Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Can something of this magnitude even ever be completely cleaned up?" Likely no. Certainly improvements can and will be made, but there will be irreversible damage, at least on a human timescale.
Crude oil is a natural substance. It leaks out of the earth all over the place. This is obviously an extreme case, but I think that with time, the environment will absorb this and return to some sort of normalcy.
BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
31–40 of 61 posts
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Can something of this magnitude even ever be completely cleaned up?" Likely no. Certainly improvements can and will be made, but there will be irreversible damage, at least on a human timescale.
Crude oil is a natural substance. It leaks out of the earth all over the place. This is obviously an extreme case, but I think that with time, the environment will absorb this and return to some sort of normalcy.
As far as something being natural, that has little to do with it's ability to destroy ecosystems. Sure, many synthetic chemicals are worse, but don't we have plenty of examples of very harmful natural phenomena? Radiation is natural, for instance. Perhaps you'd like to absorb a couple thousand rems, and see if the naturalness makes a difference in your return to normalcy. Or drink a big glass of oil, why not! It's natural! Several thousand dolphins, sea turtles, jellyfish, fish, sting rays, eels and octopi surely gave that a try recently.
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#33This is not entirely true. The seal in place is considered temporary until a pressure test can be completed. This is expected to be completed within the next 48 hours. If that test is not successful, then this seal comes straight off and the leak resumes.
Not exactly. The new tight-fitting cap is there to stay, but they may re-open the valves which are presently preventing oil from escaping if the well is determined to be insufficiently sound. In that case, the new cap will still allow them to collect all the oil, preventing any from leaking. That may take a week or so until they can get more collection ships, though.
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Can something of this magnitude even ever be completely cleaned up?" Likely no. Certainly improvements can and will be made, but there will be irreversible damage, at least on a human timescale.
Crude oil is a natural substance. It leaks out of the earth all over the place. This is obviously an extreme case, but I think that with time, the environment will absorb this and return to some sort of normalcy.
My body can handle a handful of virus cells when delivered by vaccine, but in large quantities, they overwhelm my immune system.
A dam holds back a river, but not a flood.
Small leaks of oil over time are tolerable to the ecosystem, whereas giant gushers overwhelm it.
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
"Can something of this magnitude even ever be completely cleaned up?" Likely no. Certainly improvements can and will be made, but there will be irreversible damage, at least on a human timescale.
Crude oil is a natural substance. It leaks out of the earth all over the place. This is obviously an extreme case, but I think that with time, the environment will absorb this and return to some sort of normalcy.
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most people think they should have this "cap" on stand-by on every drilling rig out there.
They do, in theory. The Blow-Out-Preventer, basically an automatic cap, it installed in-line on every well currently being drilled. Yes, it failed but there is no guarantee that "this cap" will succeed in the case of another BOP failure.
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#37So basically they've just shut off the one that was getting the most attention.
Geez the amount of wildlife they have killed - no-one will go to prison and it's practically the crime of the century.
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#38Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
They do, in theory. The Blow-Out-Preventer, basically an automatic cap, it installed in-line on every well currently being drilled. Yes, it failed but there is no guarantee that "this cap" will succeed in the case of another BOP failure.
I still think the industry should put together a consortium that develops and builds such equipment and keeps it ready to go in the event of deep-water well failures like this. Seems like a lot of trial and error and onsite improvisation and engineering were done after the disaster. If it had been done ahead of time, then we may well have gotten to this point perhaps weeks sooner. A lot of oil might not have been spi…
Re: BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
#401. All oil companies are going to upgrade their safety standards
2. A lot of new knowledge on how to seal oil leaks has been brought into the world. This knowledge will have various applications, and if a bigger leak happens again, then there will be more preparation