The Big Oil Spill of 2010

[Adam-Savage]

So what do you guys think of this massive oil spill going on right now ?

[Vephriel]

It's absolutely devastating.

If anyone else ever follows The Big Picture, there's been two articles so far with photos.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/0 ... n_the.html

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/0 ... hores.html

[Saturo]

Oilspills suck. Birds... Fish... Submarines...

They all perish.

[Nevar]

The oil covered animals simply break my heart.. I feel for them

[Adam-Savage]

This is a wake up call for us to get in gear to get off the need for oil really. One of the comments one the sight I went to said "We need to rapidly move to other alternatives. If we poured half the money into alternatives energy resources, that we pour into the oil industry, we'd have some impressive results rather quickly."

[Saturo]

This is a wake up call for us to get in gear to get off the need for oil really. One of the comments one the sight I went to said "We need to rapidly move to other alternatives. If we poured half the money into alternatives energy resources, that we pour into the oil industry, we'd have some impressive results rather quickly."

By alternative, you mean alternative as in Nuclear power, or alternative as in Wind/Water? I've heard the term used for both.

[Adam-Savage]

This is a wake up call for us to get in gear to get off the need for oil really. One of the comments one the sight I went to said "We need to rapidly move to other alternatives. If we poured half the money into alternatives energy resources, that we pour into the oil industry, we'd have some impressive results rather quickly."

By alternative, you mean alternative as in Nuclear power, or alternative as in Wind/Water? I've heard the term used for both.

Anything but oil. Solar power or even wind power.

[Saturo]

The part I never got was why USA refused to accept the Kyoto protocol. Something about jealousy of China, I heard.

[Vephriel]

A friend just linked this to me:
http://www.alternet.org/environment/147 ... oil_spill/

[Saturo]

Hmm... Doesn't the US coasts have high waves? I heard they are starting to build wave-generators. Saw some pictures of how they might come to look like, and it just looked like something designed to squeeze fish to death.

*Shrugs*
Better than oil I guess.

[Dewclaw]

It's heart breaking. And the fact that it's been spilling unchecked for a month more heart breaking still. :`(

[Aleu]

I cannot speak of this subject without going into a five post rant...

[Adam-Savage]

I don't get why there taking so long to stop the leak..

[Saturo]

They probably don't have enough duct tape to tape the hole shut.

[Rarako]

They probably don't have enough duct tape to tape the hole shut.

Or chewing gum!

On a serous note, I just can't fathom why this is taking so long to shut down. There have been oil spills like this before and it never took this long to get the valves turned off.

[Saturo]

Besides, if they can't shut the hole for whatever reason, they could at the very least send another tanker to suck up the oil. I don't see why that wouldn't work...

[Ryai]

I don't get why there taking so long to stop the leak..

Because it's an effing huge leak, that's why. All that oil shooting out with so much pressure, if you pussy foot about it it'll just end up being worse. Right now they're trying to clog it up, with if I remember right, a mixture of Drilling 'Mud' and Cement. If that doesn't work they're going to try something else- ontop of drilling in from the side to try to ease the pressure.

Think of it like this way; trying to stop a broken fire hydrant and the firemen aren't around to come shut it off for you. This is basically like it, and all you're given, is a select few options that don't involve cutting the water supply.

The part I never got was why USA refused to accept the Kyoto protocol. Something about jealousy of China, I heard.

Do you mean the bullpoopy about 'cutting back emissions' and such bullpoopy? Because if I remember right everyone wanted America to bow down to it; but China and India wanted to be exempt from the rules, even when China, India and several other places are far, far worse off than America is or will be. And the fact we already, or atleast most companies are already trying to go greener as it is. China, India and etc just wanted power over the US. It was never about the enviroment, it was all about bluffing and making themselves look better. That's why Bush never agreed to it, because it was a load of political empowering BS.

On a serous note, I just can't fathom why this is taking so long to shut down. There have been oil spills like this before and it never took this long to get the valves turned off.

Afaik the thing kinda exploded, so if there was a 'valve' it's not 'there' anymore, and any rigging there isn't enough evidently to 'turn it off'.

Anything but oil. Solar power or even wind power.

Solar and Wind aren't viable reliable resources. Mostly as there are few places where Wind can be harnessed effectively or continuously as not everywhere has winds like California [IE blowing in usually from one direction], solar again is a bit laughable as it would probably be unable to meet any large scale demand on it's own.

It's alot like an Electric Car. Good in theory, bad just about anywhere else. As most electric cars aren't pure electric, can't go that far on a charge and sometimes the batteries can be as bad, if not worse, than oil.



Then there's also the fact Eco freaks have for the most part shut down Nuke plants because of around 3 disasters, Chernobyl and 3 mile island, if I remember right, being the top two. So that's why there's no more nuke plants in America. Atm oil and fossil fuel is the only alternative that is sound to invest as a constant right now because Wind and Solar will never truly be enough, and unless eco freaks can be told to bump off into the abyss, well, yeah.

And that's all I'm basically going to say on the matter as for the most part I've seen all discussions/arguments about this oil spill basically devolve into bashing drivel.

[Saturo]

Anything but oil. Solar power or even wind power.

Solar and Wind aren't viable reliable resources. Mostly as there are few places where Wind can be harnessed effectively or continuously as not everywhere has winds like California [IE blowing in usually from one direction], solar again is a bit laughable as it would probably be unable to meet any large scale demand on it's own.

Solar and wind are reliable enough to use. A very large portion of Sweden's power comes from Wind, for example.

And I have to agree on the second note, nuclear power > Oil. Until a reliant energy-generator-thingy-system can be made, that creates no excess crap, like spent nuclear fuel or pollution, nuclear power is the most environmentally sound option. Once a system that generates none of that radioactive stuff can be constructed, it should go OUT. I don't want any nuclear plants near me tough. Construct them somewhere else.

Sweden is shutting down nuclear plants and replacing them with oil, water and wind. See the oil-part? That sucks.

[Ryai]

Solar and wind are reliable enough to use. A very large portion of Sweden's power comes from Wind, for example.

There lies the problem. America is not like that; there are places where wind and or solar energy would fail miserably. Solar energy requires the sun to be captured, amirite. Same for the turbines, to capture wind. Unless you can build the specially designed wind turbines that can move, you're pretty much screwed. And even then if the wind changes to much daily, then it's not an efficient source of power. It's hard to manage and awkward.

And also as I said it is not reliable as I do not see it being able to power New York City on it's own, or combined, without the help of other things.

Then ofc there's the fact cars and vehicles would still need it to run reliably.

And I have to agree on the second note, nuclear power > Oil. Until a reliant energy-generator-thingy-system can be made, that creates no excess crap, like spent nuclear fuel or pollution, nuclear power is the most environmentally sound option. Once a system that generates none of that radioactive stuff can be constructed, it should go OUT.

That is part 1 of the nuclear problem. IE it is the most imba thing out there, it produces SO MUCH energy that nothing will ever really compare to it ever, imho. The second part;

I don't want any nuclear plants near me tough. Construct them somewhere else.

Take your opinion and now times it by a few million. Perhaps a billion. If people can't suck up to the fact they'll have to unavoidably live near one, then once again, they won't happen.

[Saturo]

I don't want any nuclear plants near me tough. Construct them somewhere else.

Take your opinion and now times it by a few million. Perhaps a billion. If people can't suck up to the fact they'll have to unavoidably live near one, then once again, they won't happen.

That was my point.