. Duh

Good catch, Mike

O J

[Shipscarver]

Let's hear it for Natural Gas!
In WW2 we rationed gas and oil. But, no one will give up anything now. Low taxes, free lunches, forget about public transportation, and tough luck to the future generations.

[GLutzow]

With the natural clockwise circulation of the currents in the Gulf I expect to see the entire West Coast of Florida affected by the spill. Normal current flow brings the water from south of Jamaica, past the west of Cuba up along Texas, Miss, Ala then down along the West Coast of Florida at approximately 2 to 3 knots and then eastward out through the Florida Straights and then Northward as the Gulf Stream Current. Unless checked this has the making of a epic ecological disaster that will make Prince William Sound pale in comparison. The latest estimates that I heard puts the leakage at something GREATER than 215,000 barrels a day. At this point they really don't know for sure and are guessing.

[sharkbait]

You can view the typical Yucatan current pattern here:

https://oceanography.navy.mil/legacy/we ... 4/0-0-17/2

[Dick Barthel]

Hi Greg,

My wife and I have been spending some of the last seven or eight winters in Venice. Its hard to imagine a gashing "leak" off the coast of Louisiana is going to effect our little peace of heaven but based on some of the information in this post it will.

I remember reading that the amount of offshore oil even if we drilled everywhere does not make a dent in the quantity we currently import. That would mean we're doing it more for the oil companies then for us. Not surprising I guess.

Like the first fairly innocuous reports on 9-11 that a plane had crashed into the WTC I have a bad feeling this is going to grow to epic proportions. Let's hope BP and our government can turn the leak into a spill in short order.

Dick

[Troy Scott]

so far has been self-serving. This weekend saw the traditional, annual "Blessing of the Fleet" in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. This is a floating parade of decorated fishing boats, part of a celebration that includes the bishop blessing the boats and fishermen. You all remember the movie "Forrest Gump". This is the scene. This time the mood was somber. BP officials circulated trying to "buy off" the various small companies with $5000 each if they would agree not to sue. At least the Alabama government is advising people not to accept these offers, and they have told BP to quit doing that.

The oil is still just offshore, but the smell is strong in the coastal parishes of Louisiana, and the coastal counties of Mississippi and Alabama. President Obama was here yesterday to reassure folks that the government will be doing what it can. That is helpful, but still, the lives of many people may be permanently changed.

Alabama had deployed oil booms to try to keep the oil off the beaches, but I heard that the storms this past weekend washed many of the booms onto the beaches. They are now working to get them back into position.

I heard a BP representative say this morning that they accept responsibility and that they intend to pay for all the damage. I am continually amazed at the arrogance of these people. How can anyone make such a statement? It's apparent to me that this cleanup will exceed the resources of NATIONS. And I read that Prince William Sound is STILL not back to normal 21 years later, and won't be for perhaps centuries. This is likely to ultimately dwarf that disaster.

[Robert Delaney]

As usual the government owned press is over hyping an issue. The current white house regime has done nothing to help with the spill since day one and only recently "flew over" the area. What has it been - nearly two weeks now!!! To date no oil has reached any shore and it is still several miles from shore even with 25 to 30 knot onshore winds for the past several days. Everybody needs to take a deep breath.

Posted May 5th.
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