Secretary Jackson needs to tell her buddies at BP to completely STOP the chemical dispersants.

If there is any flaw in the response by the Obama Administration it is the PROLONGED use of the quantities of the chemical dispersant used by BP to attempt to stop the oil from surfacing.

It didn't at all work and Ms. Jackson can redeem herself somewhat by auditing these chemicals, how they are used and determining IF any dispersant is prudent, which is best, the volume that is appropriate PER BARREL OF OIL and then rule on the 'brand' that is acceptable for use within the USA borders.  

If at all.

The most disturbing reality of oil dispersants is the way in which it could enter global ocean circulation and disrupt fisheries.  It might be better to not use them at all considering they allow oil to exist in the entire water column, especially, in the shallows of corral reefs.  Single celled organisms that are absolutely vital to these invaluable carbon sinks.

The phytoplankton of the oceans have to be taken into account.  They live within the top 30 feet of ocean circulations and they don't have a chance against these chemicals.  I remind phytoplankton and algae in the ocean supply 60% of the breathable oxygen of Earth.  This is NO MINOR MATTER.

I believe the subject needs more intense review and it is my hopes Secretary Jackson embarks on exactly that.  

The reality of these dispersants is that coastal fisheries might have to take the heaviest hit in order to protect the ocean and coral phytoplankton.

Micro managing an emergency is NOT the responsibility of the President of the USA

This is an issue of the Governor of Louisiana.  He has no emergency response in place to act in a manner with the leaders of his communities to make a difference.  This 'frustration' and that of residents such as Mary Matalin and James Carville, with the federal response to the local response effort has to be directed where it belongs and it is on the shoulders of the REPUBLICAN Governor.  Stop gaming this emergency. 

Venice, Louisiana -- Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser on Wednesday blasted the federal government's response to the oil spill that has fouled more than 100 miles of the state's coast, and called for its point man to step aside.

"Thad Allen should resign," Nungesser told CNN, referring to the U.S. Coast Guard admiral who has been leading the government's effort. "He's done absolutely nothing. He's an embarrassment to this country."

Nungesser, who had just completed a tour of the stricken area, bemoaned what he had seen. "The same oil that's been out there two weeks ago is still out there, and nothing is being done," he said. "The marsh is dying. It's dead."...

 There was absolutely nothing in place in Louisiana except a means to bring money to its treasury from the offshore drilling.  I sincerely doubt Jindal EVER gave a thought to any emergency occurring.  His 'tweeter' account is showing him exactly what a lousy Governor he is.  Isn't that too bad.

President Obama never had a, "Good Job, Brownie' day since this started.  I don't believe BP should have been given the lead, but, in reality the USA military had 'no clue' how to handle this and they refused to destroy the oil well.

People are complaining about pelicans eating dead fish as if there is something President Obama is suppose to do with every dead fish.  He didn't do this !  

Let's get one thing straight, this is a REPUBLICAN mess from beginning to end that HAPPENED to arrive during the Obama Presidency.  

TOO BAD.  When are the Republicans going to 'step up' and 'take responsibility' for some of the loosest and lousiest policies in the history of the country?  

Wait, let me guess, Never.  The blame game stated with the hearing of BP, Transocean and Halliburton, but, the political circus with Republicans is just as disgusting.



I do believe Senator Bill Nelson proudly stated, "Florida refused to have off shore drilling this close to its shorelines."  I'll be darn.

The reason President Obama's 'response' is a TARGET is because the Republicans are attempting to divert their idiocy of THIRTY years of loose and fast policy.

I don't want to hear about the cost of this to the people of the region, if the Republicans can run an illegal war with SUBSIDIES of $86 billion to Iraq in cold hard cash on a flight to Baghdad, the people of the USA should receive that and MORE.

The policies of George Walker Bush, Richard Cheney and every indulgent Republican along the way are directly responsible for this entire disaster, no different than the banking collapse.  

Give me a break !

A hotline needs to be established for employees of the petroleum industry.

Sara Stone cries as her husband Stephen Stone, a Transocean, Ltd., employee and survivor of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday about the night that led to the BP oil spill. He told the hearing that he went back into his collapsed quarters on the night of the accident for his life jacket, shoes, and wedding ring.

Cliff Owen/AP

At his own professional peril, Mr. Stephen Stone made testimony regarding the dangers on the Deepwater Horizon.

I am quite confident he lost friends from the explosion and fire.  I am also confident his spouse is grateful he is alive.

But, he was there.  He knows the truth as he understands it and working for petroleum companies are inherently dangerous.

No employee of any company should feel as though they are putting their lives on the line in order to make a living.  He made testimony and may very well save countless lives in the future.

A very simple way of 'helping' these people is to establish a hotline that is backed up by inspectors that respond to reports of questionable conditions. The hotline can be anonymous reporting and it can be established for every dangerous job within the USA, including the mining industry.

It is something that can be done now and can start to turn the corner on the dangers as they exist today to make working conditions safer in the future.

Every union involved with these professions should establish their own ways of helping by empowering their workers, but, that should not be a substitute for an employee to directly report any suspicions of dangers that can imperil their lives.  Nor should such reporting be interfered with by unions.  This has to be an autonomous mechanism whereby there is no fear of a paper trail to cause a person their job by reporting what they understand to be dangerous.

No doubt a simple mechanism such as this will save lives and prevent economic losses as well.  When a company 'hums' and their workers are safe, their opportunity to make profits becomes higher and CLEANER.  There should be no company on this planet willing to have a profit line that includes blood money.

The employees should be given reminders of such an opportunity to help themselves by having hotline numbers posted on their job sites and employee reports on working conditions should be a requirement for operation within the USA for these industries.  

OSHA needs to be more 'preventive' in its approach to assessing working conditions by including annual worker assessments from these industries.  In other words, these industries will have to submit workman assessments of their working conditions annually, forcing a bottom up approach to management.  It will improve working conditions and make businesses include same on their agenda of planning and budget.  If these assessments are required by law there can be no retribution for any submission.

I am debating the merits of oil mixed with mud as ? superior ? to simply oil coming out of the rupture.

Not that the priority is to stop it.  I am wondering what the 'consistency' and 'stickiness' and 'viscosity' is like on the surface not that the oil is mixed with mud. 

Reporting from Houma, La. —

Engineers have at least temporarily stopped the flow of oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico from a gushing BP well, the federal government's top oil-spill commander, U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, said Thursday morning.

The "top kill" effort, launched Wednesday afternoon by industry and government engineers, had pumped enough drilling fluid to block oil and gas spewing from the well, Allen said. The pressure from the well was very low, he said, but persisting. The top kill effort is not complete, officials caution.

Once engineers had reduced the well pressure to zero, they were to begin pumping cement into the hole to entomb the well. To help in that effort, he said, engineers also were pumping some debris into the blowout preventer at the top of the well....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-top-kill-20100528,0,5782115.story

Arttificial barrier islands can also be removed.

Prudent decision making has to give way to 'emergency' decisions making.  When one sees a train coming, one does not debate the arrival of the train and whether to get out of the way.

In reacting to the emergency all measures should be deployed and not just THE BEST.

There is plenty of the 'emergency' to go around and whether or not there are good ideas that are better than other ideas is IRRELEVANT.

The problem is not the President's problem, the problem belongs to any advisers that are dividing the emergency into 'priorities.'  Every aspect of concern is a priority.  THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS REDUNDANCY.

Minimizing the emergency only LENDS TO ITS INCREASING DANGER.

The wave dynamics and fluid mechanics are beyond the expertise of most all that are being consulted.  How do I know that?  No one predicted the vortexes in the troposphere in October 2002 as the one dynamic that would wildly escalate the warming of Earth.

So everyone needs to GET OUT OF THEIR OWN WAY,   NOW !

There is also no 'funding requirements' that are considered to be minor.  There is no way the USA is going to reep the costs of this emergency and there is no way BP is going to fiscally survive it, so let's get that out of the way.  THERE  is NO BUDGET here.  Emergencies don't have budgets.

Barrier Islands will attract wildlife.  They may even find ways of surviving on artificial barrier islands that can only be imagined.  So they need to be built and everyone needs to stop belly aching about it.

Barrier Islands will also effect tidal surges if there are hurricanes that want to deliver large amounts of oil to the coast.

BUILD THEM.  NOW !!!!!!!!!!!

Barrier Islands also have dynamics.  They 'roll over' and there is no reason to believe that any barrier island that is artificial is any different than any natural barrier island.  IN THAT, is also a precaution.  As the barrier island traps the sludge it will eventually come out the back side of the island.  That has to be monitored over time to remove those contaminated soils as they are exposed.  That is not going to happen this year.  But, it is an aspect that can be realized to make plans for the future.

The coastal lands that should receive some protection from the artificial barrier islands can be monitored for negative impact and adjustments to those islands can be made.  I do believe the Army Corp is sensitive to most civilian observations, concerns and actual experiences.  I don't really see it as an issue.

Drilling relief wells will not resolve this problem.  It will only make it worse, there are very high methane contents in that vat..  There should be no drilling conducted into that vat again, unless there are explosives being set to displace the well head.  Relief wells are for profit, it has nothing to do with stopping the rupture.

President Obama has to make 10% Ethanol mandatory throughout the USA.

I use it anytime I can.  I always get at least 10% higher MPG on 10% ethanol.

Gasoline could go from 10% ethanol up to 20%  

Updated 3/5/2008 11:13 AM

By James R. Healey, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Key backers of ethanol fuel are starting a push to double the amount of ethanol commonly blended with gasoline to 20%. The move would boost the market for grain alcohol, while skirting problems and controversy surrounding E85, an 85% ethanol fuel.

Blending ethanol — alcohol typically now made from corn — into gasoline is a way to cut petroleum use. A 10% ethanol blend, called E10, now is standard at many gasoline pumps across the USA. It can be used by virtually all gasoline vehicles, which is not true of the E85 being promoted as a fuel of the future.

Studies by the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State University at Mankato suggest that ordinary vehicles could burn a mix of 20% ethanol, called E20, as routinely and harmlessly as they now burn E10. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is to announce the study results at a conference here today....

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/environment/2008-03-04-e20-ethanol-fuel_N.htm


Jan-14-2008 10:30

10% Ethanol Blend Mandated in Oregon Beginning Tuesday

Salem-News.com Business Report

 

As of January 15th, E10 Fuel is Required to be Pumped in Northwest Oregon.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - A new law goes into effect tomorrow in Oregon requiring gasoline retailers to pump a ten-percent ethanol blend. The E10 standard kicks in on January 15 for these counties in northwest Oregon: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Washington, and Yamhill.

A second group of counties will be rolled in by April 15th: Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, and Linn Counties. And the rest of the state must meet the standards by September 16, including Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties.

Gas stations in the Portland area already pump a ten-percent ethanol blend during the winter months, so some motorists won't notice a difference. "Gasoline blended with ethanol performs in much the same way that regular gasoline does," says Earl Baker, AAA Oregon Approved Auto Repair Coordinator.

"It can be very difficult if not impossible to detect the difference in engine performance when comparing an ethanol blend to regular gas."...

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january142008/ethanol_11408.php

 

 

The States need to take exceptionally good care of their inland lakes and protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

Many lakes closed due to low water  (click title to entry - thank you)

Associated Press

2:57 p.m. CDT, May 26, 2010

PARK FALLS, Wis.

Dozens of lakes in northern Wisconsin are inaccessible because of persistent drought conditions.


The state Department of Natural Resources says water levels on inland lakes and rivers in northwestern Wisconsin have been declining since 2003. Drought conditions are the worst they've been in 25 years.


DNR fish biologist Skip Sommerfeldt in Park Falls says lakes are down 4 to 18 inches, compared to last year. And, it's not just a few lakes, it dozens of lakes.


Assistant state climatologist Edward Hopkins tells Wisconsin Public Radio drought cycles commonly happen every three to four years. 

GARMIN INLAND LAKES VISION - USA
Maps on Garmin Vision MicroSD w/ SD Adapter

http://www.gpscentral.ca/maps-charts/inland-lakes-us-vision.html

Minimize to eliminate use of motorized vehicles on lakes. 

Send some of the fishermen from the Gulf Coast to the Mississippi River and harvest the Asian Carp.  Sell it and send it back to Japan if that is the only market for it.  No limit on Asian Carp.  Sell to the Chinese on their fish markets.  They'll love it there.

Last Updated: May 27. 2010 1:00AM

Washington, D.C.

Rogers: Congress must stop Asian carp

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers

Michigan's waterways -- from the Great Lakes to our rivers, streams and inland lakes -- are facing an invasion.
The very destructive Asian carp is making its way north, coming up the Mississippi River and it is now knocking at the door of the Great Lakes -- or more appropriately at the river lock in Chicago.
With Michigan struggling with major economic issues and unprecedented job losses, you might ask, why should we be paying attention to a fish?

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100527/OPINION01/5270344/1008/OPINION01/Rogers--Congress-must-stop-Asian-carp

Report from Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and National Resource Defense Council

Basically, the Gulf Coast is Lost.

I don't believe any scientist or environmentalist or conservationist has to go very far to prove their case.  The assessments of the Gulf of Mexico aren't really necessary, in my opinion, to prove that this has been a profoundly devastating episode that has consequences that reach all the way to global ocean circulations at multiple depths.

The continuing problem goes far beyond that and is multinational in dimension.

We have one planet for 6.8 billion to live on.  Never, in my wildest imagination did I ever believe an oil rig could have such far reaching environmental consequences.  

When an ecosystem goes down, it is devastating not only to the habitat of that one ecosystem it has impacts on regional and global environmental stability. 


Everyone is waiting for the rupture to stop while seeking to come to terms with its future consequences and trying to MINIMIZE the damage as compared to the Valdez OIL TANKER SPILL.


NOT EVEN CLOSE.  Let's get that straight.  Every scientist from here to heaven is going to have a job for the rest of their lives.  That is how bad this is.


This episode with BP only shows the extremes these companies are pursuing to make profits for their stockholders.  This is a global referendum on oil in any way it is IMAGINED to be obtained.


The Age of Oil is OVER.  Over.  Completely over.  There is no more offshore ANYTHING any more.


We cannot continue to 'mix' oil and water.  It is out of the question.  


The oil that started at one mile down in the Gulf of Mexico is traveling around the world in a global circulation.  


You've got to be joking if you think this is going to end with the closure of a well that BP blew up !

Singapore oil slick closes beach after ship collision

Thursday, 27 May 2010 10:39 UK

The authorities in Singapore have closed beaches on its east coast because of an oil slick from a damaged tanker.

The order affects 7km (4.3 miles) of the coastline.

It has forced the closure of the national sailing centre and a popular area for swimming, cycling and picnicking ahead of school holidays.

The pungent oil spill resulted from a collision on Tuesday between a Malaysian oil tanker and a cargo ship.

Thousands of metres of containment booms were deployed as part of unsuccessful efforts to stop the slick from fouling the coast.

Initial reports after the collision appeared to downplay the risks to Singapore's coastline and major shipping industry, suggesting 2,000 tonnes of oil could leak...

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