The nation has recently been awaiting news of the completion of the first of three concrete and steel 100 ton "containment domes" constructed by BP in an all or none effort to corral the 5000 barrel per day wellhead leak south of the Mississippi River delta in the Gulf of Mexico. The photo attached was taken with my cell phone last summer in Orange Beach, Alabama just minutes before a super cell thunderstorm ran us indoors. Friends on the beach this past weekend forwarded photos of containment booms which had been deployed just off the beach that were washed ashore in 8' breakers from strong southerly winds and astronomical high tides. Hopefully, these have been replaced. In my opinion, booms will offer little defense if the wellhead leaks are not contained very soon. The spill will overrun protective booms in moderate surf. In reality, Orange Beach can be cleaned up by hauling off contaminated sands and new sand will be pumped back to the beachhead. The catastrophic damage will be to the abundant marine ecosystem, especially in the estuarine ecosystems of Mississippi and Louisiana. Dr. Guy Harvey stated in an advertisement on Island T.V. last year, "this Gulf is one of the most prolific in the world." So, what is the point of this posting? I confess that I own a gas guzzling Superduty four wheel drive pickup and will always because my lifestyle involves farming, hunting, and offshore sportsfishing. I need a larger truck today with a more powerful engine! Just this past weekend I towed a trailer with 10,200 pounds of agricultural lime to spread on a field. I am heavily dependent on refined crude oil, i.e. gasoline. I will always budget to purchase fuel for my truck, and in reality, at any cost. The petroleum industry in this nation has such an enormous lobby, fuel alternatives are unlikely in my lifetime. Technology exists for nuclear powered vehicles. However, profitability of the petroleum industry is extreme to the extent that the industry can afford to perpetuate itself at all costs. If gasoline reaches $4.00/gallon as a result of the spill, something else in my budget will have to go. I will never believe that an electric engine that will fit under the hood my my truck will tow a John Deere tractor on a tandem axle dual wheeled trailor. Besides, I like the roar of a large V-8 engine and will never become acclimated to the whine of a weak battery powered oversized golf cart engine. As Pres. "W" exclaimed, America is "addicted" to petroleum based fuels. I will not be registering for "rehab". Bring on a nuclear fusion nacelle for my truck with 1000 horsepower output and I'll definitely give it a shot. This is not my attempt to post random mundane satire, and in my nature, I am only interested in TRUTH. The truth is this is the American way. Oil exploration is not going to cease in the Gulf of Mexico, Chukchi & Beaufort Seas north of Alaska, or the Atlantic seaboard recently opened for lease. Historically, the U.S. has been "knee-jerk" reactive with new policies following major catastrophic events and we should expect more intensive environmental impact studies and tighter controls on the petroleum industry. Who will pay the tab? The consumer at the gas pump.
So true Jeff. But it is about time America becomes pro active instead of reactive. There is no excuse for oil to still be leaking into the ociean. The leak should have been contained quickly after the fire and would have occured in some other countries.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping for the best in the Gulf area.
Thanks for writing, Brad. All of us in the Gulf South appreciate your thoughts and prayers for success in the "corral, contain, and siphon" endeavor.
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