This maps shows how the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico merges with the Gulf Stream will ultimately affect North Atlantic fisheries for years to come:
The Loop Current and its Interactions with other North Atlantic Currents
Some of the spill has already entered the Caribbean Current which also feeds the Gulf Stream.
This is our open thread. Please feel free to offer your own comments on this or any other topic.
For the big Picture:
It is easy to see that the North Atlantic is screwed. Using the more conservative estimates (those by BP) more than 4 and a half million gallons of crude have spilled into the Gulf so far. A more likely number is ten times that! Add to that the more than one million gallons of poisons (dispersant’s) that BP has added to the mix and the North Atlantic has a serious problem.
Does this mean that the oil will eventually spill onto the beaches of Western Europe?
When all is said and done, my fervent wish is that BP gets the corporate death penalty.
That would be my hope too RUC, but they’ll just get a slap on the wrist.
So much for enjoying Maine Lobsters…
I fixed the title on Paul’s Mother Nature oil spill ‘toon. I can’t believe I put “tar bars” on there instead of “tar balls.”
Ugh.
One of the great voices in rock is stilled forever…
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/ronnie-james-dio-rock-singer-dies-at-67/
“The world is full of kings and queens, who blind your eyes and steal your dreams, it’s Heaven and Hell.
And when you walk in golden halls, you get to keep the gold that falls.”
Bye Ronnie, it was great stuff.
Shit. Before I logged in, I could see the stupid Google ads on this post. That really pisses me off.
Google ads, here???
Today is not my day. I am grumpy and tired and now I had a deja vu on TP. Didin’t we say something like that ten days ago?
I guess I’ll be not around much.
Yes, EV. Google ads here. It’s a dirty trick WP plays on us to help pay for the puny blogs like ours. Naturally, they didn’t give us the smallest heads-up; they just started appearing. I think I saw it because I’m on a different computer (I’m always logged in at home).
I haven’t seen an ad since putting this new computer in service. Windows 7 allows for more popup and cookie blocking, while still letting things work properly.
All of this made me think of a post we did a couple of years ago on the oceanic “Dead Zones” along coastlines around the globe.I was wondering how this oil gusher would affect that.. Today someone at the Daily Kos put up a lengthy post on it. I didn’t realize that the gas escaping was far worse than even the oil..
UPDATE: Gas Leak 3000 Times Worse Than Oil – Updated Math
BnF,
While composing this post, the Maine Lobster issue occurred to me as well. We shared two 1.85 pounders for last nights dinner with enough leftovers for lobster rolls for lunch.
So I’ve seen on MSNBC daytime news the reports on the “mile long pipe” being used siphon off the undersea gusher.
I don’t give a shit how long the new pipe is but how effective it is—and apparently it’s only able to siphon-off 1,000 barrels a day at the moment.
I saw/heard no remark from the MSNBC news presenters that 1,000 barrels a day is just one fifth of BPs original flow rate estimate and at least one-fiftiethof the flow rate independently estimated.
Furthermore there was no more information about the vessel being used to store the recovered oil.
As I and EV researched on a previous thread, for the new siphoning to have any effect would require multiple oil-tankers, big ones.
None of these issues seemed to register with the MSNBC newscasters, even though I watched them for most of the day and even though they did spend some time in each report on the general subject–but the story never advanced beyond simply quoting BP’s “good news” and then discussing the “oil plume news from the day before.
These TV news organizations really have to get their shit together if they want to stay relevant. Their researchers and producers need to pay attention to the internet, or else fall further behind the information curve.
5th,
I don’t suppose any of these ‘TV news organizations’ accept advertising from BP, or any other oil company, since they all have a stake in controlling the PR of this disaster. No TV network is going to bite the wallet that feeds it. Not anymore. Not even PBS. I’m surprised 60 Minutes was allowed to air the story they ran last night.
house,
I know what you mean, but I think the journalists themselves are too intellectually lazy these days. anyway.
In this era of 24/7 news, we actually get less news than before. They are only filling up then next 2-3 minute segment before they have to go to commercial.
It’s sad.
Cats,
It looks like Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, England, Finland and the Scandinavian lands will be affected. The wild card would be a hurricane that hits Miami or the Florida Keys from the south. This could move considerable amounts of crude and dispersants directly into the North Atlantic. In that case, only the Sargasso Sea would be unaffected.
BnF,
Good news, it seems that the Labrador Current will protect the Maine lobster fisheries.
June-Too Soon
July-Stand by
August-A Must
September-Remember
October-All over
A Florida native taught me that about the hurricane season. He also winked and told me hurricanes can’t read.
Just to let everyone know if my situation:
Had a conversation with my landlady today–broke the news about being broke.
She was sympathetic to the situation and offered some useful suggestions and contacts to help mitigate the situation.
She would rather my brother and I stay in the building, having been her best tenants ( as far as I can tell)—least troublesome and one occasion having helped her in a few situations.
Still, she’s clear there will be a point at which she can’t support us, which is understandable. But she’s being helpful, so that’s very decent of her, and we told her we understood her situation too and wouldn’t fight eviction.
Tomorrow early a.m. I’m off to look for rental assistance from the local gubmint, with a contact name provided by my landlady.
I don’t know how productive it’s going to be, but it’s a sad cynical truth that “it’s not what you know but who you know” that can make a difference.
Avoiding living on the street would be really helpful, but there are utilities to deal with too, so , updates on my situation as and when possible in that regard.
Meanwhile, I’ll at least be here all night. Try the veal, and don’t forget to tip your waitress!
5th good to read you – wish I could send more than positive thoughts your way. Will keep good thoughts on a favorable outcome for you and your brother.
Ayn Rand, Serial Killer Groupie
Horrifying — as if she wasn’t horrifying enough already.
thanks 2ebb,
Honestly I wish I’d been more ‘selfish’ ( i.e. more particular about my personal fortunes and less distracted by communal issues (such as politics and policies). though I rather wonder if that really would have made that much of a difference overall–after all every attempt at ‘self-determination’, whether having my own business partnership or retraining for a new career seems to have been kiboshed by circumstances apparently mostly beyond my control.
Anywhoo, we shall see what we shall see.
Keep us posted, 5th.
Good Luck 5th.
Good Fortune comes to those who seek it.
I hope you are surprised!
You can tell Rand is 6 fries short of a Happymeal just from her writings.
The scary thing, RC, is that there are people in power in this country who lap up that shit and want to impose it on all of us.
It makes a great game (BioShock) or Blockbuster ( Cobra of GIJoe nemises) but, your right Zooey, there are those out there that wish it were a reality.
Must be something in the water?
I think it’s something lacking in their soul or basic humanity.
It also seems to be more pervasive and gaining “acceptance” of these twisted ideals.
I get more and more anti-social as the years go by.
Very frustrating to watch how people mis-treat one another on a daily basis.
*sigh*
I remember the days when civility was the norm. Things weren’t always perfect, but people would at least be shocked about someone being rude to another. Now its as if people just shrug and think, “Not my problem.”
I remember years ago my mom getting into the face of a man who’d had a few too many beers at a local softball game and started yelling obscenities at the ref. She told him in no uncertain terms (and clean language) that his behavior was disgusting and he ought to be ashamed of himself. He was hanging his head in shame when she hustled me and my sisters to the car. At least he had the decency to be mortified about his behavior! Now, she’d probably get shouted down by the damn crowd and called a bitch.
I think I’ll go finish watching the movie I started last night.
Goodnight, RC (and any lurkers)!
A bit reminiscent of the ‘McCarthy era’.
All it takes is a person of ‘renown’ (á la the despicable Greenspan) to state a ‘belief’ and the sheep will follow.
McCarthy had J. Edgar Hoover feeding him ‘information’ and whom to go after.
———
random, The Sharks have to win Tuesday! Sunday was a heartbreaker.
2ebb,
I hope they do better, they have it in them. These breaks inbetween are too much IMO.
Sunday I was walking the Guadalupe Trail, behind the Tank, listening on the radio – thought for sure they’d pull it out. It was a great game, though.
Yes good game. That’s a nice area down there. You should try Paulo’s resteraunt if you’ve never been.
I’m a glutton for awesome Italian;-)
5th,
I can not help you, I am 69, but if I were still in the business, I would hire you as a manual or user’s guide editer. Your command of both American and UK English is excellent! Try a Chinese or Japanese company as proof reader.
If you need a reference, tap on me. I promise not to provide too much colour.