Sunday, April 25, 2010

"Truth Will Rise above Falsehood as Oil above Water"

Or so said Cervantes many years ago.

More recently, or five days to be exact, the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig tragically exploded in the Gulf of Mexico about 40 miles south of the coast of Louisiana. Sadly, 11 people died. During the first 48 hours after the explosion, we were told that we need not worry about the environment. We were told that the deep-water hole was spewing an estimated 13,000 gallons of crude oil per hour but it was nearly all burning, and it was heading away from the shore, according to Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry.

Yesterday the Coast Guard changed their minds and said that now they were concerned with the oil spill. Now we're told that as much as 1000 barrels (42,000 gallons) of oil is leaking each day. However, another source says it is 7,400 barrels per day. That's quite a big difference. The Coast Guard said they've identified a 20 mile square oil sheen about 40 miles off the coast, and it seems to be heading northeast towards the Mississippi/Alabama/Florida coast. I believe that in about five to seven days, when the oil hits the coast and we see all the dead fish and oil soaked birds, there will be international outrage. Fat men in bermuda shorts will yell at the cameras. But I don't think these companies are touchable legally.

Transocean, a Swiss company with holdings all over the world, hired BP Exploration which then leased the Deepwater Horizon rig. Good luck with that, and of course, drill baby drill.

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