Spill Baby Spill!

I was at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) website, getting updated on what is happening with Hurricane Ike, and came across this information….

Month-long Response Continues for New Orleans Oil Spill

New Orleans, LA 2008-Jul-23 Broken Barge Removal
On July 23, 2008, a tanker and barge collided near downtown New Orleans, LA, resulting in a spill of over 9000 barrels (380,000) gallons of #6 fuel oil. The incident occurred at approximately 0130 local time. The barge was reported “ripped in half,” discharging its entire contents. Coast Guard, Louisiana State and NOAA responders are on-scene.

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:31:46 EDT
On 23 July, 2008, a collision resulted in more than 420,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil being spilled into the Mississippi River when a barge struck a tanker and sank. More than 2,000 responders from many organizations, including NOAA, have been working on cleanup efforts for the last month. The barge has been salvaged, and most of the affected river (100 miles) has been cleaned up. However, more than 10 miles of stranded oil remains, and cleanup efforts have been complicated by a 6-foot drop in the river level. Conventional flushing is not effective (even with hot water and relatively high pressure), because the stranded oil is “high and dry.” The current challenge is to find the right cleanup technique.

In any case, many hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil were dumped into the waters of the Mississippi River. A month later, they were still trying to clean up, when along came Hurricane Gustav. There are no clean up updates posted after the hurricaine, as the crude oil spill was probably spread throughout the region & waterway in storm surge waters.

This is a photo of an oil stained levee.
The point of mentioning this spill, is while the RNC had crowds chanting Drill Baby Drill, there are serious issues that need to be addressed with drilling.

Off shore drilling is full of peril, and especially the drilling they want to do- on the West Coast (Alaska, Washington State , Oregon & California) is in the “Ring-of-Fire”, The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a 40,000 km horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. The Ring of Fire has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes. Ninety percent of the world’s earthquakes and 80% of the world’s largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.

Oil drilling is dangerous, sloppy, and if the drilling itself goes well, the movement of oil in tankers has been a series of huge spills with grave consequences to the Oceanic habitat & health, as well as the wildlife it supports.
It is a part of our overall Planetary health too. It is our job to take care of this planet we call home.
Drilling in earthquake zones makes no sense. Continuing on the path of oil dependence makes no sense, give we now know the greenhouse effect, and the SCIENCE that documents the changes.
VP candidate Sarah Palin says a federal government decision to protect the polar bear will cripple energy (oil) development offshore. As a result, she is suing (May 2008) the Bush administration, which ruled the polar bear is endangered and needs protection.

Governor Palin would also like to bring open-cast coal mining to Alaska’s Brooks Range Mountains, an act of environmental vandalism in the eyes of many.

The Palin administration has allowed Chevron to triple the amount of toxic waste it pours into the waters of Cook Inlet. This, even though the number of Beluga whales in the bay has collapsed from 1,300 to 350 – the point of extinction – because of pollution and increased ship traffic.

While Palin smiles and introduces herself as a benign “Hockey Mom”, she is really a foe of the environment.

She is OK with letting the Polar Bear go Extinct, by fighting the Endangered Species protection that would guard the habitat essential for the bear’s survival.

If you want to read more about how Scientists & Environmentalist groups fought to list the Polar bear as endangered, how the listing was stalled, allowing the government to proceed with an auction for oil and gas leases in the Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, an area of key habitat for polar bears. (Scroll down to U.S. endangered species legislation).

Oil wells don’t necessarily end well.

Crossposted at Ramblings.

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Unbelievable….

Pelosi says now….drilling offshore is a-ok with her.

Read all about it here.

I am stunned…this worthless sellout is on my last nerve. And this CLOWN represents California.

Her aides say she hasn’t changed her position on offshore drilling…horseshit. From The Hill link above:

She even indicated that she might support a package that includes drilling. She said her decision on whether to support such legislation would depend on how the policies are packaged.

“It’s not excluded, let’s put it that way,” Pelosi said.

If that isn’t a change, I don’t know what is. I don’t give a shit how they ‘package’ it…NO Drilling offshore mutha fuckas!

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Oils well that ends badly- or- Too Slick for me

Allowing Offshore Exploration to Help Address Rising Fuel Costs

>>>Ok this title should trigger a big red flag. The Bush Administration wants to “help” us?
When they “helped” Iraq, it turned out to be a profit scheme involving oil. Either that or why does this administration not care about other brutal dictators, and human rights violations in Rowanda, or Darfur?
I’m going to say the short answer is, there is no profit to be made.
Allow me to rip into this announcement—

President Bush Lifts An Executive Ban On Oil Exploration In America’s Outer Continental Shelf And Calls On Congress To Lift Its Legislative Ban

President Bush lifted an executive ban on producing oil from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This means that the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the Democratically controlled Congress.

>>>That statement alone has me worried!

To reduce pressure on prices, President Bush recognizes the need to increase the supply of oil – especially here at home. For years, his Administration has called on Congress to expand domestic oil production. Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal – and now Americans are paying the price.

>>> Whoah Whoah Whoah- that segment has so much spin, I’m feeling dizzy.

Prez Bush recognized the profit margin of oil supply. For years they have been wringing their hands trying to get to the “precioussssss” oil- not to save America & support the fossil fuel addiction, let’s just state up front, someone in the oil tycoon business believes there is profit to be made. If you don;t believe me, ask Exxon Mobile & Shell about the 11.6 billion quarterly profit they just posted.

Experts believe that OCS areas under leasing prohibitions could produce about 18 billion barrels of oil. We will not know for certain until exploration is allowed. The problem is that Congress has restricted access to much of the OCS since the early 1980s. Since then, advances in technology have made it possible to conduct oil exploration in the OCS that is out of sight, protects coral reefs and habitats, and protects against oil spills.

>>> My rheoric-o-meter is in the red zone.

Last month, President Bush asked the Democratic Congress to lift this legislative ban and allow the exploration and development of offshore oil resources. He committed to lift an executive restriction on this exploration if Congress did so, tailoring his executive action to match what Congress passed. However, it has been almost a month since he urged Congress to act – and the Democratic leadership has done nothing. They have not moved any legislation, and as Congress has sat idle, gas prices have continued to increase.

>>>Speaking of sitting idle– the US has done little or nothing towards requiring better mileage efficiency, or moving towards alternative fuel sources. Let’s point the finger in the right direction. ( I think you know which finger I mean!).

This failure to act is unacceptable to American citizens – and it is unacceptable to President Bush. So Bush has issued a memorandum to lift the executive prohibition on oil exploration in the OCS. With this action, executive branch restrictions on this exploration have been cleared away, except for areas within existing marine sanctuaries. Areas near Florida are also off limits until 2022 under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act.

This is a difficult period for millions of American families. They are rightly angered by Congress’ failure to enact common-sense solutions. Today, President Bush has taken every step within his power to allow offshore exploration of the OCS. All that remains is for Democratic leaders in Congress to allow a vote.

This legislation must allow States to have a say in what happens off their shores, provide a way for the Federal Government and States to share new leasing revenues, and ensure the environment is protected.

>>> Funny they should mention that. Because here is what three West Coast States have to say:

:Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, joined with Democratic Govs. Ted Kulongoski of Oregon and Chris Gregoire of Washington to reaffirm their opposition to opening undersea oil fields to new drilling, as part of an elaborate action plan for preserving coastal waters.

The 116-page document outlines ambitious goals for cleaning up coastal waters and beaches, restoring fisheries, preparing for rising sea levels and developing projects that harness energy from waves and tides, among other topics.

“We are united ecologically, and now we are also united politically with Democrats and Republicans here working together and with one powerful voice,” said Schwarzenegger, flanked by images of the two other governors beamed in via satellite.” (Quoted from the L.A. Times)

>>>Furthermore, I would like to add that on the West Coast, Oregon specifically, there have been “Dead Zones” found in the Ocean– vast expanses of areas in the Ocean, where suddenly, entire ecosystems, of fish & plants, can’t survive. We’ve already fouled up the waters with human activity, in ways we don’t even understand.
How much abuse can our planet endure?

Republicans in Congress have proposed several promising bills that would lift the legislative ban on oil exploration in the OCS. President Bush calls on the House and Senate to pass such good legislation as soon as possible.

This legislation should also take essential steps to expand domestic production from oil shale and in Alaska and to increase refining capacity. Congress should clear the way for our Nation to tap into the extraordinary potential of oil shale – which could provide Americans with domestic oil supplies that are equal to more than a century’s worth of current oil imports. Congress should permit exploration in currently restricted areas of northern Alaska – which COULD produce roughly the equivalent of two decades of imported oil from Saudi Arabia. Finally, Congress should enable the expansion of our domestic refining capacity – so that America will no longer have to import millions of barrels of fully refined gasoline from abroad.

>>> I emphasized the word “could”. I tried to find the statistic, but it seems the US burns through 20 million barrels of oil PER DAY. The drilling restrictions were put there for sound reasons. They throw in this “we will be careful” clause so gingerly. But seriously– when oil drilling goes bad, there is no reversing it, and if it is not the drilling, it is oil tanker mishaps.

Go to this link for a sampling of things gone wrong Oil rig disasters

The Oil rig disasters link has them categorized- Deadliest, Most Expensive, Offshore Blowouts, Structural collapse, Sunk Rigs & Hurricane Damage. Let’s just say the number & degree of peril in the drilling business is extensive.

These Proposals Will Take Years To Have Their Full Impact, So We Should Move Quickly

For the long run, we are dealing with the demand for oil by promoting alternative energy technologies. President Bush’s Administration has worked with Congress to invest in gas-saving technologies like advanced batteries and hybrid vehicles, mandated a large expansion in the use of alternative fuels, and raised fuel efficiency standards to ambitious new levels. With all these steps, we are bringing America closer to the day when we can significantly reduce our reliance on oil.

>>> Doublespeak! If we want to “significantly reduce our reliance on oil” then what w should move quickly on is getting off the oil entirely.

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Oil and energy issues coming to a head

President Bush asked Congress on Wednesday to permit drilling for oil in deep water off America’s coasts to combat rising oil and gas prices. There is no excuse for delay,” the president said in a Rose Garden statement. The proposal met opposition from governors from California, New Jersey North Carolina, and New Mexico. “We are in this situation because of our dependence on traditional petroleum-based oil,” California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. “Our $35 billion economy is driven by tourism and the use of the shore,” AP quoted New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, as saying.

“It’s a very bad idea. First of all, it will take 30 years before it affects gas prices — lowering them — and it will take 10 years to start the drilling,” New Mexico Governor and former U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, a Democrat, told CNN. “The answer is a long-term policy that deals with — substantial policies that promote — conservation, fuel efficiency in vehicles, an emphasis on renewable energy.” “It’s doesn’t work for states to decide. If the state above or below you has a problem it affects your shores as well,” North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat said, according to AP. “It’s too much squeeze for the juice when you look at real estate on the coast, recreational fishing and tourism that could be adversely affected by some problem.” Virginia and South Carolina have largely supported lifting the moratorium, AP reported.

Oil production cost,Here’s what the price of a barrel of oil needs to be for different sources of petroleum to be profitably extracted: – Accessible land: $19 – Shallow water: $20-60 – Deep water: $60 – Shale mining: $30-50 – Oil sands: $50-60 Current price per barrel: $134 Sources: U.S. Govt. CERA, Rand, EnCana Bush also renewed his demand that Congress allow drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, clear the way for more refineries and encourage efforts to recover oil from shale in areas such as the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Bush said that the basin potentially contains more than three times as much recoverable oil as Saudi Arabia’s proven reserves and that the high price of oil makes it profitable to extract it. Bush tells Congress again do it my way

We have discussed our shale oil numerous times since Bush first clandestinely announced a program to make it’s capture economical! It is interesting that Bush is finally saying it out loud! It seems to me like it should be equitable to produce our energy needs from already existing and unused existing sources rather than instituting programs that will only give the oil industry more work and employment while doing nothing for our cost and energy needs! This is only one of the numerous issues that is coming to a head conveniently just before elections!
What really bothers me is tha I believe nothing will prevent prices to continue skyward and once again the lying idiot McCain proves while he says he is different he is a clone of Bush as McCain wants to lift ban on offshore drilling

Also right in line with Bush McSame has bought into Bush’s “Green Energy” nuclear proliferation as Sen. John McCain proposed Wednesday to dramatically increase America’s commitment to nuclear power, calling for a crash program to build 45 reactors by 2030 and a long-term goal of building 100 such plants across the country. McSame also mirrors Bush on nuclear energy
You can see for yourself exactly where Obama and McCain stand on the issue

* The frightening thing to me is House Democrats responded to President’s Bush’s call for Congress to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling. This was at an on-camera press conference fed back live.Among other things, the Democrats called for the government to own refineries so it could better control the flow of the oil supply. They also reasserted that the reason the Appropriations Committee markup (where the vote on the amendment to lift the ban) was cancelled so they could focus on preparing the supplemental Iraq spending bill for tomorrow. At an off-camera briefing, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the same. And a senior Republican House Appropriations Committee aide adds that “there were multiple reasons for the postponement” including discussion on the supplemental. But the aide said there was the thought that Democrats may wish to avoid a debate today on energy amendments.

Here are the highlights from briefing: Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), member of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the most-ardent opponents of off-shore drilling 1115 We (the government) should own the refineries. Then we can control how much gets out into the market. Hinchey on why they postponed the Appropriations markup 1119 I think there aren’t enough votes for the Peterson amendment. It wasn’t taken up (the Interior spending bill) because of the omnibus Appropriations bill. That’s the main focus of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) 1116 They (Republicans) have a one-trick pony approach. please check this out

This is very scary! Part of me wants to say Yeah but all of me knows the Government and Congress can’t do anything right. They are all complicit and corrupt! What the hell is the answer? the problem is just beginning like all of the rest of them as we try to progress successfully into the twenty first century. We know it is a world wide problem and our friend in Wales explained nicely the over taxation and fuel problem in Britain as the people are starting to rebel. from Landsker

* I wish I could sound rosy but I can only say stay together and hold on!

James Joiner
Gardner Ma

Crossposted at An Average American Patriot

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