EntropySink

Nothing & Everything => Open Discussion => Topic started by: Steve on June 03, 2010, 11:43:37 PM

Title: Gulf oil leak
Post by: Steve on June 03, 2010, 11:43:37 PM
seriously, why havent they solved this yet? and why is there no off valve? jesus christ
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: jkim on June 04, 2010, 01:07:30 AM
http://www.entropysink.com/forums/index.php?topic=9570.0
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: Rob on June 04, 2010, 02:50:53 AM
and why is there no off valve?

There is. It's called a blowout preventer, and it failed.
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: kermi3 on June 04, 2010, 09:32:59 AM
It's called BP rushing the work and moving on when they knew conditions were risky and the blowout preventer wasn't working.  It's called BP caring more about PR and profit than worker safety, it's called the company with far and away the worst workplace safety record in the US. It's called criminal beyond imagination, it's ended tens of thousands of people's livelihoods and ways of life and caused fatalities.  I hope people go to jail for the rest of their lives, I hope BP pays, and I pray that people are able to cleanup and restore the wetlands...
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on June 04, 2010, 09:53:35 AM
Kermi.  You mentioned that you had no pity for the workers on the rig.  What's up with that?
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: kermi3 on June 04, 2010, 10:40:05 AM
I have pity for the workers...at least some of them....My issue is that according to accounts I've read/heard (I can find sources if someone would like), there were signs of impending trouble that were ignored - The mud wasn't stable when they blew it off, indications of air pockets, etc...Those signs were ignored in the interest of time, speed, or just flat carelessness.  Given the amount of damage that's being done, the scale of how this will effect the Gulf Coast Region (La through FL), and possibly a lot more people for decades - I have a hard time feeling bad for them when this wasn't a fluke accident.  It was preventable. 

I mean, I took high school field trips to these beaches to do conservation and research, I've canoed and hiked if not in these swamplands, then in similar ones.  I took my students to nearby swamps to do restoration work.  I know these marshes and wetlands are the things that protect our cities from tropical weather - our levees and the midwest farming has already done so much to them and now this...I know people who work in these industries (tourism, culinary, shipping and oil - don't know any fishermen myself, but I certainly have many friends of friends).  The FL and AL beaches that are going to be destroyed - those were my childhood vacation spots, so for now...

Now there's probably a perfectly reasonable and just argument that I should feel bad for the workers and that on-site and corporate management are the "villains" here who rushed things...but I'm just not ready to be there yet.  I still tear up or get raging anger when I think about the whole fiasco.  I know I should feel bad for the actual workers who were injured or lost their lives - but I just don't. 

Hopefully I'll get there...
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on June 04, 2010, 11:22:23 AM
60 Minutes did a great piece on the disaster from a worker's perspective.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6490509n

Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: kermi3 on June 04, 2010, 12:40:53 PM
Good story.  Thanks Knuck...I do feel bad for the sub management workers I guess...but only cognitively...I'll get there emotionally...but for now...just nothing...and utter disdain, hatred, and even thoughts of the death penalty for those who pushed too hard...
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: Rob on June 04, 2010, 01:12:57 PM
It's called BP rushing the work and moving on when they knew conditions were risky and the blowout preventer wasn't working.  It's called BP caring more about PR and profit than worker safety, it's called the company with far and away the worst workplace safety record in the US. It's called criminal beyond imagination, it's ended tens of thousands of people's livelihoods and ways of life and caused fatalities.  I hope people go to jail for the rest of their lives, I hope BP pays, and I pray that people are able to cleanup and restore the wetlands...

Yeah, I wouldn't / couldn't disagree with you.
Title: Re: Gulf oil leak
Post by: KnuckleBuckett on June 04, 2010, 03:41:23 PM
I have worked over twenty years in an industry that pushes way to hard with way too little every day.  Sometimes out of ignorance, arrogance, greed (profits), or because of nonsensical government and or customer demands.  This can and has caused horrible side effects worldwide.  It continues.  Global governments are well paid not to notice and or even promote such things.  BP is no different.  Those truly responsible will do juuuust fine.  Those folks, cities, and states that are affected with take it up the ass and that will be that.  It will happen again and again.  Nothing really changes in these matters.