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#21
For filming it they had to follow the train with a jet, because a chopper would have been too slow.
Here is a nice picture http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CBcQ9QEwAw
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
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New #22
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New #24
Realistically, in the billions of years that earth has currently existed and the remaining billions it has left, anything in the comparatively infinitesimal time period of the human species existence, nothing we can do can seriously harm the planet itself.
Unfortunately, humans as well a multitude of other species do not enjoy the luxury of having the same lifespan longevity as the planet itself.
Ultimately our practices do not harm the environment per se, but we are harming ourselves (as well as our co-inhabitant species).
Humanities voracious appetite and need for fossil fuel based energy sources and the money it generates is what dictates governments decisions.
Unless the current companies can replace their current revenue with an equal amount derived from other sources, it is not in their interests to do so, and as such will do everything in their power to impede the progress of viable alternatives.
As it stands, fossil fuels = minimal effort, maximum profit.
BP may pick up the repair/clean up tab - but this will be passed on to the consumers, so consumers will be left to pick up the tab one way or the other.
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New #25
Hi there
Having WORKED and lived in France at times I can definitely say
1) They AREN'T always as "Eco Friendly" as people say they are
2) Good though the railways are these are only on the MAIN population centres -- If you live away from the larger conurbations public transport is also either NON EXISTENT or pretty poor.
3) In the cities public transport is GOOD and CHEAP -- but these people go on STRIKE at a drop of a hat so "relibaility of service" can't really be guranteed at all times.
4) France probably has the HIGHEST percentage of its Electricity generated by NUCLEAR POWER of any developed country on Earth.
Whatever the consequences of the current Oil accident in the Gulf of Mexico -- this is as NOTHING compared with serious accidents at Nuclear Power stations.
I KNOW that the equipment in use in France is of a MUCH higher order of magnitude in better quality than that used in the Old USSR (Chernobyl for example) -- but accidents are just that and could happen (to say nothing of determined sabotage etc).
Crude Oil at least is a NATURAL product and Nature can eventually deal with it. (Of course the current disaster needs to be cleaned up as quickly as possible).
PLUTONIUM (the version used for Atomic Power) is man made (it DOESN'T OCCUR IN NATURE) and it's half life of 24,000 years -- Any accident would render swathes of countryside around the powerstation uninhabitble for almost EVER and the radioactive dust can be carried for very long distances indeed.
Given the choice I'd rather take the risk with Oil - but of course we should be looking at SENSIBLE and PRACTICABLE alternatives. These will take A LONG TIME to implement and I agree we should be looking at them NOW.
However we aren't going back to a "Village" type existence where even travelling 30 KM would take a day whatever the "greenists" say -- so we are just going to have to accept this for the foreseeable future these accidents *may* happen -- we must minimize them as much as possible of course.
The fact that we have people all over the world communicating on this very Forum shows that we aren't going to stop people travelling whatever the consequences.
Cheers
jimbo
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New #26
Yeah, for the most part it was great. You are well fed and WELL paid. Whats not to like? lol:)Now there's a job I could get into. Did you enjoy it? I used to watch a T.V show about deep sea rigging. It was called "Oil, Sweat, and Rigs." Have you ever watched it, Bro? Many of the sites on the show were in the Gulf of Mexico too. It chronicles the work that needed to be done after Katrina reaped havoc on the rigs.
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New #27
This is really bad... this is why we should stop using Oil and find another way of powering our machines...
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New #28
Hi all.
Nearly EVERBODY says we should stop using Oil and there isn't a huge amount of disagreement in that-- but NOBODY has come up with any SENSIBLE and cost effective alternative yet that is even REALISABLY practical for several DECADES to come..
As I said we are going to want to travel --thank goodness --most people will not WANT or be CONTENT to stay and work totally within a few miles / km of where they live --travel etc is part of our Human Nature.
Trading is a part of life which necessitates products being shipped and taken to market. Different products provide income etc for people too.
Slapping a HUGE tax on Oil / Carbon WITHOUT any other realistic alternatives will
a) Hurt the poor far more than the likes of the wealthy
b) drive nearly EVERYBODY back to the stone age
c) probably cause world wide riots and mega mega civil unrest and war problems - just look at what's happening in Greece - and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Even though I worked in the Oil Industry for many years - I'd love to see alternatives -- but IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN FOR MANY YEARS YET.
We just have to make the process safer -- but inevitably accidents will happen -- just be thankful this wasn't a CHERNOBYL MK II type of disaster.
BP will have to (and a good thing too) pay out for all this mess -- It's up to President OBAMA and the US Courts to ensure that people are PROPERLY COMPENSATED and legislation operating these types of rigs is as tight as it possibly can be.
Unfortunately most of the "Elf 'n Safety" inspectors don't have a CLUE about the Oil industry and the sorts of people who enter these types of "public sector" jobs aren't necessarily the best types to control this process. Most of the good Engineers are already working in some capacity for the Oil Industry so it's very difficult to get INDEPENDENT engineers who could impose strict safety procedures.
However a really DAMAGING Fine and compensation payouts is probably the best medecine for BP to redouble its efforts in ensuring this type of accident doesn't happen again.
It also shows what happens when you rely too much on "External" and third parties to operate your CORE business -- as many people whose jobs have been "outsourced" can probably testify.
Cheers
jimbo
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New #29
A) there is some truth to it, but why do poor people have to drive huge SUV's and pickupsSlapping a HUGE tax on Oil / Carbon WITHOUT any other realistic alternatives will
a) Hurt the poor far more than the likes of the wealthy
b) drive nearly EVERYBODY back to the stone age
c) probably cause world wide riots and mega mega civil unrest and war problems - just look at what's happening in Greece - and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
B) that is ridiculous. In Europe we have a $5 per gallon tax and we certainly do not live in the stone age
C) Greece has been fat cat all these years and lived far beyond their means. Now they expect the other countries to bail them out. I would not have given them a penny and kicked them out of the Euro zone because they only got into it after cooking the books. Let them riot - so what.
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New #30
Hi there
There is a DIFFERENCE between a LARGE tax and an UNAFFORDABLE tax -- actually there is evidence already that at the current gasoline prices in Europe people are driving less -- this is fine in Cities but really hurts people in rural areas where there is no alternative.
As for poor people driving SUV's and pickup's --in some places WHATEVER your income you WILL NEED a 4 wheel drive etc. - Not everybody lives in Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, New York etc.
If you come to near where I live there aren't many PAVED roads either.
People are probably up to the limit on the amount of these sorts of taxes they can afford at the moment -- any more and even the slightest sliver of economic recovery will just vanish into thin air.
Applying extra taxes especially to SMALLER businesses at this point in the Economic cycle makes NO SENSE either -- far better for Govt's to ENCOURAGE investment and JOB CREATION in the alternative energy sector.
I agree that GREECE should never have been allowed to join the Euro zone in the first place -- how can they justify a retirement age of 50 for goodness sakes with current life spans (and Greece has relatively healthy eating habits as well).
Maybe Goldman Sachs and all those Wall St institutions which have got us into this mess should be responsible for investing in alternative Energy.
After all for all their faullts NOBODY can accuse Oil Companies of CREATING unemployment -- unlike the Banking Sector.
Shell alone for example has over 100,000 world wide and thousands more in INDIRECTLY associated jobs too.
Cheers
jimbo
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