Hey Sarah, "Drill now, drill here"

This Tuesday, May 25, 2010 photo released by Alaska's Division of Spill Prevention and Response shows an oil spill and its containment at a pump station near Fort Greeley, Alaska. The trans-Alaska pipeline remained shut down Wednesday, May 26, 2010 as responders took a cautious approach to cleaning up a crude oil spill confined to lined containment area. Up to several thousand barrels of crude oil spilled flowed Tuesday during a scheduled pipeline shutdown at the pump station about 100 miles south of Fairbanks. (AP Photo/Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. via Alaska Division of Spill Prevention and Response)

DEC tackling spill; pipeline still down 

by Ted Land
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Department of Environmental Conservation says it is responding aggressively to the spill at Pump Station 9.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline remains shut down.

Alyeska says nearly 70 responders are on scene at the pump station, which is about 100 miles south of Fairbanks.

The power failed yesterday and the pipeline company says several thousand barrels of oil spilled into a gravel containment area.

Alyeska says an impermeable liner prevented any oil from touching the surrounding environment.

The company says it is now taking in roughly 16 percent of the oil it normally would and is storing the crude in tanks upstream from the spill.

Those tanks are expected to fill up in the next day or two.

"We've restored backup power to the pump station and we're working now on our cleanup plan and on the remaining power that's required to start the pumps," Michelle Egan with Alyeska said.

The DEC says cleanup is proceeding as well as can be expected. It is overseeing the cleanup response plan along with federal regulators and Alyeska.

 The leaking storage tank was also the site of a fire three years ago that started when a portable heater was placed too close to it.

Oil industry analyst and critic Richard Fineberg believes cost-cutting measures led to accidents and safety concerns on the pipeline.

"When we look at why these things occur through the years, the root cause is cost-cutting and trying to save money and cut corners, and that's not the way to run a pipeline," Fineberg said.

Alyeska faces fines of more than $500,000 because of the fire. The company is still contesting that case.

Fineberg thinks there should be a citizens' oversight group to look into how the pipeline is being operated.

Contact Ted Land at tland@ktuu.com

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=12550802

First Subtropical low system off the south east coast of the USA and it isn't even June 1st. This 'drama' in the Gulf has to end. I'll show you how since the military seems to be unable to do so.

 

May 26, 2010

22:40:13z 

UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of USA

Noted on Southeast Coast the first of the tropical weather we can expect.  The disaster in the Gulf needs a conclusion and the people of the Gulf need the autonomy to run their own strategies if they don't have that authority already.  I find it really difficult to believe the Governors of these states are this completely helpless.  They do have National Guard.  Tell the President to recall them from Iraq if necessary.  Jindal acts like he is helpless.  I don't think so.

Lisa Jackson surrenders to the plutocracy.

Angry with BP's inability (click title to entry - thank you) to find a less toxic dispersant against the gulf oil spill, the federal government will order BP to dramatically scale back its use of surface dispersants, chastising the company for an "insufficient" response to the issue....

BP has stated it can't find large quantities of another chemical dispersant other than Corexit.  Perhaps that is because BP is the only one purchasing a dispersant in large quantities and have large quantities in stock.  So, if they don't place an other somewhere else there will never be a large supply of any other dispersant. 

At this point the chemical additive to the water column needs to stop.  The coastal environment is better off with oil than a mixture of chemicals that have unknown capacity to destroy whatever might remain of the fisheries.

The dispersant is creating a hostile underwater environment for any wildlife, aquatic plants and fish.  The coastal area of the Gulf needs to shut down any fishing as they have no guarantees to the quality of the fish.  I don't care of Florida 'appears' to have been saved from chemical invasion, it hasn't.  The tides that wash up on Florida beaches and the fish and wildlife that frequent its shores have wide ranging swimming patterns.  Just because the fish and wildlife are alive doesn't mean they are chemical or petroleum free.

If I had plans for 'water activities' anywhere along the Gulf, I would cancel them.  There are no guarantees to the safety of the water quality of exposure to low levels of chemicals from moment to moment.

The Plutocratic statement by Jackson that absolutely astounded me was, "We haven't seen any toxicity by these chemicals."

Like where has she been.  Besides the carcasses of fish and wildilfe washing up on shore the workers 'mopping' up the beaches are becoming ill.  I suppose that is all coincidence.  Sure.  George Walker
Bush lives.

It is possible to be ingested by simple exposure of the hands or skin.  Crude oil is a carbon based substance that isn't easily removed from human skin.  There is every possibility Gulf Coast Workers could have ingested the chemicals as a 'residue' ON THEIR HANDS. 

If they are exposed to crude oil, they are also exposed to Corexit.

Continued dumpning of a chemical that chronically dispurses crude oil through the water column will expose all sealife to danger rather than just those at the surface.  There is no prudent use of these dispursants at this point.  The prophilatic use of dispersants on a short term basis assuming the military would have a solution for this disaster was the only reason for its use.  Given the fact the plutocratic dynamics over ride any and all authority of the USA government and its military institutions, there is no reason to continue dumping the chemical to relieve PB of its stockpiles.

Oil cleanup workers report illness



Some fishermen hired by BP to mop up the gulf spill report nausea and breathing troubles after contact with oil and dispersant. A congressman calls for mobile health clinics to treat them....

...The fishermen report severe headaches (central nervous system), dizziness (central nervous system), nausea (gastrointestinal) and difficulty breathing (respiratory)....

Mr. Jackson was exposed to high vapor content that requires a Scott Air Pack and biohazard suit to prevent exposure.  Given the heat at the this time of year, working in a biohazard suit is difficult unless the Airpack also delivers cooled air throughout the suit.

...George Jackson, 53, has been fishing since he was 12 and took a BP cleanup job after the massive oil spill forced the closure of fisheries and left him unemployed. As he was laying containment booms Sunday, he said, a dark substance floating on the water made his eyes burn.



"I ain't never run on anything like this," Jackson said. Within seconds, he said, his head started hurting and he became nauseated....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-workers-sick-20100526,0,4604887.story

All the symptoms above are on the list below.

Crude Oil Toxicity Symptoms

...can damage every system in the body:
respiratory
Nervous system, including the brain
liver
reproductive/urogenital system
kidneys
endocrine system
circulatory system
gastrointestinal system
immune system
sensory system
musculoskeletal system
Damaging or altering these systems causes a wide range of diseases and conditions....

MSDS Data Sheet on Crude Oil

http://www.martinmarietta.com/products/MSDS-CrudeOil.pdf

III – HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

Amber to green to black liquid, depending on source. Crude oil is volatile and flammable, and may cause flash fires. If ingested,



aspiration may occur, causing lung damage or death.


Health Effects: The information below represents an overview of health effects caused by overexposure to one or more


components in Crude Oil. The individual effects are described in Section XI.


Primary route(s) of exposure: Inhalation Skin Ingestion


EYE CONTACT: Contact with eyes may cause mild to severe irritation including stinging, watering, redness, and swelling.


SKIN CONTACT: Mild skin irritation including redness and a burning sensation may follow acute contact. Prolongedcontact may cause dermatitis, folliculitis, or oil acne.



SKIN ABSORPTION: Liquid may be absorbed through the skin in toxic amounts if large amounts of skin are exposed


repeatedly. There have been rare occurrences of precancerous warts on the forearm, back of hands and


scrotum from chronic prolonged contact.


INGESTION: The major threat of ingestion occurs from the aspiration (breathing) of liquid drops into the lungs,


particularly from vomiting. Aspiration may result in chemical pneumonia (fluid in the lungs), severe


lung damage, respiratory failure, and death. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal disturbances including


irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In severe cases, tremors, convulsions, loss of consciousness,


coma, respiratory arrest, and death may occur.


INHALATION: May cause respiratory and nasal irritation. Central nervous system effects may include headache,


dizziness, loss of balance and coordination, unconsciousness, coma, respiratory failure, and death.


MEDICAL CONDITIONS AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE


Skin disorders, respiratory conditions, liver or kidney dysfunction, male reproductive and peripheral nerve disorders.


EYES: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of clean water for at least 15 minutes, while holding the eyelids open.



Occasionally lift the eyelids to ensure thorough rinsing. Contact a physician if irritation persists or develops


later.


SKIN: Remove contaminated clothing. Wash with soap and water. Contact a physician if irritation persists or develops


later. Thermal burns may require immediate medical attention, depending on severity and area burned.


INGESTION: DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Do not give liquids. Obtain immediate medical attention. If vomiting occurs,


lean victim forward to reduce the risk of aspiration.


INHALATION: Remove to fresh air. If victim is not breathing, provide artificial


MSDS Data Sheet for Corexit - considerable data is not reported.  The chemical should be banned for its incomplete information in regard to human exposure.


SKIN CONTACT :



May cause irritation with prolonged contact.


INGESTION :


Not a likely route of exposure. Can cause chemical pneumonia if aspirated into lungs following ingestion.


INHALATION :


Repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract.


SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE :


Acute :


A review of available data does not identify any symptoms from exposure not previously mentioned.


Chronic :


Frequent or prolonged contact with product may defat and dry the skin, leading to discomfort and dermatitis.


AGGRAVATION OF EXISTING CONDITIONS :


Skin contact may aggravate an existing dermatitis condition.

http://lmrk.org/corexit_9500_uscueg.539287.pdf

When on fire it emits SOXs.  Most of the interventions below are not chemical specific, so much as 'general recommendations' for any chemical exposure.

EYE CONTACT :



Immediately flush with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. If symptoms develop, seek medical advice.


SKIN CONTACT :


Immediately wash with plenty of soap and water. If symptoms develop, seek medical advice.


INGESTION :


Do not induce vomiting: contains petroleum distillates and/or aromatic solvents. If conscious, washout mouth and


give water to drink. Get medical attention.


INHALATION :


Remove to fresh air, treat symptomatically. Get medical attention.


NOTE TO PHYSICIAN :


Based on the individual reactions of the patient, the physician's judgement should be used to control symptoms and clinical condition.

The "Master Tinker" does so with endorsement of the USA miltiary.

Is there anyone in the USA that actually knows what to do with the USA war machine?  It would seem not. It is against the Geneva Convetions to kill civilians.  I want hearings.

In this Sunday, May 16, 2010 photo, Mushtaq Wahab walks through the Shiite cemetery in Najaf, 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq. The cemetery is a kind of map to Iraq's history, at least that of its majority Shiites. The country's natural disasters, wars and tragedies are etched across the tomb stones that fill every square foot of its dusty, sun-blasted expanse. (AP Photo/ Alaa al-Marjani)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5goryr21cjhF4_oOGs9lBMipBQiIwD9FTMHO80

BP's CEO visited the beach in the USA and he didn't brign the family or his bathing suit.  From the picture he didn't even know from which direction the oil was coming from.  He might be able to find the oil rupture if he opened eyes and looked at OUR reality.  BP needs to remove itself from the circumstances and admit this is the second time they have been involved in destroying the biotic content in the USA while wiping out fisheries and destroying lives.  The Valdez is the first.  We don't need any Bush 'experts' to continue this charade either. 

Transocean is seeking to drain its treasury in order to move to bankruptcy, rename the company and continue it's environmentally unsound practices. 

I have a better idea.  Transocean can stop their PR campaign with it's stockholders and simply remove itself from the international market place.  I am confident their employees will find work elsewhere.  Making them perform to a standard that actually meets regulations to prevent tragedy in citizen's lives might be a real eyeopener for them.

By Tiernan Ray

Shares of Transocean (RIG), the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, continue their downward slope today after Senator Ron Wyden (Dem., Oregon) this afternoon sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that he investigate Transocean’s planned special cash dividend.

Wyden, joined by 17 democratic colleagues, including Pat Leahy of Vermont, and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, notes the company’s intent to make a special cash distribution of $1 billion in four quarterly installments, announced a little over a week ago.
“We are concerned,” the letter reads, “that such action to quickly move money out of corporate coffers to individual investors may make it more difficult to pursue liability claims against the company. Families of those who died in the disaster, the fishing industry that has been devastated by the oil spill and the governments that have worked full-time to clean up this spill deserve better.”


The letter also notes that Transocean “expects to make a $270 million profit on its insurance policy for the Deepwater Horizon, since the rig was insured for more than it was worth.”

http://blogs.barrons.com/stockstowatchtoday/2010/05/24/transocean-wyden-senators-attack-1b-dividend/

The Iraq War, for the number of civilians dead, never solved anyone's problems.

This undated photo shows Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, wearing a Marine dress uniform with ribbons and medals even though records show he never served in the Marine Corps. An Associated Press investigation has found that, despite not having a military background, Johnston was able to join the Army Reserve in February and was given the rank of sergeant. Records show his only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004. Because he didn't complete the course, he didn't become a Marine. The Army is now investigating the circumstances surrounding his enlistment and whether he was able to gain his rank based on a phony Marine record.

Mike Coffman, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered a letter to Gates' office on Monday asking him to address issues raised by an Associated Press story last Friday detailing the case of Jesse Bernard Johnston III.

The AP reported that Johnston, 26, was given the rank of sergeant when he enlisted in the reserves in February despite no military experience other spending six weeks in a 12-week Marine officer candidate course while he was in college in 2004. Because Johnston didn't complete the course, he never became a Marine.

The Army has refused to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
 Coffman, a Republican who served with the Marines in Iraq and the first Gulf War, wrote that he wants to know whether the Johnston case is an isolated incident or indicative of "a larger systematic failure" in vetting enlistees.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gLL0D4hAoSd5CNr2SIDFmAUa3jAAD9FTEK5O1

The troops aren't coming home fast enough.

With a worsening circumstance in the Gulf of Mexico, it is far more prudent to bring the cost of military deployments down. 

Bring the troops home now !

...It's official. The Pentagon says there are now more U.S. troops in Afghanistan (94,000) than in Iraq (92,000), reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

 This day has been coming ever since the Obama administration began the strategic shift from Iraq as the primary theater of war to Afghanistan.
For years, operations in Afghanistan were hamstrung by a shortage of troops and equipment. Officially, Afghanistan was called an "economy of force" operation. In reality that meant it got what was left after all the troop and equipment requires...
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20005778-503543.html


The joke that was Halliburton only made our troops more unsafe and the Iraqi people never welcomed it.

BAGHDAD, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Two assassinators of a newly- elected member of parliament were captured Monday in northern Iraq shortly after they fled the scene, a local police source said.

Two killers were captured in the northern city of Mosul, the third killer escaped, but was wounded by police, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

A car loaded with explosives which is used in the assassination was also seized by security forces, the source added.

Bashar Al-Ouqeidi, a newly-elected member of parliament from the cross-sectarian bloc Iraqia List, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, was killed by unidentified gunmen in front of his house on Monday evening.

 The Iraqia List won the most 91 seats in the March 7 parliamentary elections, only 2 seats more than the State of Law alliance led by incumbent Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, but it is not clear yet whether the loss of one elected member can be replaced by others of Iraqia List.

The results of the March 7 election have not yet been officially certified. No electoral bloc got enough seats to form a government on its own.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-05/25/c_13313152.htm


US soldier dies in northern Iraq

(AP) – 11 hours ago
BAGHDAD — The U.S. military says an American soldier has died in northern Iraq.

A statement by the military says the Joint Base Balad soldier was killed while conducting operations on Monday.

The incident is under investigation and no details were given.

The name of the deceased soldier is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The death raises to at least 4,400 the number of U.S. military personnel who have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. That's according to an Associated Press count.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gQNZ-iDlwjFMX9HrXgX7-7y-RuGQD9FTBMGG0

Let me see if I get this right. The greatest military in the world can't close a simple 'drill hole' one mile down without the assistance of the Plutocracy.

Well, we better be sure the Dow never falls.

What a crock of shit !

So, the combined wisdom of the Joint Chiefs, MIT, FIT and Raytheon Corporation can't find a way to CLOSE THE HOLE. 

Well, boys and girls that is a military we can count on? 

No.  That is not a military we can count on.

The USA military actually has NO MEANS to deal with complete and absolute sabotage of the economy of the Gulf of Mexico.

I think we have a problem.  A very, very big problem.  A problem that is bigger than BPs idiocy.

BP faces criticism over the chemicals it is using to disperse the oil slick. Photograph: Stephane Jourdain/AFP/Getty Images

BP may face criticism, but, the USA military is about to be ridiculed as it never has been ridiculed before.

..."I am recommending as strongly as we can that we absolutely minimise the use of dispersants and that we monitor as rigorously as we can," she told a conference call with reporters touring Louisiana marshes contaminated by the oil. She said she thought BP would be able to cut its use of chemicals to break up the spill by half or even 75% by injecting smaller quantities underwater....

The Secretary of the EPA has ORDERED British Petroleum to stop using disperants that are dangerous to the waters of the Gulf of Mexcio and all the USA mitilary can do is 'shrug its shoulders?'

Really?

I want the resignation of Secretary Gates and I want the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan immediately.  I want the military budget slashed because they aren't worth the money we pay for them !

That is only the beginning.

No Cabinet Secretary should be saying PRETTY PLEASE to any DAMN Wall Street Jackass and if this continues there needs to be some real downsizing of the military by dismissing the Joint Chiefs, Secretary Gates and any other asshole that is standing in the way of a resolve to this issue.

I mean when one takes a look at the perform of the USA miltiary since the Iraq invasion one has to ask whom are they working for Osama bin Laden?

An illegal war into Iraq, the USA is now in partnership with every damn Afghan rebel that grows poppies and our sons and daughters have to put up with failed economy inherited from Bush and Cheney only to face more economic deterioration due to the lax regulatory capacity of the USA in regard to an out of control Petroleum industry?

I want an investigation, regulation and oversight like the USA military has never seen and I want 'butts.'   A lot of butts from the point where any miltiary policy became ADVERSE to the outcome of this country.

As of today, the USA miltiary has couped the Obama Administration and is dangerously close to destroying our democracy.

I want resignations and I want them now, if they aren't forthcoming I want every damn jackass between here and hell removed from their commission without the benefit of a MILITARY TRIBUNAL and refused any and all benefits that are afforded officers at retirement.

End of Discussion !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can take that to the bank !

CNN captures the destruction of the Gulf Waters (click title to entry - thank you)

Wind power fails no more than 2% of the time and the power grid makes up for that.  There is no reason not to power the USA with completely benign power.



I don't recognize any viable answer by the Petroleum Industry in this investigation report.  The emulsifier is everywhere carrying oil with it.  There is a huge destruction of viable life in the Gulf yet to be realized. 

The oil is toxic.  We know it is toxic.  There is no way any tourism can occur in those waters and it keeps spreading.

The fisheries are contmainated and those fish cannot be relied on for a food source.  The FDA is going to have to test any fish that comes out of those waters to determine the level of toxicity in their meat.  The toxins will build up over time.  The fish being harvested out of the Gulf now have minimal exposure to these toxins, but, no different than the Great Lakes, the fish being hatched (if any) will absorb more and more toxins than their parents.

The Gulf is a toxic waste pool dedicated to harvesting petroleum.  The Petroleum Industry could not care about any of it. 

It is one thing to clean up a contained spill of oil.  It is quite something else to 'live with' floating chemicals that never end.

I have a solution. 

We do not need 'too big to fail' in any industry. 

Independent, small businesses don't do this.  Large corporate entities that have too much distance from product to consumer do this.  Large corporations are too depersonalized from 'real values' to allow them to continue.

How many small, responsible rig operators would exist if corporate petroleum companies were banned from engaging any drilling process ever again off the USA shorelines?  And if they didn't exist, what have we really lost?  Nothing. 

Put, them out of business and stop pandering to an industry that doesn't care about life so much as profits.  Wind, solar and electric vehicles.

We can start by boycotting BP.  Stop their illegitmate practices. 

Incredible dedication to their viewers.  Thank you, CNN.  I learned all I needed to know.

No, no, no, no, no. There is PLENTY of blame to go around, especially, to Republicans. Louisiana has always put Wall Street first and citizens last. This should not be a surprise to Jindal.

The tragedy that has now destroyed the Gulf Coastline and entered the global circulation is very clear.

The Republicans, under George Walker Bush, departed from recognizing Human Induced Global Warming as a reality, never developed alternative energies ENOUGH to replace oil and gas, threw abandon to the regulation of the Petroleum Industry, sold oil and gas rights to the Petroleum companies BEFORE they ever researched their technology at one mile down.

This is NOT about any response in an ocean of water that is too turbulent to control, this IS however, about the policies of Republcian legislators at all levels including State govenrments that don't care about the Small Business Owner of a fishery and lends only LOYALTY to the Wall Street polluters that don't care about anything except their profits.

This cataclysmic event didn't happen since January 20th of 2009.  It was a disaster waiting to happen no different than the indulgences of the Republicans of the Wall Street Banks, since the years of Bush and Cheney.  Those leases were sold before 2009.

The only thing that is going to end this, is a set of torpedo strikes to close the rupture.

The Republicans have held a majority for far too long and all these problems are a DIRECT result of their polices.  Direct result. 

If Jindal wants to blame anyone, he can start by looking straight at his favorate mirror and realize he never had enough concern to even EXPLORE the potential for this to happen.  He is directly to blame along with a host of others.  The well being of the people of Louisiana should be his primary concern, not the bottom line of the Petroleum Industry.  He has destroyed his tax base both from fisheries and oil.  He did.  He, the Republican Governor that never cared to realize this potential is responsible.  It is time for them all to say so. 

End of discussion.

Release date: 06 June 2007 \

OUSTON, TX BP Exploration & Production Inc. (NYSE: BP) announced today a hydrocarbon discovery in an exploration well that tested its Isabela prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. The well is located on Mississippi Canyon Block 562 in approximately 6,500 feet of water, about 150 miles southeast of New Orleans. Isabela was drilled to a total depth of approximately 19,100 feet into Miocene era sands.

“Isabela is an excellent addition to our portfolio of discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico” said Dave Rainey, BP’s Vice President of Gulf of Mexico Exploration. “It will likely be tied back to our Na Kika production platform, helping to maximize the value of that infrastructure.”

The well is operated by BP Exploration & Production Inc. with a 67% working interest and is co-owned by Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) with a 33% working interest. The lease was acquired at federal OCS Lease Sale 169 in March, 1998....

http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7034320


Tweets.  Jindal's answer to preparedness is 'tweets.'

Louisiana State Preparedness Office Reaches Out & Thanks Its Oil Spill Response ‘Tweeps’
May 11th, 2010
I just wanted to mention something quickly, which I thought was a nice – albeit small – touch. The Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has a Twitter feed @GOHSEP which has been very active during the oil spill response. It has been distributing a lot of spill-related information for the public, and has asked its ‘tweeps’ to retweet their announcements. What I found striking is that GOHSEP has been thanking each person who did so by mentioning their Twitter name on its feed....


http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/05/11/louisiana-state-preparedness-office-reaches-out-thanks-its-oil-spill-response-tweeps/
 

It is at least the equivalent of having Reilly on a commission to bring about insight, preparedness and justice.
 
A joke. 

The response by industry and government alike has been a joke on all levels.

The marine mammals have come to terms with the fact they can't swim through the Gulf and survive, so they are beaching exhausted. Very smart mammals.

A beached sperm whale lies in the surf near Port Aransas, Texas, on the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2008.

I am sure they figure they are at least alive and hoping some human will help them stay that way.  Can't even consider pushing them back into the Gulf Waters, now can you?  The only option is to transport them to the Atlantic side of Florida in hopes they will find their way out to sea.

...Right now between 1,400 and 1,660 sperm whales live year-round in the Gulf of Mexico, making up a distinct population from other Atlantic Ocean groups, in which males make yearly migrations....

David Janka of the conservation group WWF shows off an oil-stained glove after reaching into a hole on Eleanor Island in Alaska's Prince William Sound on February 6, 2009.


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/photogalleries/exxon-valdez-anniversary/index.html
 
 
Dead Gulf Sperm Whales Hard to Tally
Some experts worry that the Gulf oil spill could be as damaging to sperm whales as the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was to killer whales in Alaska's Prince William Sound....

Well, you know they are headed for extinction anyway, so why bother.  With BP, Transocean and Halliburton helping they can be pushed over the edge easier.  Drill here, Drill now.  Is the second BP hole nearly ready, because, I am expecting the methane to blow sky high like the first one and we'll have two human induced oil seeps instead of one.

...Even now, that killer whale population has yet to recover and will likely go extinct in a few decades, Matkin said....

The States and Federal Government have no control over BP? I know why not appoint a commission with Bush Oil Czar on it?

Terrance Castle of Houma, La., wipes off sweat while cleaning up the oil on a beach near ElmerÂ’s Island, La. BP hired workers to clean beaches in southern Louisiana, where oil is 2 inches thick in some places. (Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times / May 22, 2010)


...Reporting from Los Angeles (click title to entry - thank you) and Elmer’sBP has rebuffed demands from government officials and environmentalists to use a less-toxic dispersant to break up the oil from its massive offshore spill, saying that the chemical product it is now using continues to be "the best option for subsea application."...


The state governments and EPA Secretary Lisa Jackson have lost all authority to stop the plutocracy of Wall Street.  Polluting the USA waters and coastal communities is now licensed.

 
...US President Barack Obama has named the men charged with investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Former Florida senator Bob Graham and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator William K Reilly will lead the presidential commission panel.
Graham, a Democrat, is a former Florida governor and senator Reilly ran the EPA under Republican president George W Bush. His tenure included the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-20100523,0,907236.story

"Morning Papers" - Its Origins

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

I'll be back later, but, here is a puzzle.

Which is the Democrat and which is the Republican ?

The Magic of the Number 5000

This is the Reebok ERS 5000 II Mardi Gras.  I thought it was an appropriate symbol for what is occuring in the Gulf of Mexico right now.

5000 feet down and 5000 gallons of effluent from the explosive drill hole.  It would seem as though the number 5000 is a favorite number for the BP rupture one mile down off of Louisiana.

BP likes sick jokes, I can find plenty for them.

...BP's estimate that only 5,000 barrels of oil (click title to entry - thank you) are leaking daily from a well in the Gulf of Mexico, which the Obama administration hasn't disputed, could save the company millions of dollars in damages when the financial impact of the spill is resolved in court, legal experts say....

The Gulf Loop Current is now involved, BP has a failed strategy against the rupture, missiles don't make the 'hole' bigger. That is moronity. Click title to entry - thank you

The Official Site of the Joint Investigation Team

http://www.deepwaterinvestigation.com/go/site/3043/


Oil Spill in the Gulf - Live Cam

http://globalwarming.house.gov/spillcam/




May 21, 2010 is Endangered Species Day this year.


As a 'cultural comment.'  It would be nice if the Endangered Species were actually safe in the waters of the USA !


May 21st, 2010

Celebrating America’s Wildlife Legacy
Celebrate Endangered Species Day on May 21, 2010!

Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people young and old to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions that people can take to help protect our nation’s disappearing wildlife and last remaining open space. Protecting America’s wildlife and plants today is a legacy we leave to our children and grandchildren, so that all Americans can experience the rich variety of native species that help to define our nation....



http://www.stopextinction.org/esd.




May 21, 2010 — Live video feed of the Gulf of Mexico oil leak has been posted online on Thursday. Oil company BP has conceded that more oil is gushing into the Gulf than it had estimated after several scientists watching the video said they believe the leak is higher than official figures.

Failed strategy.  No one understands successful vs. failed?  This is a failed 'emergency' strategy by BP, because, they are operating one mile down in the ocean.

US oil spill: BP 'recovering less oil' than estimated
Page last updated at 16:45 GMT, Friday, 21 May 2010 17:45 UK

BP has said the amount of oil recovered from a leaking Gulf of Mexico oil well on Thursday was less than half an earlier estimate.
BP said it siphoned 2,200 barrels in the 24-hour period to midnight on Thursday, down from an estimate of 5,000 barrels earlier in the day....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10139730.stm


We get nothing but lies and PR from BP, but, yet the American people are suppose to believe the policies of the government regarding offshore drilling are actually RESPONSIBLE.

SURE.  I knew there was a real benefit to being born yesterday.


US fears oil spill could reach Cuba
CMC
Friday, May 21, 2010

WASHINGTON, USA (CMC) -- Officials in the Barack Obama administration are expressing concern that the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could spread damage to Cuba.
US State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said that the Cuba and the United States were holding talks on how to respond to the spill, underscoring concerns about the oil reaching a strong current that could carry it to the pristine white beaches of Cuba's northern coast.
The blown-out well has been spewing oil since the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded off the Louisiana coast on April 20, killing 11 workers and sank two days later.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/US-fears-oil-spill-could-reach-Cuba_7634116

Due to water current in the Gulf of Mexico, not all the Crude Oil is heading toward the USA Coastline.

...On May 17, 2010, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this natural-color image, a large patch of oil was visible near the site of the accident, and a long ribbon of oil stretched far to the southeast....

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44006&src=eoa-iotd

I want detailed proof that the oil found at the Florida Keys does not belong to BP !

During the first weeks following the explosion at the Deepwater Horizon (click title to entry - thank you) well in the Gulf of Mexico, oil drifting from the site of the incident usually headed west and northwest to the Mississippi River Delta. But in the third week of May, currents drew some of the oil southeast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the southward spread increased the chance that the oil would become mixed up with the Loop Current and spread to Florida or even the U.S. East Coast....

...This pair of sea surface temperature images shows how the warm waters of the Loop Current connect the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean (top image, May 1–8, 2010) and the dynamic northern margin of the Loop Current a week and a half later, on May 18 (bottom image). Based on observations of infrared energy collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, the images show cooler temperatures in blue and purple and warmer temperatures in pink and yellow. Cloudy areas are light gray....

The Era of Anti-Establishment and Invasion of the Red Democrat whom aren't really Anti-Establishment at all.

I thank Senator Spector for his service for so many years.  Considering the 'etiology' of both the Democrats in his primary, one has to ask, how Blue is the Democratic Party in the year 2010,' otherwise known as, where has moral political content gone?  The Democratic Party has always been the voice of the Middle Class, it would be a sorry state of affairs to simply be replacing high moral content with money mongers and Wall Street bullies again.

Grayson Concedes Early
Written by Cate Slattery
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 23:00
Despite receiving a major endorsement from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Trey Grayson was unable to come away with a victory Tuesday. He gave an early concession speech in Boone County Tuesday night.
“It's time to put all differences aside, unite behind Dr. Paul, he needs our help and I for one stand ready to serve,” said Grayson.


Throughout this primary season Grayson was pegged as the Republican establishment while his opponent Rand Paul identified with the tea party movement. Following his concession speech, Grayson said he didn't think that was a factor in the loss....


This is an Anti-Bush, Anti-Republican Establishment movement, seeking to be Anti-Liberal.  The fact of the matter is this is Republican punditry in its most deceptive form.

A vote for Paul is a vote for Grayson.

Grayson Urges Supporters To Back Rand Paul
Rick Howlett May 18, 2010, 10:47 pm
By Rick Howlett
Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson is urging his supporters to rally behind Rand Paul in the general election campaign....

http://www.wfpl.org/2010/05/18/grayson-urges-supporters-to-back-rand-paul/


The question is will Paul abandon the Tea Pary Movement, as Massachusetts Centerfold Scott Brown has once elected.  Brown has denounced being a Tea Party candidate after the election and has departed from their 'so called' value system.  Brown has voted with Democrats on issues and that is considered taboo for the Tea Party.

The Tea Party is more or less a saphrophyte of the dead Republican Party of Bush.  No real change, but, simply a different and younger face for the same parasitic Republican agenda.

BP has failed to stem the emergency. The chemical dispersant was suppose to be a temporary measure. EPA should recall the dispersant permit.

Screenshot from online video about dispersants by Nalco, Corexit's manufacturer

The pressures (psi) of the sea at one mile down also are not accounted for by the chemical manufacturer.  There is just simply no research to support ANY and ALL activities by BP a one mile down.  There is no way the USA EPA should be endorsing any prolonged use of this chemical agent. 

The Petroleum Industry is going to try to instill this mess as precedent, too.  It is simply poor decision making from here on to continue this charade.  The Petroleum Industry is trying to 'muscle' the citizens of the USA out of the picture by pursuing this as a strategy for every deep water rupture.

I am confident BP has the accolades of its peers and the likes of people by the name of Bush and Cheney.  This is NOT the Valdez, its wave dynamics, biotic content and the currents are completely different.


In Gulf Spill, BP Using Dispersants Banned in U.K.The two types of dispersants BP is spraying in the Gulf are banned for use [1] on oil spills in the U.K. As EPA-approved products [2], BP has been using them in greater quantities than dispersants have ever been used [3] in the history of US oil spills.

by Marian Wang, ProPublica - May 18, 2010 2:24 pm EDT


BP is using two products from a line of dispersants called Corexit [4], which EPA data [2] appears to show is more toxic and less effective [5] on South Louisiana crude than other available dispersants, according to Greenwire.
We learned about the U.K. ban from a mention on the New York Times’ website. (The reference was cut from later versions of the article, so we can’t link to the Times, but we found the piece [6] elsewhere.) The Times flagged a letter [7] Rep. Edward Markey, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, sent to the EPA yesterday. The letter pointed out that both the Corexit products currently being used in the Gulf were removed from a list of approved treatments for oil spills in the UK more than a decade ago. (Here’s the letter [7].)
As we’ve reported, Corexit was also used after Exxon Valdez [8] and was “later linked with health impacts in people including respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders.” One of the two Corexit products also contains a compound associated with “headaches, vomiting and reproductive problems at high doses [9].”
Given that the dispersants are EPA-approved, the choice on which ones to use was left to BP, which had stockpiled large amounts of Corexit and is now ordering more....


http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/In-Gulf-Spill-BP-Using-Dispersants-Banned-in-UK

The EPA is not working in a vacuum regarding the 'knowledge' on record with allies in regard to these chemicals.  They need to be banned by the USA as well.  There is sea life and ocean currents at the bottom of the oceans and seas, too.  International waters cannot continue to be used as a dumping ground for every OIL GOOF that occurs.

"While I understand the importance of mitigating the effects of this oil on our fragile wetlands to date, little or no substantive data has been provided to the state of Louisiana," Barham wrote in a letter to BP Vice President David Rainey.

No one is saying Secretary Lisa Jackson has done anything wrong.  What is occurring is failure by BP to provide results in containing their emergency and the chemicals of all kinds have the potential to becomes a profound disaster locally and globally.  THAT cannot be allowed to happen.

While I never thought this rupture would ever be contained and demanded a quick resolve to closing the drill sight with military explosives, I also recognized Secretary Jackson was willing to have faith in BP to end the emergency with a contained well head.  In that, I stood with her in issuing the permit for the disperant, it has gone on too long and the danger from the chemical dispersant is too uncertain to continue to allow its use.

On May 18, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson testified before the Senate committee on Environment and Public Works on the agency's involvement and activities related to the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and oil release. She noted that "In the last three weeks, EPA has dispatched more than 120 staff scientists, engineers, and contractors to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi to perform rigorous testing and monitoring of air and water quality. We are tracking any possible adverse impacts stemming from controlled burning of surface oil, possible chemicals rising from the oil itself, and any issues caused by the use of dispersants. We are working with state officials, with local university scientists, and other federal agencies to get the best available data, share that data in a timely fashion, and to ensure proper response for the Gulf Coast people and their environment."...

The moronity of the illogic of Neocons cannot be overlooked either, "It is the natural thing to do.  It came from the sea it should be returned to the sea."  It doesn't matter if BP drilled miles below the ocean floor to obtain it though.

Statement of Lisa P. Jackson Administrator, (click title to entry - thank you)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Testimony on Federal Response to the Recent Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Release date: 05/18/2010
Contact Information: EPA Press Office, press@epa.gov, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON - Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe, and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to testify about EPA’s role in responding to the BP Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. As we all know, efforts by BP to stop the oil release continue. While there is no perfect solution to the environmental disaster that the Gulf of Mexico is facing right now, EPA is committed to protecting our communities, the natural environment and human health. That commitment covers both the risks from the spill itself, as well as any concerns resulting from the response to the spill....


...National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council publications indicate there is insufficient baseline data to determine the environmental and ecologic fate of petroleum spills and their effects in the marine environment, according to Sawyer. The lack of adequate research makes decision-making related to major spill containment and remediation dicey at best, he stated in a press release.
“The dispersants used in the BP cleanup efforts, known as Corexit 9500 and Corexit EC9527A, are also known as deodorized kerosene,” said Sawyer. “With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals....

http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2010/05/17/local_news/doc4beda649770cd552607928.txt

The USA - Mexico Border War with Drug Cartels (click title to entry - thank you)

Above: The home of a drug cartel leader was burned down after he was murdered in Guadalupe Bravos.

Guadalupe Bravos, Chihuahua, Mexico (WBAP) - Since the escalation of drug related violence three years ago, the Mexican government estimates 20,000 people have been murdered. Mexico's government says nine out of ten murder victims works for a cartel, but as the cartels battle for control with each other and the Mexican government, more families say their loved ones are being caught in the middle....

http://www.wbap.com/Article.asp?id=1806510&spid=

Johnny Cochran's Daughter sounded 'the truth' after her father's death and research now backs up her warning.

No doubt the 'cell phone' industry has already begun 'damage control' but the facts are clear.  When high volume of cell phone use occurs there is GLIOMA.

The real quesiton is "Why didn't this information exist before it was sold rather than after?" I guess 10% of cell phone users are simply disposable for the profitability of Wall Street. Mr. Cochran was simply a rich peasant instead of an impoverished one.

We were lucky his celebrity status allowed his daughter to speak out about the reason for his death on Larry King Live.  Thank you, Mr. King, the one media personality that actually isn't afraid of the truth.

...Johnnie Cochran, who died from a glioma in 2005,... (see link below)

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/05/26/brain_tumors_still_rare_cellphone_link_is_unproven/

....But the 10% of participants who reported the greatest amount of time spent on their mobile phones seemed to have a 40% increased risk of glioma.... (click title to entry - thank you)

Allowing British Petroleum to experiment in the Gulf of Mexico has caused global pollution circulation concerns.

KEY WEST — The U.S. Coast Guard and marine scientists will be surveying shorelines in the Keys Tuesday morning to see if they find more tar balls after many were found today on Key West beaches.

Park rangers at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park found tarballs throughout the day - about three an hour - at the park and nearby Navy beach at Truman annex, according to a Coast Guard news release late tonight.
The balls were 3-to-8 inches in diameter.
Coast Guard pollution investigators responded to this morning's report of 20 tar balls at Fort Zachary, but found no additional tar balls. Samples were sent to a laboratory to determine where their origin....(click title to entry - thank you)

The specimens are from Key West (there is a writing pen in the picture for perspective.).  If the BP pollution is in Key West it is also in the Gulf Stream on its way and quite possibly already reaching to Laborador, Greenland, Iceland and Europe.

There is global consequences to giving BP 'free reign' to carry out its' 'guess work.'  The USA, in my opinion, now has international liability as it was unable to contain the BP rupture.  The only 'fail safe' method to handle a 'deep water' goof is to close the well head and let the oil company figure out what they are going to do later.  The only way to effectively close any well head at such a depth is to cause an explosion sizable enough to dislocate the well head from the drill hole.  In other words, but, Earth back in place where it has been disturbed.  It is the only effective mechanism and I am saying, when these deep water instances occur 'peaceful use of torpedoes' is the only method that saves fisheries.

What the United Nations has to do now is begin to educate countries with coastal economies that they are now in danger of having food sources polluted and unuseable.  "In that' is a reality that places countries such as Thialand which relies heavily on their coasts for tourism and food directly in the 'path of harms' way.'  It is time to 'get the word' out there might be consequences they would never expect in their wildest imaginations and to exert extreme caution as the evidence of oil distribution globally continues. 

Besides the crude oil coming ashore and polluting fisheries, quite possibly destroying them, what has to be realized is that the oceans' biotic balance have been disturbed by the 'dispersant chemicals' now in large volume in the water column. 

This is a profound reality that has to be realized and contextualized on the impact of populations globally to contain the impacts.  My concern is that it will ultimately lead to sterile oceans if this continues in the volume that it exists today.

Morale to this chapter in 'capitalistic indulgence' is that Sovereign Authority is suppose to mean something and protect the citizens and not Wall Street entities.  The 'returns' on the indulgence of BP is huge, there are chemical industries lapping up all kinds of profits, along with BP's own 'wishes' for securing 'the answer' that will provide them with 'an edge' in deep sea oil drilling.  It is the most hideous set of circumstances I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.  That's Wall Street and its relationship with the USA.  There is no damage control by the USA government, just more opportunistic indulgences. 

This 'also tracks' with prior administrations and Congresses.  There was the Iraq War, the Vietnam War and the list goes on .  This is typical of the USA and should be limited by a larger global community.