Deep-Sea Oil Is Radioactive

[unhappycamper]

President Obama accused regulatory agencies of having a “cozy” relationship with the oil companies. If they can’t be regulated on the national level, then they must be regulated on the international level.

Deep-Sea Oil Is Radioactive
Financial Times, Germany
By Matthias Brügge
Translated By Ron Argentati
21 May 2010

The latest oil spill catastrophe exposes the dangers of deep-sea oil drilling. Deeper wells are already being planned which could result in even more serious oil spills with global implications. Deep sea drilling, therefore, has to be closely controlled in the same way atomic energy is overseen.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has every indication of causing the greatest contamination in history. BP’s first attempt at containing the escaping oil failed miserably. Even if 700 tons are being captured daily, an underwater video shows huge quantities still escaping. It lies as a viscous film on the surface of the Gulf waters and appears headed for Florida, but reddish oil streaks are already being imagined on Cuba’s beaches. The desperate attempts to burn the oil slick off managed to limit the carpet of oil but produced large amounts of black smoke.

The Deepwater Horizon rig catastrophe vividly demonstrates that deep-water drilling threatens the entire global environment. As the Obama administration now admits, mistakes were made in licensing and overseeing the technical aspects of its production, which only shows that national agencies, even in monster bureaucracies like the United States, are unable to master the complexities of this sort of oil production. Oversight of deep-sea drilling operations has to be controlled by a totally new agency. It should be an international agency working under the auspices of the United Nations and operating much like the International Atomic Energy Agency.

IAEA oversight is recognized as exemplary and effective. In the production of deep-sea oil, a similar agency could ensure that the highest safety standards are maintained. The recently collapsed BP oil platform wasn’t constructed to rigid safety standards; there was no acoustic switch installed enabling remote shutdown of drilling operations. Such a safety measure isn’t currently required on rigs operating in U.S. waters. President Obama accused regulatory agencies of having a “cozy” relationship with the oil companies. If they can’t be regulated on the national level, then they must be regulated on the international level.

Such an agency is even more imperative as the world’s thirst for oil drives the companies into ever-deeper waters. The Brazilian oil concern Petrobras is getting ready to drill a 5,000 to 7,000 meter deep well on the Atlantic floor in waters some 2,000 meters deep. In the same region, there are already more than 60 Brazilian drilling platforms in operation producing oil. Should a catastrophe similar to that in the Gulf of Mexico take place, the Gulf Stream could carry the spilled oil to the distant coastal waters of Ireland. And from there, it’s not far to the North Sea’s German coast.

[CanonRay]

1. Oh great, more good news

Sheesh! :hurts:

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. This is not news; it's metaphorically 'radioactive'; the op-ed calls for international regulation

of depp-sea drilling, because disasters like this can be carried by currents to other countries.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Watch Insurance Premiums Soar...

What the government can't or won't do, the insurance companies may. With billions in liabilities the future of deep sea drilling could be cut back if the oil companies can't find someone to assume the risk.

The problem with regulating deep sea platforms is they already operate at or near the limits of international waters...wouldn't take much to move a few miles further out and avoid any government regulation.

While I like the idea of reigning in the oil companies...we already supposedly have mechanisms in place to regulate, prohibit or shut down off shore drilling...just its fully dysfunctional and corrupt. Let's clean up that mess first...yep, including Salazar...and see how that shapes up before adding yet another level of beauracracy that can be abused like the others if a rushpublican ever gets in office.

[sui generis]

4. I love this phrase "mistakes were made. . . "

passive voice -

oil was drilled
rig was destroyed

oversight was made.

oil was burned

radiation was released into atmosphere

the problem is almost a reflection of the language used to describe it. Nobody does anything proactively - and I'm sure we'll have a shopping list of late breaking observations to follow.

[Echo In Light]

5. Trivialize! Downplay! Obfuscate! = The Con Way

[obxhead]

6. The only solution is to make oil worthless

making these wells never come into existence in the first place.

If only we had leaders that gave a shit about something other than money.

[derby378]

7. Drill, Baby, Drill

Hey, Sarah Palin, how's that whole bumper-sticker approach to fucking up the Gulf of Mexico working out for you these days? Still want to run your mouth about environmental concerns that you are blissfully ignorant of?

[lonestarnot]

8. Will you please stop reminding us of that stupid motherfucker! My hatred is running deeply. She

needs to stay out of my state.

[derby378]

9. I thought I was being good...

...but okay, I'll try to tone it down a little more.

[lonestarnot]

12. I just despise that crazy grifter bitch.

I didn't mean to get after you. :hug:

[G_j]

10. K&R

[phleshdef]

11. Yea, I've wondered about whether or no the US banning offshore would make any difference.

If all our nearest neighbors are drilling, then the same environmental risks exist.