Offshore Oil Drilling and the Oil Rig Disaster in the Gulf

[finehoe]

It is frustrating to listen to the Obama White House and top political appointees on the Gulf Oil Spill. The "all hands on deck" approach-- ie. sending Cabinet officials and advisors like Carol Browner-- to the Gulf for first hand visits, and the president visiting himself, has failed to capitalize on this teachable moment.

The message I'm missing most is how regulatory failure lead to the BP Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. I want to hear the Obama administration explain that American politics has made no room for tough, effective regulation of polluters and pollution. The tragedy of the Gulf is the exact result of foxes running the hen house.

Carol Browner, in particular, knows this because she is from Miami and passionate about the Everglades. Although the pollution of the Everglades occurs in parts per billion and the Gulf Oil spill is measured in tens of millions of gallons of oil; the cause is the same: ineffective regulators, bad regulations, and poor enforcement. That's part one of the message.

Obama could add: here is what I am going to do. I am going to prioritize a system-wide improvement of environmental regulation at the federal level including the effect of pollution on public health. In Florida, the record of enforcement by federal regulatory agencies on the environment is pitiful. The enforcement arms of the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service and EPA stand out as desperately needing reform. (What most people don't understand, is that the federal judiciary gives very wide berth to federal agencies. It takes almost an act of God for the judiciary to come down hard on these agencies and on the side of the public. The assumption is that government serves the public interest.)

There is a further point: the environment protects the economy and not the other way around. I'd like to hear Obama say: it is time to stop treating the environment as something we can endlessly exploit. The days of cost accounting that fail to include the true price of protecting our air and water have come to an end. The Gulf Oil catastrophe happened because fake book keeping helped Big Oil dictate how much money they would spend on contingency and backup systems in the case of a deep sea blowout. And if I were president I would go further. I'd say, Big Oil earns tens of billions per quarter. It is time to chase the money changers from the temple.

Surely the Obama White House can embrace some part of this message?

[Lunican]

According to a CBS News report, the amount of oil spilled so far represents 5 minutes worth of U.S. oil consumption.

[Dog Walker]

According to a CBS News report, the amount of oil spilled so far represents 5 minutes worth of U.S. oil consumption.

And your point is?

[Lunican]

Just a fun fact, but I guess the point is that we use a lot of oil.

[BridgeTroll]

WE sure do!  Every single one of us.  Sadly... there is really no alternative.  To avoid another disaster we should shut down ALL rigs in the Gulf.  This will likely raise oil prices and increase our dependence on foreign oil but perhaps it is time for all of us to pay a much higher price for this commodity...

[NotNow]

BT, we can't shut down all rigs in the gulf.  It is not within the power of the US.  We can shut down those in our waters.  Although I think it would be a mistake.  Offshore drilling is not going away.  We should learn from this and improve our methods and controls.

[BridgeTroll]

We can shut down those in our waters.  Although I think it would be a mistake.

I suggest we shut down the ones we can.  While I agree the effects of shutting them down would raise our prices, hurt the overall economy, and increase our dependence on foriegn oil... I am not sure we can tolerate another spill of this magnitude.

[NotNow]

I can't argue with the magnitude.  Obama has suspended drilling for now.  I agree that the debate must be held.  My hope is that we can improve what we do to continue to provide for our own energy needs.

[Jim]

A few charts and diagrams.

[Bostech]

Yeah,that things is already leaking TWICE AS FAST as Mexico leak and that 19,000 is probably low estimate.

[gatorback]

BP might not be able to survive this if your numbers are accurate.

[JC]

[finehoe]

BP might not be able to survive this if your numbers are accurate.

Good.  Let them go brankrupt and send all their executives to jail.

[finehoe]

BP has given up trying to plug its leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico any sooner than August, laying out a series of steps to pipe the oil to the surface and ship it ashore for refining, said Thad Allen, the U.S. government’s national commander for the incident. “We’re talking about containing the well,” Allen said. “We don’t want to restrict the pressure or flow down that well bore because I don’t think we know the condition of it after the top kill.” The drilling of a second relief well resumed May 30, Allen said. It had been suspended for several days as BP and government officials, including Energy Secretary Steven Chu, weighed whether to use the rig that was drilling it to install a second blowout preventer atop the damaged one. BP decided not to, Allen said.

[finehoe]

U.S. attorney general opens criminal probe of Gulf oil spill, nation's worst
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - The U.S. government has launched a criminal probe into BP Plc's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.

Federal agencies, including the FBI, are participating in the probe and "if we find evidence of illegal behavior, we will be forceful in our response," Holder told reporters after meeting with state and federal prosecutors in New Orleans.