British Petroleum’s (BP’s) disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is finally taking on its proper proportion. BP’s claims that “0nly” 5,000 barrels a day are leaking into the Gulf is finally revealed to be much higher. BP, their legal advisors, and the PR, have made a horrible misjudgment.
As we reported earlier, estimates of 10 times or more BP’s estimates now seem far more likely. What is Britain’s and one of the world’s largest oil companies really facing here? The following is a partial answer to their worst nightmare.
Representative Edward Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, has posted a video (below via AP and Youtube) he requested from BP revealing BP’s big lie. Bloomberg-Businessweek editors posted an encapsulation of this latest news earlier. However, just confirming what experts like Purdue University Associate Professor Steve Wereley warned earlier.
“What they are capturing is a small fraction of the total leak.”
A Million Barrels and Counting
Now, after more than three weeks (24 days x 50,000 barrels) of free-flowing environmental death have seeped into part of the Earth’s delicate ecosphere, The United States Government, NOAA, and experts finally begin to grapple with what they “had to” already know. As for BP? They are still in denial according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. We are past the point of opinion now actually. No one can tell me, should not be able to tell you, that any or all of these agencies had no idea of the volume of oil being spewed into the Gulf of Mexico. No one.
Agencies with trillions of dollars in assets, the finest minds in the world, cannot calculate a flow of liquid? This is preposterous. President Obama is perhaps the only person taking the right approach to this monumental catastrophe. BP, even the British people in some cases, are trying to defend a contamination which may soon be an oil spill larger than their entire country (see map below). It is already as big as Ireland (see scale map below). As Representative Markey suggests in his candid video:
“This is the greatest environmental catastrophe in the history of the United States of America.”
The spill is nearly the size of Ireland now. Next all England?
Markey went on to say that the newly released “flow” video from BP is a “scalding, blistering indictment of BP’s inattention to the scope and size of this catastrophe.” Nile Gardiner of the Telegraph UK suggest America, and President Obama, should be concerned about harming US-UK relations in his article about the president’s scathing rhetoric toward BP. Maybe he just lost his mind? Citing the nearly 30,000 Americans BP employs Gardiner, if he reflects general UK sentiment about this disaster, should consider some things too.
The Shoe On the Other Foot
If a United States oil company drilled hole in the North Sea, if it exploded and puked enough oil to surround the British Isles in gook, all England would lose its collective mind. Let’s not play “pretty please” here. BP’s approach to this whole affair has been a travesty. Denial, obvious lies, arrogance, idiocy, hap hazard half measures to do anything significant about the problem.
And, on top of that, allegedly spending on the order of $70 million dollars to make a commercial to paint them as heroes – this is basically war. What else can anyone on the receiving end of BP’s actions believe?
Think about this for a moment. BP’s only significant effort to stop this leak is one which connects a tube to a pipe leaking oil nearly a mile beneath the waves – to “siphon” the precious oil? With millions of people, a whole nation at risk of being impacted horribly by their mistake, the blood suckers are “siphoning” rather than “plugging” the biggest old leak the world ever sprung. I admit I am an engineer, but I have not calculated the efficacy of dumping a million cubic yards of concrete onto the pipe myself. Just a layman’s suggestion.
God Wills It – Plug the Gulf Leak With Tony Hayward
BP, Britain, the lawyers should consider the real down side here. If BP does not stop this leak in the foreseeable future, the sum total of their assets will be all but worthless. How is that for a freaking catastrophe? America is a democracy, Telegraph. Sure a manipulated one, but nevertheless people have the last say if they want. Imagine Congress, the Legislature, the President being forced to seize all of British Petroleum’s assets within the United States of America. Now there’s a catastrophe, but maybe a bill paid in part?
Sure, such a suggestion is outside International agreements, laws, and hand shakes under the table. But the fact is, in the end, if the American people deem it so – God wills it – as the Crusaders in Jerusalem used to say. I can see the repercussions when Britain seizes all the McDonald’s franchises there. Friends and allies help one another.
What Obama and the American people are yelling about is not Great Britain, it is a greed oil company without the good sense to even act apologetic. BP CEO Tony Hayward’s head should probably be used to plug that pipe it is so huge. A leaked internal email from Hayward to BP employees reported by, again the Telegraph (maybe they do just report?) revealing how Hayward feels BP can afford the price tag of all this, among other things.
About Phil Butler
If BP were to stop this spew prior to completing the so called ”relief” well,the odds are pretty good that given the magnitude of the damage already done to the Gulf,the government would shut down drilling operations there for an extended period of time.As the situation stands right now it looks as if BP will have yet another very profitable drilling operation in the Gulf before long,while Gulf coast residents are left with yet more financial difficulties,a badly polluted enviroment,destroyed lifestyles and the ruination of hopes and dreams for decades to come.
Hi James, Thanks for stopping in, and you hit the nail on the head. I am pretty sure they could have killed this well within hours of the accident.
Always,
Phil
Hi Spinwiz, I fear that most of it these days is by choice as ignorance is really no excuse. Anyone prepared to lift their head out of the fog of consumerism and strain to see just a little further than their own back yard, as Phil states, can clearly see.
The evidence is apparent ‘All creation grumbles neath the weight of humankind’ but how soon before it bites back – and seriously?
It’s more like total apathy of folks who know what’s going on but don’t want to mend their ways because they’re too comfortable or it’s just too damn inconvenient or, like those Pamper’s bloggers, they’re happy buying into the ‘corporate dogma’ as Phil calls it, for a fistful of freebies.
It’s really hard, I don’t deny it one little bit, to have a conscience of any kind these days; and to do the right thing when ‘choice’ usually boils down to the lesser of several evils.
Especially when you have kids as these mums have and as do I, two who are still in nappies, which is what we call diapers here in the UK.
So what do I do now, boycott Pampers (or Proctor and Gamble even) as well as BP, it’s a start – isn’t it? I’m no longer ignorant about these things and now I have choices to make!
I just worry that the more I visit this website the less ‘stuff’ I’ll be able to buy – although that would be no bad thing either.
RE: Article “Comment by Phil Butler on 29 May 2010:”
Thank you, You restore my faith in that there are persons in this world seeing the bigger picture. We are all contributers to this world, whether it be by choice, or by ignorance.
Hi Phil, I think I see your point. We as a generic faceless mass consumer of all the planets natural resources have brought this upon ourselves through our own greed and desire for, as you put it ‘bigger, better faster, more’. What else should we expect from the monsters (like BP) we ourselves have created. There are a few lone voices now crying somewhere in the wilderness but how do we bring them all together to form that ‘solidarity’ of social consciousness so desperately needed for change? I’m sorry to be sceptical about this but I think that we have already reached critical mass now and gone beyond the tipping point. I’m not sure that there are enough of us out there that really do want to change our ways, especially those in growing economies such as China and India who are just discovering what we have had for decades, and who can blame or condemn them for that? Nor do I think that our governments and institutions advocate it either as it would be bad for business and our economies in a global recession. That was certainly Gordon Brown’s message ‘borrow more and buy your way out of debt’ WHAT?!? The only way I see now to redress the balance and take us all back to the real ‘simple life’ (but hopefully not the stone age) is natural disaster(s) of global proportions. I’m still watching Katla – and waiting for the inevitable. Sorry for this bleak view of things. C
Well CB, Here is a start. You and me. I think both of us know a couple hundred more. The problem for me, and I expect you, is that my best friend – a great guy – is willing to do absolutely nothing about this. Nothing. I know you can identify with this. I applaud your passion and fervor to care and want to do something about our world being torn to pieces. I want to as well. NO, you and I do not have all the answers – neither does Greenpeace – let me tell you about that later on. But, we can try to make a little bit of difference.
Part of the problem can be illustrated right here CB. Just above where I am answering your kind thoughts, our deep concern for not only yourself, but other human beings – all of them, a Mom is defending the indefensible. Unwittingly, or in full collusion with a massive corporation Procter & Gamble, she and several other Mommy Bloggers bit into the carrot of corporate greed. I have seen this happen all along CB. Since the moment almost blogging came into being as a force. That is a long story. Here is the thing, just consider I have no reason to lie about this, imagine everything I am about to say is exactly true:
We see something wrong. People, Mommy Bloggers, whoever, often very nice people entering into things they have no idea about. In Tiffany’s comment up there so much can be gleaned. Someone is induced to basically advertise a product, not a scientist or product quality expert mind you, a Mom. This is powerful for good or for bad – think about it. There is a problem with this product – it may have actually hurt people. Not just any people but babies – the very people it was supposed to protect – infants – the helpless – the helpless CB. A PR nightmare of the worst kind. Despite the obvious implications, even when big concerns have been raised, the company flies 4 of these people to their corporate headquarters, wines and dines them, throws the weight of their empire at them, induces them to rally the forces of good to their banner – and then -
The lady comes here and tries to convince PR people, bloggers who have collectively written more text, analysis, commentary, reviews, stories than 20 Mommies combined that 2000 words of fairly refined message in follow up to their trip to Pampers was dreamed up by ladies (some of them fairly skilled writers) who generally post “oh honey gee, chucky just lovers Alpha Bits” sponsored reviews.
This is where the battle lines are drawn CB. It’s like a general (P&G) tasking its foot soldiers, you know the expendable ones, to fight the armies of good. The soldiers just do their duty, what life has trained them to do – do or die – be an SUV driving, Soccer fan, Oprah watching imbicile, do our bidding for us. The ladies are no doubt nice, caring, intelligent sapiens, but their weak spot has been uncovered by the corporation. Safety, bling, being able to do something you like and getting stuff for it, gossiping for coupons.
Sorry to be so blunt, but my ire over this gets much worse. Watching these decent people being used without even knowing the damage they can do, it pisses me off. This instance is the least of them really CB. Then, in their unsoiled passion for a living room full of free products (I some Mommy reviewers very well) they come to convince veritable linguists and language experts that their dogma is just like corporate dogma – the style, intonation, vocabulary, tense, tone, everything about their most recent gesticulations is in no way influenced by Procter & Gamble. Now, instead of thinking what we wrote may be on target – instead of considering who they are working for – they just fight blindly on.
Maybe it is hard to accept doing the bidding of the devil? I guess so, we have all been there. Now I am forced to dissect, wasting time when anyone who can smell knows a fish from strawberries. This is where we are CB. In a world where people’s self interest, even over freaking diapers, outweighs the utter destruction of the world. Not many see it that broadly, or have time to scrutinize so carefully. It’s far easier and more natural to tweet “hey hon, would you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours?”
I hope that together, you and I, and several thousand more, can somehow make people see the world CB. Not just or back yard, the birds still singing in the tree back there, but as a very large yard, over the horizon. One dieing as we fumble about our merry lives – driven by trinkets and excess. Walmart gone slap damned crazy. People sell their souls so easily.
I hope you will email me CB, and that perhaps the blind will allow themselves to be led by their kinsmen, all be it somehow more insightful, rather than the monied.
Always,
Phil
And the reason that a lot of us waited to post is because there was a camera crew following us around and we were waiting for pictures to add in the post.
I think it is an utter disgrace the way BP have half heartedly attempted to deal with this disaster and let it continue. Why try to siphon off the oil rather than just plugging the damn hole with -well anything? Surely the message that sends out is all they care about are profits and not people or the environment. This is the last thing the Gulf of Mexico, it’s habitats and inhabitants need when they are still recovering from Katrina. I will not be filling my car at a BP station ever again – even if it means pushing it home. I hope the US seizes BP’s assets as compensation regardless of any economic impact and increased cost of fuel etc. I am sorry as a British citizen that my politicians seem to be so quiet on this subject also and don’t seem to be exerting much pressure on BP to get their act together. Makes me wonder why not and whose pockets are oil lined?
Hi CB, Agree on all counts. But, the question that comes to mind these days (or in any days) is, “What can we expect from huge corporations?” The answer lies somewhere within ourselves and what we have advocated and sought all these decades. Cheaper, more, better, whatever. My point is, we are still in control. But, there is no solidarity. This is the weak point focused business thrives upon. They use us left an right.
Always,
Phil
Please disregard my last posting. It appears rude and for this I apologise, especially since I have enjoyed your writing so much and find it rings true on many fronts. I am in a hurry and the resultant tone of that hurried posting sounds dreadful.
Will post again later with more clarity.
Many thanks, and keep up the good writing,
regards,
Miranda
It’s okay Miranda, I did not take offense. I did assume actually that I had said something which made it seem I was against people in Britain. I guess you know this is not the case. I appreciate your comments and input actually.
Always,
Phil
You seem to have complete;y misunderstood my posting. Read it again and you will find that its sentiment is in fact the opposite of that which you appear to have found.
Why do you repeatedly over-emphasize the difference between Britain and British Petroleum (BP)? You clearly need to read up on BP’s current and past connections with the British establishment.
British people have turned their heads away from this destruction by one of their most prominent corporations. Had it been an American corporation messing up in Britain there is no doubt that Americans would offer assistance and apologies to help.
Why are we not surprised?
Hi Miranda, I love Britain – the people that is. This mention was because of the sentiment of an author at a news outlet there. And too, some sentiment I have heard from people. I am not sure “continually” is the exact term to apply to one article. Maybe I mentioned something about the company and the government before, but I honestly do not remember doing so.
I know that the people in Britain, by and large, hate what is being done to the environment and by these huge corporations (ours and yours). I am sorry if I offended any of the good people there. This was not my intention (except if I offended that author and his kinsmen of course). Thanks for taking your time and stopping by to “correctly” admonish me to clarify.
Always,
Phil
Al
Nile Gardiner is second generation follower of Sun Myung Moon. Skim the headlines to his Telegraph blog if you want to see consistent, dedicated right wing propaganda. I think the only person Nile puts above Dick Cheney is his savior, Moon.
Nile is known to write articles for conservative media outlets like he did for the National Review(front page story) that promote the demise of the United Nations which has been a primary goal of Nile’s savior for 50 years. Before anyone says how good that is, since we all know the UN could use some fixing, note that in Moon’s vision the UN will be run by the world’s religious under Moon’s influence.
This is not about Nile’s freedom of religion for Moon completely meshes his messianic goals and projects with his politics – they are the same. Being critical of the Unification Church or its potical operatives is no different than being critical of the Democratic and Republican parties, the Larouches’ organization or the John Birchers.
Nile Gardiner is the British Glenn Beck.
Thanks Toots, I did not have time to research this journalist, really did not need to if you know what I mean. I actually have a great adoration for the people in the UK, everywhere really, but my ancient roots are there. A reality check for the people everywhere in the world is about due though. BP is decidedly not the people of the UK, just as Exxon is not the average American. There is more here than meets the eye. These corporations have become the government. Nuf said.
Thanks for your input Toots.
Always,
Phil
As a native Floridian, my heart is broken to know that the Gulf of Mexico will never be the same again. My sister lives in New Orleans and can see the tragedy first hand.
The circumstances regarding this explosion are becomming very suspicious, and it is even more perplexing to see the lack of urgency on BP’s part to stop the oil.
I am an American living in New York, far from the actual disaster. However, this country of ours,taken for its ups and downs, and the disagreements we may have with one another, still belongs to all of us. Native and immigrant. The habitat that incubates so many precious species of intelligent life is slowly being destroyed for decades to come by ignorance, arrogance and greed. We will not forgive this easily.