How is this oil spill not a big deal?

[LeeNetworX]

"I weep for the future."

- Snooty maitre d in 'Ferris Beuller's Day Off'

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by goof2

I'm not sure how offshore drilling could be seen as anything else. The facts are that America requires massive amounts of oil to function and there is no viable alternative on the horizon. I would love it if some magical substance or process was able to power our vehicles, homes, and businesses while providing the necessary base for the plastics and other composites we make and use. Unfortunately that substance or process doesn't currently exist.

We are stuck with oil for the time being and depending on other countries to provide the majority of that oil certainly does nothing to promote our own self-reliance. As far as national security, we do get some of our imports from "friendly" "stable" countries. Our largest source, one of the most "stable", and probably the "friendliest" country is Canada. Mexico is also a large source, is semi-friendly, and semi-stable. Once those two are covered (accounting for around 30% of imports) the remaining top importers make up a pretty unsavory list. Voluntarily depending on them for any more of a substance that is absolutely vital to our nation than is necessary would strike me as the joke if it weren't so damn sad.

Nobody is forcing us to buy from any given country. Would increasing Canada and Mexico's share really be so hard? And what about Brazil?

More importantly, why deplete our own resources when we don't have to? Why not keep them in reserve, and then sell them at a substantial profit 20-30 years from now when everyone else has depleted theirs?

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Homeslice

Nobody is forcing us to buy from any given country. Would increasing Canada and Mexico's share really be so hard? And what about Brazil?

More importantly, why deplete our own resources when we don't have to? Why not keep them in reserve, and then sell them at a substantial profit 20-30 years from now when everyone else has depleted theirs?

As I understand it Canada and Mexico don't have surplus production just laying around and aren't significantly increasing production. We can't import what they don't produce. Brazil is no solution either as they are a net crude oil importer, not exporter. They do sell us around 200k barrels per day of crude which amounts to around 35% of their total exports, but that only amounts to around 2% of our total crude imports.

Why depend on some seriously flaky countries for more of a substance that has a large effect on our economic future than we absolutely have to? Your argument also depends on there being no alternative to crude oil being developed in the next 20-30 years. I hope like hell that isn't the case.

[the chi]

I havent seen alot on it and am just as surprised, especially since it will already have started affecting livelihoods and the folks that live there. I was reading the local news from where I lived and they are talking about getting volunteers in line to begin cleanup when it hits, for the environment and wildlife.

[Homeslice]

It's been all over CNN's homepage for the last week or so

The only reason your local news might not cover it is because.......They know from past experience that most Americans care more about celebrities and other "human interest" stories.

[AquaPython]

all aboard the off-shore drilling express, next stop alcoholism and suicide!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100503/...l_spill_alaska

[ontwo]

The shitville coastal tourism is fucked for this summer. Like Trip said, a bunch of fishers/shrimpers are majorly fucked

[azoomm]

It's more about killing off someone else's supply than "needing" to buy from one source or another.

Evan just told me they probably have ships there just getting ready - the hard part is it needs to be done with ROV's because of the depth. And, if it is how the news reports it, it's fluid leaking from the ocean floor. That means they have to build a "structure" to prevent it from leaking. It's not an everyday activity. Capping a line is done all the time. There is no line to cap...

The bummer is the rap BP will get for this - TRANSOCEAN is who did this, not BP.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by azoomm

It's more about killing off someone else's supply than "needing" to buy from one source or another.

Evan just told me they probably have ships there just getting ready - the hard part is it needs to be done with ROV's because of the depth. And, if it is how the news reports it, it's fluid leaking from the ocean floor. That means they have to build a "structure" to prevent it from leaking. It's not an everyday activity. Capping a line is done all the time. There is no line to cap...

The bummer is the rap BP will get for this - TRANSOCEAN is who did this, not BP.

Transocean may be done. I suspect the costs of this accident are going to dwarf those of the Exxon Valdez and I'm not sure Transocean is in a position to survive them. If that is the case BP is going to be the one left holding the bag.

Even if Transocean does survive they don't have the public image to protect like BP does. If the public feels BP isn't doing enough I could see a groundswell of support for an "I'm not buying gas from them!" campaign. Transocean has no such worries since the general public is not their consumer.

[Kaneman]

BTW, this oil spill isn't getting 1/5th of the media attention and hype that the Tiger Woods' affair got.

That's right, people care more about a golfer's sex life than the destruction of their own enviornment.