Oil in the Gulf - Life-long implications?

[Ru4scuba?]

Ok BBers...

What are your thoughts? Will there be life-long implications for the horrible mess BP is making of our gulf waters?

 

[The Nid Hog]

I wish that I could see a silver lining in there somewhere, but it seems pretty catastrophic to me.

 

[Shane]

I wish that I could see a silver lining in there somewhere, but it seems pretty catastrophic to me.

This.

I see no winners at all in this horrible situation.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Right...but what will it mean in the end for the average citizen of Earth?

Higher oil prices?
Higher fish prices and fewer selections at your favorite seafood hangout?

I dont know why...but I get the strong feeling we'll be reeling from the effects of this for years...

 

[The Nid Hog]

It's hard for me to get my mind around this because it's still unfolding. If I were to pick up the paper today and see the headlines "Capped!" I might be better equipped to think about it. As it is, I feel like it might just keep going.

 

[Walker]

There will be life long regulations for people like me who works in the petroleum industry. My dad told me a lot of the fisheries from La are buying seafood from the East coast to try and compensate a little for the lack of seafood in there area. My dad is a Comercial Fisherman by the way.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

Life-long regulations...

Ok...there is one repercussion!

I know there will be more but what will they be? Surely this much crude in the Gulf waters is a bad thing ecologically?

 

[gaseousclay]

Ok BBers...

What are your thoughts? Will there be life-long implications for the horrible mess BP is making of our gulf waters?

yes. there's still residual oil leftover from the Exxon Valdez. the Gulf spill is much, much worse

 

[Walker]

Life-long regulations...

Ok...there is one repercussion!

I know there will be more but what will they be? Surely this much crude in the Gulf waters is a bad thing ecologically?

Of course it will be. Shellfish such as the Blue Crab likes to hide in sea grass. When they molt (Turning from hard shell to soft shell and back to hard shell again) they need this grass to hide so predators don't eat them when there soft. The oil will kill the grass which will cause the crabs (as well as other sea life) to not have a place to hide, so, the sea life will keep coming to this area because they aren't aware the grass is dead and they will molt in the open were predators such as fish will eat them. Soon the sealife will know the grass is dead and not show up at all to these areas. Which is whats happening to the parts of the Chesapeake Bay right now (pollution). Will it rebound? My God I hope so.

 

[FiveOhNine]

I would like to see this to cost BP dearly so that they self-regulate to much higher standards and set an example for the rest of the industry about learning from epic failure.

Instead, I think what we'll see is the mean green crowd will use this as fodder for hindering or halting much of the domestic energy production causing much higher prices and our continued selling out to the thugs who sit on foreign oil.

Never let a crisis go to waste, as they say.

 

[RILEY]

The Earth's food chain is screwed

 

[MikeyAces]

I'm ignorant to the whole situation because it literally makes me sick to watch. This event will have massive effects to the wild life and the industries surrounding them, and it's going to drive fuel prices up, and don't expect to see this being the catalyst to make the country green, as long as BP, and exxon/mobil are around, we'll be driving gas cars.

 

[jazzman]

I would like to see this to cost BP dearly so that they self-regulate to much higher standards and set an example for the rest of the industry about learning from epic failure.

Instead, I think what we'll see is the mean green crowd will use this as fodder for hindering or halting much of the domestic energy production causing much higher prices and our continued selling out to the thugs who sit on foreign oil.

Never let a crisis go to waste, as they say.

Couldn't disagree more.

First, this will have no impact on oil prices in the short or medium term. There is no oil shortage now. Domestic oil production has very little impact on the international price of crude oil.

Second, if self-regulation were a viable concept, this would not have happened. If government regulation were more competent or not bought-and-paid-for by the self-regulation crowd (i.e., the oil companies in this case), this would not have happened. If the sane people who are concerned about the planet (the "mean green crowd") had any real influence, this would not have happened.

Third, the only way to have any effect on the thugs who sit on foreign oil is to stop buying it. The only ways to stop buying it are to develop alternative energy sources and technologies that make oil use more efficient. We have come a long way in these areas (check average gas mileage 30 years ago), mostly thanks to the mean green crowd, but we would be much farther along if we had taken it more seriously. We're never going to produce so much oil domestically that it will affect production in the Middle East because they are sitting on so much.

But back to the OP's question: if the leak stopped today, it would still have devastating impact on the Gulf and beyond. Many bird and other species were on the brink of extinction in the 20th Century, but wildlife refuges and other conservation efforts reduced hunting and real estate development (for such important commercial needs as hat decorations and an umpteenth condo community overlooking an upteenth golf course). Now, some of those preserved areas are toast. Some species will become extinct or be gone from the Gulf area, and will never return. Others will be reduced beyond commercial availability; seafood prices will rise, and some very tasty meals will become just a memory. Millions of Americans will be financially devastated, and not just Gulf residents. Restaurant and seafood industry employees and businesses from New Orleans to North Dakota will be affected.

But the flow is likely to continue all summer, at least.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Anytime the government gets involved in something like this, you can bet not much will get done. Somehow, in some way they'll screw it up. Instead of taking care of the problem, they'll debate it to death, point fingers at everyone else, and eventually we'll be left with more regulations, less supply, and higher prices. Of course we have not even mentioned the destruction that can never be replaced, the loss of an eco structure that will never be again, the loss of so much wildlife, and the thousands of people who will loose everything, their jobs, income, savings, and will be forced to go bankrupt and turn to who else but the government who will tell them "we're so sorry, but there's nothing we can do for you.

Remember Zager and Evans song from 1969 "In the year 2525"? It looks like its coming to pass, "He's taken everything this old earth can give, and he ain't put back nothing yet".

I love my country, but I fear my government.

 

[coyotewhisper]

Grand Isle, had just begun to recover from Katrnia. Do we really know how much oil has been spilled. This could be the end of commerical fishing in the Gulf for years to come.
Where will that oil gowhen a hurricane strikes? Too many unanswered questions. Our thrist for oil has to dwindle.

 

[Don]

Thhe federal government has failed miserably to step in. Many offers of help have been refused by this administration.

Siphoning the water/oil gunk into ships is highly feasible, but refused.

The Saudi's have a system that they use any time oil spills into water and it works fine. Not used here. Syphon, split out the oil, filter the water, put the water back into where it came from.

There was the refusal by the Army Corps. of Engineers to allow large sand berms to be built, they dawdled for weeks over that

There are numerous other examples where the feds have fiddled while Rome burned during this unfortunate occurrence.

Bottom line: This did not have to be anywhere near as bad as it is.

 

[an0nymous]

One thing I have not yet seen discussed is the health implications of all those loose hydrocarbons. I wonder how long it will be until the cancer clusters start to show up?
Also Gulf seafood is completely out for me for at least five years
http://consumerist.com/2010/05/oily...rally-be-sniff-tested-by-expert-smellers.html
Really, FDA? Smellers?
It's blue Point Oysters and North Atlantic Char for me, folks.

 

[jazzman]

It's very hard for me to understand how anyone is blaming the current administration for this. I think it might be the fault of BP and the companies it was using on this project.

If the government can do more to reduce the impact, it certainly should. But BP and the other offshore oil companies have whatever expertise there is. I believe they are doing everything they can. No one with expertise or resources is sitting this one out. They mobilized within 24 hours of the explosion. The government simply doesn't have a Department of Fixng Oil Leaks a Mile Below the Surface of the Gulf. Maybe BP should have had such a Department.

I suspect that some of the people calling for more government action now are the same people who called for less government action up to the day before the explosion. What would they have said if, on January 21, 2009, the Obama administration had halted all offshore drilling in deep waters, at least until the industry could prove its ability to stop this sort of disaster? (I would have cheered.)

 

[gaseousclay]

It's very hard for me to understand how anyone is blaming the current administration for this. I think it might be the fault of BP and the companies it was using on this project.

If the government can do more to reduce the impact, it certainly should. But BP and the other offshore oil companies have whatever expertise there is. I believe they are doing everything the can. No one with expertise or resources is sitting this one out. They mobilized within 24 hours of the explosion. The government simply doesn't have a Department of Fixng Oil Leaks a Mile Below the Surface of the Gulf. Maybe BP should have had such a Department.

I suspect that some of the people calling for more government action now are the same people who called for less government action up to the day before the explosion. What would they have said if, on January 21, 2009, the Obama administration had halted all offshore drilling in deep waters, at least until the industry could prove its ability to stop this sort of disaster? (I would have cheered.)

agreed. I'm hearing nothing but a lot of hypocrisy out there. the ones who are against more government are the same ones saying they're not doing enough. and just how is the oil spill Obama's fault? I know a lot of the talking heads are conveniently pointing the finger saying his administration isn't doing enough, but what are they supposed to do exactly? take over BP? somehow I don't think that'll happen

 

[richmondesi]

agreed. I'm hearing nothing but a lot of hypocrisy out there. the ones who are against more government are the same ones saying they're not doing enough. and just how is the oil spill Obama's fault? I know a lot of the talking heads are conveniently pointing the finger saying his administration isn't doing enough, but what are they supposed to do exactly? take over BP? somehow I don't think that'll happen

Well, the left blamed the poor Katrina response on Bush. The right is blaming the poor BP spill response on Obama. Neither made any sense.

Unfortunately, it appears this thing will be going for at least as long as it's already gone. I fear Souther Louisiana will never be the same (ecologically or economically)