Americans want to bomb oil leak

A highly speculative and pessemistic view from a presumably knowledgable someone commenting on an energy site.  Longish read, but I found it interesting and it helped  me understand the structural challenges to a much greater degree. If nothing else, having read this will make whatever actually happens seem much better in comparison. http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6593/648967

Donna13 wrote:

So, here we are in the worst environmental crisis ever, caused by the decisions of people who had better things to do than make safety and the environment their top priority.  Oil rig workers have been killed in the worst way to die, probably, and birds and turtles are being suffocated by oil, something that they have no idea how to cope with, except for trying to escape into the marsh where they feel safe - so that they can die a painful death.  And the head of BP is ordering the making of commercials and using a film crew to communicate that BP is a good company and we should all have faith in them.  President Obama is just playing politics while dealing with this problem (talking tough, as if that will help the situation, which of course it will not).  I'm not saying that both men are not trying to solve the problem, but when you see the whole picture, you also realize that both will have to share the blame.  When you are at the top, you are responsible.  That's how it works.

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The making of the commercials may seem like cynical self interest and manipulation but it's not really in anyone's interest to beat the company into insolvency unfairly.  That potentially harms people due compensation, harms the many, many regular people on both sides of the pond whose managed pension funds are heavily invested in BP and potentily further concentrates energy resources and power in the hands of a few mutinationals if they are bought up in pieces.  Responsibility yes, demonization no.  They can and should contribute to a balanced view in the current political climate.

Holly2003 wrote: Micrówave wrote: Yes, we Americans should have never let BRITISH PETROLEUM drill.   What the hell are you talking about, lifetimefanofQueen?

This isn't just going to affect America.  This will be the greatest disaster of all time (to date).   Thousands of people will be unemployed for a long time.  Some experts think this will seriously affect the seafood industry as well.  They'll probably be some additions to the Endangered Species list.

And the idea of the Nuke did NOT come from America.  It came from Russia.
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They are not British Petroleum, they are BP. They changed their name to reflect their multinational status: apparently half their directors are American. However, it's easier for Americans to see them as foreign because all the blame can then be laid on pesky foreigners with their funny ways. Now if only it were good old boys from Texas or Alabama etc on that oil rig, then it would never have happened...hang on a minute, it WAS an America oil rig with an American crew. And the main reason they were drilling in such difficult circumstances is that Americans are so greedy for cheap gas.

So lay off the 'goddamn Brits' or maybe we'll send over some Spitfires to strafe some of your u-boat bases and k-marts.

Holly, if there were Alabamians "on board" the platform, there would have been no explosion!  You know, they'd all be so intent on getting home safely to their cousins-wives, they'd have been certain no accidents happened.  Also, this is the SOUTH, so you can have all of the K-Marts you want; there are five Wal-Marts waiting to replace them! ;-)

And besides, it's become appallingly obvious the American government (you must be more selective about word choice: most Americans do not support "their" government's actions) has taken a shoot first, worry about repercussions later stance in all things, yes?

By the way, are you in HI still?

can someone please tell the americans that BP has not been BRITISH PETROLEUM for 13 years now.it is 2/3rds owned by americans,its employees are 2/3rds americans and has hardly anything BRITISH in it [apart from that god awful PR bloke]
and before the US starts jumping up and down about oil disasters how about they look at all the ones they caused over the years like Bhupal before they start accusing other countries of enviromental damage! dont see the US paying India compensation any time soon for that one!!

I think all the details will eventually come out and then people can make up their own minds about who was to blame.  Specifics like ignored safety violations, fines, and emails with the key decisions in them.  That sort of detail will make everything clear.  Regardless of how many Americans were in the company, the directives always come from the top in a big company.  Tony Hayward has only been CEO since 2007.  And he says he has been focused on safety, but then he claims to not understand drilling technology.  That is so bogus.  Three years would be plenty of time to learn lots of details and to also be aware of the safety violations.  BP's safety violations were sky high compared to other oil companies.  So, it was definitely "allowed" at that company.  It was part of the culture, and maybe something that Hayward was working on changing but hadn't made enough progress on yet.  For example, it has been many weeks now and still nobody has been fired.  It doesn't take that long to look through a few emails.  That company is a hazard to the world under its current leadership and its employees.  It might be a blessing if they were bought off and sold off using the remaining funds to pay for this cleanup.  Why want such a badly run and dangerous company to continue?  For the benefit of the stockholders?   They should have known to diversify.  I think the best line of the day (that I saw on the news) during Hayward's appearance before Congress was when he said, "We drill hundreds of wells a year" and a Congressman said, "That's what I'm worried about!"  (sic)

*HIGH FIVES ALL BRITS* WOOOOHOOO! YOU'RE ALL JUST SO Q! :-]

erm sorry innaporiate comment on an oil leak thread....

Actually, I take it all back. BP is British, and this is our revenge on the US for cancelling 'Threshold'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_(TV_series)

ps hey Brandon! The good ol' boy is back!