Being a Texan, I'm pro-energy but there is more to solar and wind and Canada oil sands and our Wyoming shale-oil than drilling offshore- less environmental impact.
Let's stop this offshore clusterpuck!!!!
There is a major catastrophe developing off the Gulf Coast in the form of a runaway oil spill. According to an Associated Press article, an explosion last week on the Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig operated by BP, 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, has continued to leak oil into the Gulf without any possible success in containment. The average flow is estimated, from amounts reaching the surface and satellite pictures, to be about 210,000 to 300,000 gallons a day. The plan was to corral the oil against fire-resistant booms and burn it. Experts say that there are certain health hazards from such an effort. According to a National Oceanic and Administrative Association (NOAA) paper, oil burning generates sulfur dioxide, nitrous dioxide, as well as carbon monoxide, all of which are toxic. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, some of which have been declared carcinogenic, are also produced but in very small amounts. According to the International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation Limited, the biggest concern in burning oil is the generation of particulates which can be redeposited on land. Coastal areas from the eastern part of Louisiana to the Florida panhandle could be affected by the 130-mile wide spill.
Crabs and oysters could be even harder hit if the spill, as expected, penetrates coastal marshland, which is more delicate and harder to clean. Oysters, in particular, could be impacted for a long time if the oil contaminates breeding grounds."I really don't know how long it's going to last," Thiels said. "There's no telling how long we could be dealing with this. It could be years. It could be forever."
