I know that I’ve already posted several videos today, but just had to add one more. Stephen Colbert had on James Carville, “the ragin’ Cajun” who lives in Louisiana, last night to talk about the oil leak.
Scientist says BP well could be leaking 100,000 barrels of oil a day
A University of California researcher and member of the Obama Administration’s Flow Rate Technical Group said Monday that BP’s leaking Gulf oil well could be leeching 20 times as much oil as the company originally claimed.
In little noticed comments to McClatchy Newspapers, the researcher, Ira Leifer, noted that even BP itself estimated the worst-case flow of an oil leak in the Gulf could reach 100,000 barrels a day.
“In the data I’ve seen, there’s nothing inconsistent with BP’s worst case scenario,” Leifer was quoted as saying.
And some of that cost so far (images):
Last night Rachel Maddow interviewed University of Georgia Marine scientist Dr. Samantha Joye who has spent the last two weeks out on the Gulf studying an underwater plume at the spill site. She talks about what is happening in the water right now and the ramifications.
She is talking PLUMES not PLUME. This morning CNN is still talking about only one plume.
I hope the administration is watching and listening to this scientist.
Previous posts at TheZoo on ”Dead Zones” here and here.
From The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC last night:
Does Mark Kirk get any credit for having a very active imagination..? Rachel is brilliant as always.
Jon Stewart takes on Helen Thomas, and then in order to make himself feel better, takes on South Carolina..
Stephen Colbert decides to show President Obama how to get really angry, and so he rolls up his sleeves – no, scratch that.. – rips off his sleeves, and then goes out and kicks BP CEO Tony Hayward’s ass..
Here is a new Gallup poll, which supports what I thought for a while now. People are fed up with Washington’s elites. Incumbent Congressmen and -women are having a harder time to retain their seats as ever. Republican voters are obviously more fired up than Democrats, but Democratic members of Congress need to watch out, too.
Source: Gallup
Electing Barack Obama as President, was surely a first and very powerful sign of this sentiment of discontent. People are still fed-up with the ways of Washington, the lobbying and the arrogant sense of entitlement of the political class. This is not different over here in Europe, where outsiders from the left and right increasingly gain votes.
This should tell your President it is time to take off the kid gloves. He has the right concepts, but he condones the wheeling and dealing still and never got rid of that idea of bi-partisanship. After all, it takes two to tango and the Republicans are not dancing. This weakens his Presidency as much as his consideration for the Blue Dog Democrats who’d just need a good and healthy kick in the butt. The numbers above indicate that the tea party movement has already gone a long way to voice the outrage at politicians on their side, satisfying their voters there is an alternative, while Democrats are still more wary. In the end those who will have made their positions unmistakably clear will be favoured. It is not a matter of telling people how stupid, racist and nasty teabaggers are, this ultimately puts one in a defending position. While obsessing about the other’s behaviour one misses to point out what positives are on offer as an alternative. Leaving the stage to an opponent is not a good idea at all. The media are reporting on the tea party movement extensively, because those are voicing their opinions shrilly enough to make a good story. No need to stoop to this level but a strong message reasoned loud and clear should be heard, too. And it is needed to rally the voters. If voters are not convinced by the party of their choice they tend to stay away from the polls which is nearly as devastating as if they were voting for the opponent.
And for Barack Obama that means confronting the old-school politicians in his own party as well as in the other. I perfectly understand that cleaning up the Bush spill is overwhelmingly hard, even more so when you are dealing with obstructionism from both sides in Congress and from special interests, too. But can someone please shake your President a bit, he needs to wake up and fight now.
This is our open thread. If I can speak my mind you can, too.
On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee offered the Lee Resolution to the Continental Congress. It passed! This was the seed that lead to the Declaration of Independence a scant 27 days later. So why are we not celebrating Independence Day on this date? Inquisitive minds want to know!
A close relative, Robert E. Lee almost tore the nascent nation asunder.
This is our open thread. Please feel free to offer your own comments on this or any other topic.
We have discussed the use of a nuclear device to kill the oil spill and I for my part have decided that’s too crazy to be considered. The cap is said to work, but I seriously doubt it. Remember when they cut the riser to put on the cap, the oil spill actually increased by some 20%. Some say the increase could be even 80%. As always, I can’t tell and I fear nobody really can and if they can, they won’t tell us. When they now claim they are funneling oil from the spill into a ship, is it really more than what the cutting of the riser caused in the first place? Are we really better off or only marginally so or even worse off now? This question remains unanswered.
I think what is obvious is: Oil continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico which is already reeling from what has been already issued into the ecosystem since the Deepwater Horizon exploded. We need to consider what is going to happen to the crude oil once it’s out of it’s lair.
Nature will take care of it. That’s actually true. There are microorganisms out there which live off crude oil:
some individual species (Pseudomonas) can use up to 1000 different carbon compounds. What do they do with the oil ? Well basically they eat it just like you eat cereal. They use enzymes to break it up (metabolize it) using O2 turning it into CO2 and more microorganisms.
The word here is O2. There’s huge amounts of C(arbon) in the oil but not so much O(xygen). Where are the little buggers getting it from? Likely from the surrounding waters and the solute oxygen. What with the dead zones that are already there and getting worse in warmer temperatures, incidentally the temperatures where Pseudomonas gets really hungry, this is not really encouraging. Some kinds are even causing severe skin infections. Nevertheless it’s worth to take a closer look. Because these microbes exist and they seem to even develop where there is an oil spill:
A recently published article in Environmental Microbiology reveals that indigenous microbiota of the Galician shore is readily able to degrade crude oil. Scientists from the Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish Council for Research, CSIC) in Granada investigated in situ crude oil degradation after the Prestige oil spill in November 2002.(read more)
How about introducing oil eating microbes into the Gulf, the environment is favourable, the Gulf waters are warm enough for them to thrive.
HAVANA, Aug. 31, 2005 (IPS/GIN) — Scientists think a product used in Cuba since 1992 to clean up oil spills with marine bacteria could prove useful for other warm-weather countries.
Bioil-FC has proven effective in changing the toxic compounds in hydrocarbons into biodegradable substances, turning them back into carbon dioxide and water. This inexpensive “bioproduct” also compares favorably against other products used to clean up hydrocarbon spills, Cuban scientists say.
“We have achieved more than 90 percent remediation (clean up) in a maximum of 30 days of application,” chemical engineer Roberto Nunez, director of CEBIMAR, a marine biological research center, told Tierramerica.
Expert sources from various countries consider a satisfactory biological clean-up for spills of petroleum and its derivatives to be 55 percent in three to four months.
“Bioremediation” is a technique for environmental detoxification through microorganisms that break down dangerous organic waste and turn it into less harmful compounds.
This method, available for the past 25 years, exploits the ability of some bacteria, yeast or molds to incorporate part of the dangerous compounds into their metabolism, for growth or for energy of the organism itself. (read more)
I have already voiced my concerns about the dead zones and the effect more oxygen depletion could have, but this is a natural process and if the oxygen depletes too much, the microbae would die and stop using more oxygen. I don’t advocate miracle cures, there are too many out there who do so. I don’t believe in miracles anyway. But I believe in the strength of nature and I think it can be put to good use. It’s cheap, it certainly less toxic than Dispersit or Corexit and the microbes, like any population will die off and reduce in numbers when they’re running out of food. These microbes already exist and are not genetically engineered for the purpose. So why don’t we hear much more of this?
Not manufactured? Not engineered? No money to be made!
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This is our open thread. Try it, everyone can do that.
This week in crazy: Tony Hayward
Keith Olbermann Presents BP CEO Tony Hayward’s Greatest Hits
source: 2bp.blogspot.com
There are too many stories out there, too sad or too devastating, I simply couldn’t take it today. So I’m going for something cute and soothing.
This is our open thread. No need to make this a cuddle puddle, just say it as it is.
At 5:50 AM Israeli time the ship Rachel Corrie was boarded and taken by the Israeli Navy. They apparently jammed all communications and there is no word on what happened next.
Three navy boats were involved.
Then… This is the report from the AP:
They don’t mention being boarded..
UPDATE 1: The Jerusalem Post is now reporting that the the boat was in fact NOT boarded, but is being followed.
UPDATE 2: Report: ‘Rachel Corrie’ near Alexandria, sailing along coast
The Rachel Corrie, an Irish ship planning to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza was reported early Saturday to be sailing along the North African coast and had recently passed Alexandria in Egypt.
According to the report on Israel Radio, the ship was planning to reach Gaza at 7 AM when it would be visible from the coast, so that any boarding could be filmed.
Juan Cole of Informed Comment wrote a good post today on this situation with this ship carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza: Rachel Corrie Steaming toward Gaza - Likud Vows it will Not Arrive
From Huffington Post earlier today: Gaza Blockade: Israel Vows To Block Rachel Corrie, New Aid Ship
Who is Rachel Corrie? Also, from Wikipedia..
Today CNN named Rachel’s parents Craig and Cindy Corrie today’s “Most Intriguing Person[s]“.
The memorial site set up for Rachel. You can read her emails that she sent home from Gaza just before she was killed.
Visit The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.
Listen to this interview with Rachel’s father Craig Corrie discussing the ship MV Rachel Corrie being named after his daughter, which aired May 30, 2010:
UPDATE 3: Salem-News.com reports: Freedom Flotilla’s MV Rachel Corrie Spotted Off Gaza Coastline
Israeli Defense Forces have Twittered confirmation that the Rachel Corrie has not been boarded. The IDF says they want the Rachel Corrie to proceed to the port of Ashdod, Israel, but the activists aboard the remaining vessel dedicated toward breaking the siege of Gaza, say they will stay on course, for the port at Gaza.
Ben Wedeman of CNN reported around 10:06 p.m. west coast time via Twitter, that, “Through binoculars can see ship to Northwest with smaller vessels around it. Could be Rachel Corrie.
It was reported at 10:17 p.m. that Israeli naval activity in the Gaza port is more intense than usual, presumably in anticipation of the arrival of the Rachel Corrie. (Read on..)
UPDATE 4: 6 Minutes ago from CNN (11 PM PST):
Ashdod, Israel (CNN) — The Israeli military has been in contact with an Irish-owned aid ship headed for Gaza, but has not boarded the boat, Israeli military officials said Saturday.
A crew member on board who spoke to CNN Saturday night said three Israeli ships were following the MV Rachel Corrie, a cargo ship loaded with humanitarian aid and bound for Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade.
The military said it made an identification request to the boat but had not issued a warning to the vessel. The MV Rachel Corrie was 40 miles from shore, the military said.
The BBC is also reporting that the Israeli navy has intercepted the MV Rachel Corrie, but not boarded as yet. The Israeli navy has warned the people aboard the MV Rachel Corrie that they will not let them reach Gaza.. The latest from BBC.. - Israeli navy ‘shadowing’ Rachel Corrie Gaza aid ship
UPDATE 5: According to the IDF Spokesperson Twitter page :
19 minutes ago ”according to last update, Rachel Corrie ~40 miles from shore”, 23 minutes ago “Rachel Corrie has now rejected 2nd call from IDF navy to dock at Ashdod Port”
Further updates will be in the comments..
The leader of a group of artists says he was ordered to lighten the skin tones of children depicted in an outdoor mural covering two walls of a Prescott, Arizona elementary school because of complaints that the faces appeared too ethnic.
Honestly.. I feel like I am living in the Twilight Zone..
UPDATE: The elementary school in Arizona has backed down. They will NOT be lightening those skin tones after all..
Good news. The gutless, carbound racists lost, and the mural is being restored to its “original theme.” Jeff Lane, the principal of Miller Valley Elementary School, and Kevin Kapp, the school superintendent, showed up at a protest today to apologize for giving in to whims of mentally deranged adults, spewing racial epithets at a painting.
Michelle Phillips. You may never have heard of her, but she was in an obscure band from the 60s known as The Mamas and The Papas. Ring a bell? Well, they were pretty good with spectacular harmonies and Michelle pretty much summed up what boys in the 60s dreamed they’d find in Southern California (Cass, of course, had The Voice). This kicks off with a pretty clever video. More after the jump.
(Or, friends ‘with benefits’..?)
BP is placing a cap on the leaking well. At least on one of the spills.
This is our open thread. Just do it!
