The Californians had the right idea about 30 or 40 years ago when they banned drilling off the CA coast. I remember in high school in the late 50s going swimming at Avila Beach, near where Carol lives, and having speckles of oil on my swimsuit.
Even today some people keep saying "Drill, baby, drill". WTF are they thinking????

I agree with everything you wrote. That BP is denying the magnitude of this disaster is a slap in the face of all the people and animals who are affected. I am sure it all boils down to money yet again, and the people in charge of BP don't give a darn about the environment, just the bottom line and damage control.

Just a thought, if you kept your BP stock, you might be a bigger voice as a stockholder. Most large companies appear to be with the enviourmentalist, but they are not. We have the same problem here in the midwest. Years ago when the farmers were first clearing the land, they piled the rocks up so they could farm and still maintain the wildlife. Now much of the land has changed, but because Fish and Game etc said the wildlife needs the space they cannot move the piles, even though it would benefit the annimals/birds. The relatives of these farmers do get fined big time. and yet this state is very protective of the hunting/fishing it does.

This is a MAJOR DISASTER! How many other offshore wells are equally ready to blow? I'm sure many Americans will be driving their gas-guzzlers down to LA to vacation and join in the cleanup. Fresh seafood, anyone? Got jobs for all the fisherfolk who will NEVER work again?

I want to send this oil straight into the Capitol. It's slick. They're slick.

The curious part of this is how under an unnamed administration (don't want to get political) known for their "no oil company left behind" policies, if someone on a tanker sneezed, the oil prices went up where this event hasn't impacted oil prices, "only" the environment and the innocent businesses that try to make a living in the area. And the companies argue back and forth on fault, admit that safeguards weren't being maintained and the like while the oil and natural gas continue to pour out.

However, in fairness, the prices shouldn't go up because of it. After all the cap of their liability is only $75 million dollars. Perhaps a lot of money to you, a LOT of money to me, but then again, I didn't have $80 Billion in profits last year either. Maybe they'll just lease a corporate jet for a couple years to fly over it rather than buy, and the bonuses won't be affected. Shouldn't even necessitate changing the brand of champagne.

When I've heard The Bimbo From Nowhere and her idiotic mantras I just shook my head and thought she really IS as stupid as I thought! Someone should give her a glass of milk and read her a newspaper.

Although I believe in caring for the environment I don't go to the extremes. I don't like a lot of government involvement in business and things, but this just spotlights what happens when monopolies are allowed, nay, encouraged to run rampant by brown-nosed politicians with widened wallets.

And does anyone else find it interesting the length of time it took before the live video of what's going on was finally released?

Did anyone see the 60 Minutes interview of a survivor of the explosion of the oil rig? It was almost flabbergasting how awful this situation has unfolded. It is absolutely sickening. And the horrifying thing is that there is another rig out there offshore that is highly @ risk & it is something like 20 times worse outcome if it blows.

I can only take this topic in bits & pieces. I can't keep looking at that oil plume. It is waaay too upsetting & it seems we/they are so powerless/helpless to do anything.

I am pretty sure I saw something on BP a number of years ago, probably less than 10. It kind of stuck in my mind because I though it odd that a foreign company had control over it and its care and maintenance. There was some kind of report that BP was not maintaining it properly, they(who?) thought they were trying to cut costs. Something to do with the inner and outside pipes and some kind of protective liquid/substance in between the two pipes that keeps it from corroding. I can't really remember all the details. I guess I was was wondering why this hasn't been brought up, maybe it has just missed it. I really didn't find the report I was speaking of, but didn't really look either.

Here is a link that might be useful: BP Alaskan pipeline

GGGRRRRRRRRR BP is so downplaying this disaster and making it a spectators mecca with the live feed video.

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93687?fp=1

I can understand people want to see what is going on and how bad it is but the video is so very not showing the magnitude of the situation. The size, the scale and scope of the leak is not really shown and there is nothing the average person can use to put the scene into perspective.
It doesn't look so bad so it can't be bad right? And like every other video fad I can remember people get bored with the newest fad quickly. Face it watching a black cloudy bubbling up from a crack in the ground (even underwater) isn't exciting or particularly dangerous looking so there is no thrill. Off they go to find something new and thrilling, forgetting the spill and not realizing unless we keep up the pressure on BP to fix it that leak will continue pumping 210,000+ gals of oil into the water everyday. One reporter somewhere said "Well with the size of the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean 210,00 gals is just a drop in a bucket." That comment chapped my youknowwhat. Let us think about this. I know some of you are familiar with salt water aquariums and have some very nice ones in your home. Lets just say your tank is a 50 gal and it has a couple different corals, starfishes, a few variety of fish, a few anemone, maybe a shrimp or 2 and whatever else you feel makes a beautiful tank and a thriving ecosystem closely resembling the real oceans. NOW lets drop a big drop of crude oil in that tank everyday. Even with a great filter system on that tank How long do you think it will take before that daily drop of oil starts to effect the life in that tank? Lets say the reaction to the oil started with in a few days on a very microcosmic scale the plankton and micro organisms that are the first on the food chain for larger creatures are dying off. What affect do you think it will have on future generations of the sweet little fishes and corals. Put that into scale for the worlds oceans and bring that chain of events right up to knocking on your door. It can happen.
Whats worse is the feed is so popular that it can not take the traffic and keeps crashing. BP apologizes and says they are working on the problem. Like color me cynical okay & excuse me is that anything like WORKING ON FIXING THE LEAK that camera will be crashed for a long time.
I feel like painting up signs "STOP THE LEAK" "BOYCOTT BP" "BREAK FROM PB UNTIL the BREAK IS FIXED" then going to stroll the sidewalk back and forth in front of a BP near me. GRRRRRR
Thanks for the vent-let I gotta rant or I'll go ballistic

Here is a link that might be useful: yahoo buzz

I found something about BP and the Alaskan pipeline.

Here is a link that might be useful: BP and the Alaskan pipeline

Yes a negligent attitude and worry about the equipment doing more damage than good caused a problem. Shut down the pipeline by shutting off valves and replacing pipe is a normal fix. I wouldn't doubt it cost a butt load of money but it was done and even after fines and expense a profit was still on the books. Replacing sections of pipeline is normal maintenance on land. Bottom line is the responsibility was owned and the problem fixed.
The situation now is major disaster and a conceivable fix is not available. This is not a leaking pipe on a parcel of land this is a ruptured well head 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. I maintain this situation was foreseeable and a plan for this should have been in place before drilling. Profit is the bottom line here. 80 billion dollars in profit for the last fiscal quarter of 2009 more for the first quarter of 2010. When drilling and making money is more important than the safeguarding of life we will always come out the losers.

LIL

Watch out in your own areas for drilling that's land based, but the line goes out into the bottom of a lake or sea.

We have GOT to reduce consumption of OIL -- and all fosil fuel -- water too.