Scientists Warn of Unseen Deepwater Oil Disaster

[John317]

By MATTHEW BROWN, Associated Press Writer Matthew Brown, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 33 mins ago

NEW ORLEANS – Independent scientists and government officials say there's a disaster we can't see in the Gulf of Mexico's mysterious depths, the ruin of a world inhabited by enormous sperm whales and tiny, invisible plankton.

Researchers have said they have found at least two massive underwater plumes of what appears to be oil, each hundreds of feet deep and stretching for miles. Yet the chief executive of BP PLC — which has for weeks downplayed everything from the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf to the environmental impact — said there is "no evidence" that huge amounts of oil are suspended undersea.

BP CEO Tony Hayward said the oil naturally gravitates to the surface — and any oil below was just making its way up. However, researchers say the disaster in waters where light doesn't shine through could ripple across the food chain.

"Every fish and invertebrate contacting the oil is probably dying. I have no doubt about that," said Prosanta Chakrabarty, a Louisiana State University fish biologist.

On the surface, a 24-hour camera fixed on the spewing, blown-out well and the images of dead, oil-soaked birds have been evidence of the calamity. At least 20 million gallons of oil and possibly 43 million gallons have spilled since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank in April.

That has far eclipsed the 11 millions gallons released during the Exxon Valdez spill off Alaska's coast in 1989. But there is no camera to capture what happens in the rest of the vast Gulf, which sprawls across 600,000 square miles and reaches more than 14,000 feet at its deepest point.

Every night, the denizens of the deep make forays to shallower depths to eat — and be eaten by — other fish, according to marine scientists who describe it as the largest migration on earth.

In turn, several species closest to the surface — including red snapper, shrimp and menhaden — help drive the Gulf Coast fishing industry. Others such as marlin, cobia and yellowfin tuna sit atop the food chain and are chased by the Gulf's charter fishing fleet.

Many of those species are now in their annual spawning seasons. Eggs exposed to oil would quickly perish. Those that survived to hatch could starve if the plankton at the base of the food chain suffer. Larger fish are more resilient, but not immune to the toxic effects of oil.

The Gulf's largest spill was in 1979, when the Ixtoc I platform off Mexico's Yucatan peninsula blew up and released 140 million gallons of oil. But that was in relatively shallow waters — about 160 feet deep — and much of the oil stayed on the surface where it broke down and became less toxic by the time it reached the Texas coast.

But last week, a team from the University of South Florida reported a plume was headed toward the continental shelf off the Alabama coastline, waters thick with fish and other marine life.

The researchers said oil in the plumes had dissolved into the water, possibly a result of chemical dispersants used to break up the spill. That makes it more dangerous to fish larvae and creatures that are filter feeders.

Responding to Hayward's assertion, one researcher noted that scientists from several different universities have come to similar conclusions about the plumes after doing separate testing.

No major fish kills have been reported, but federal officials said the impacts could take years to unfold.

"This is just a giant experiment going on and we're trying to understand scientifically what this means," said Roger Helm, a senior official with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In 2009, LSU's Chakrabarty discovered two new species of bottom-dwelling pancake batfish about 30 miles off the Louisiana coastline — right in line with the pathway of the spill caused when the Deepwater Horizon burned and sank April 24.

By the time an article in the Journal of Fish Biology detailing the discovery appears in the August edition, Chakrabarty said, the two species — which pull themselves along the seafloor with feet-like fins — could be gone or in serious decline.

"There are species out there that haven't been described, and they're going to disappear," he said.

Recent discoveries of endangered sea turtles soaked in oil and 22 dolphins found dead in the spill zone only hint at the scope of a potential calamity that could last years and unravel the Gulf's food web.

Concerns about damage to the fishery already is turning away potential customers for charter boat captains such as Troy Wetzel of Venice. To get to waters unaffected by the spill, Wetzel said he would have to take his boat 100 miles or more into the Gulf — jacking up his fuel costs to where only the wealthiest clients could afford to go fishing.

Significant amounts of crude oil seep naturally from thousands of small rifts in the Gulf's floor — as much as two Exxon Valdez spills every year, according to a 2000 report from government and academic researchers. Microbes that live in the water break down the oil.

The number of microbes that grow in response to the more concentrated BP spill could tip that system out of balance, LSU oceanographer Mark Benfield said.

Too many microbes in the sea could suck oxygen from the water, creating an uninhabitable hypoxic area, or "dead zone."

Preliminary evidence of increased hypoxia in the Gulf was seen during an early May cruise aboard the R/V Pelican, carrying researchers from the University of Georgia, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi.

An estimated 910,000 gallons of dispersants — enough to fill more than 100 tanker trucks — are contributing a new toxin to the mix. Containing petroleum distillates and propylene glycol, the dispersants' effects on marine life are still unknown.

What is known is that by breaking down oil into smaller droplets, dispersants reduce the oil's buoyancy, slowing or stalling the crude's rise to the surface and making it harder to track the spill.

Dispersing the oil lower into the water column protects beaches, but also keeps it in cooler waters where oil does not break down as fast. That could prolong the oil's potential to poison fish, said Larry McKinney, director of the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

"There's a school of thought that says we've made it worse because of the dispersants," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Jason Dearen contributed to this report from San Francisco.

[phkrause]

JOHN317

WELL thank you for this article and report

so now these scienists are saying the things

in the gulf could be a disaster

hhhmmmmmmmm

dgrimm60

Of course its a disaster, anytime we have an oil spill like this, larger or smaller its bad for something. This is one reason why many have resisted drilling for oil in the sea near land.

pk

[John317]

Quote:

dgrimm60: so now these scienists are saying the things

in the gulf could be a disaster

hhhmmmmmmmm

Yes, and of course we all knew already that it's a disaster, but what the scientists are saying is that this disaster is going to be far greater than anything people thought it would be.

[bonnie]

Quote:

dgrimm60: so now these scienists are saying the things

in the gulf could be a disaster

hhhmmmmmmmm

Yes, and of course we all knew already that it's a disaster, but what the scientists are saying is that this disaster is going to be far greater than anything people thought it would be.

There is a risk to most things in life. There is actually very little in the way of disasters in drilling for oil.This seems to be worse because of the depth,which has been forced because of the enviornmental groups that see nothing but evil in the drilling for oil.

No one has explained yet why at least 10 countries are doing same with no inclination to stop. We can import oil from those that drill off shore but we cannot drill off shore.Is it a given that only the US would have a disaster?

Kind of ironic that the company behind this is known as the "green oil company"

[Bravus]

Regulation. It's what makes the difference.

[bonnie]

Regulation. It's what makes the difference.

As in BP didn't know there were regulations or simply did not follow them. All other countries follow regulations exactly?

Or all other countries can be assumed to be safe from this type of accident?

[John317]

Quote:

bonnie: No one has explained yet why at least 10 countries are doing same with no inclination to stop. We can import oil from those that drill off shore but we cannot drill off shore.Is it a given that only the US would have a disaster?

Kind of ironic that the company behind this is known as the "green oil company"

I think you raise some good points, Bonnie. I don't think the northern European countries which have oil wells off their shores have ever had any serious problems with them. Mexico has had a serious disaster, but not Sweden or Norway. The latter two nations have far more offshore oil wells than the US has. Norway is a huge exporter of oil. We should learn from them.

[bonnie]

Quote:

bonnie: No one has explained yet why at least 10 countries are doing same with no inclination to stop. We can import oil from those that drill off shore but we cannot drill off shore.Is it a given that only the US would have a disaster?

Kind of ironic that the company behind this is known as the "green oil company"

I think you raise some good points, Bonnie. I don't think the northern European countries which have oil wells off their shores have ever had any serious problems with them. Mexico has had a serious disaster, but not Sweden or Norway. The latter two nations have far more offshore oil wells than the US has. Norway is a huge exporter of oil. We should learn from them.

So far I have read the biggest problem and failure to correct this is because of the depth. If this is so do other countries have the answer to this and are not sharing? Or is BP refusing to use the regulation that would remedy this? Or are all the regulations before the fact and lacking in a remedy when this happens at this depth?

I am assuming this was not deliberate on the part of BP.Doesn't excuse carelessness or failure to follow regulations? Regardless if it was simply a accident,BP is responsible.

Especially if there is a remedy for this and they are refusing to use it

[Bravus]

The other countries have regulations. There were specific kinds of safety valves and precautions that are standard procedure in the Norwegian operations that were not present in this well. So it's not the solutions after the fact, it's the legally required precautions that stop it happening in the first place.

[bonnie]

The other countries have regulations. There were specific kinds of safety valves and precautions that are standard procedure in the Norwegian operations that were not present in this well. So it's not the solutions after the fact, it's the legally required precautions that stop it happening in the first place.

That may be.But what it sounds like you are saying is Norwegians have a fool proof method and will be free from threat of accidents. Standard procedures are necessary but are hardly a means to prevent any accidents and spills.

BP will pay,of that there is no doubt.A lot of damage will of course be done.

Tell me why Obama has stopped all drilling if the necessary procedures are in place.

[Neil D]

That may be.But what it sounds like you are saying is Norwegians have a fool proof method and will be free from threat of accidents. Standard procedures are necessary but are hardly a means to prevent any accidents and spills.

BP will pay,of that there is no doubt.A lot of damage will of course be done.

Tell me why Obama has stopped all drilling if the necessary procedures are in place.

1] Norwegians do not have a "fool proof method".

2] Norwegians have procedures that are in place and enforced.

3] The US know of the procedures but did not enforce them.

4] Last I heard, there was a 30 day moritorium on drilling...to give the goverment a chance to review and begin enforcing the laws for a safer oil drilling...

[bonnie]

1] Norwegians do not have a "fool proof method".

If not fool proof then they must have a backup plan in the event something goes wrong

2] Norwegians have procedures that are in place and enforced.

What happens when procedures fail?

3] The US know of the procedures but did not enforce them.

So procedures mean they do not need a backup plan,especially at that depth.Does the US know of the procedure to correct this or does everyone depend on the regulations being foolproof,knowing this cannot happen

4] Last I heard, there was a 30 day moritorium on drilling...to give the goverment a chance to review and begin enforcing the laws for a safer oil drilling...

Why can't he use the procedures of the safety conscious Norwegians. Obviously then nothing can go wrong and they will not need to worry while drilling at this depth.

[bonnie]

[Print] 

Top PR firm for BP tied to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

By: Mark Hemingway

Commentary Staff Writer

05/30/10 2:42 PM EDT

Over at The Next Right, the've pieced together some interesting connections about the White House's ties to British Petroleum, better known as the company currently polluting the Gulf of Mexico. We all know Obama was the biggest recipient of BP's campaign cash in Washington, but it seems BP's ties to the White House run even deeper.

According to The Next Right, PR firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner "helped BP plan and evaluate its successful re-branding campaign, focusing the company's branding on energy solutions, including the development of solar and other renewable energy sources."

The firm's Stanley Greenberg is married to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. There was something of a flap last year when it was pointed out that White house Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had been living in the couple's Capitol Hill townhouse, resulting in a lot of questions about whether or not this arrangement violated congressional ethical guidelines.

Further, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee paid Greenberg's firm some $500,000 in 2006 and 2008 while Emanuel was living with Greenberg, and Emanuel was even in charge of the DCCC during the 2006 election cycle.

And I'd be willing to bet that BP has paid Greenberg Quinlan Rosner a lot more than that. I doubt I'm the only one who thinks that BP's relationship with the White House might be a little too close for comfort.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinio...l#ixzz0pdo3gTPy

[karl]

We all know Obama was the biggest recipient of BP's campaign cash in Washington, but it seems BP's ties to the White House run even deeper.

I just love it when these reports come up with great terminology like that.

Deep Horizons - "run even deeper." Wonderful stuff.

[Gordon1]

Ten Minute Video describing scale of Geologic Disaster:

Analysts ponder toxic gas, oil volcano tsunami and mass evacuation of Gulf states and east coast.

http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=140&contentid=7009

[Prayer Warrior 7 year prophecy]

It is my belief that the BP oil crisis was instigated by the Catholic Task Force to expedite the coming of the worldwide Sunday law. The evidence of the end times are all around us.

I know this sounds incredible but I have some very convincing evidence that I can share with you if you are interested.

I think that the best course of action would be to start creating an Adventist counter force to prepare for the rough times ahead. I personally have been purchasing property in West Virginia near an abandoned coal mine as a compound for this task force. Don't kid yourselves. The endtimes are near and we need to be prepared.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

It is my belief that the BP oil crisis was instigated by the Catholic Task Force to expedite the coming of the worldwide Sunday law.

The Jesuits are at it again...

[SivartM]

Welcome to CA, pRAyeR WArri0r7y.

Regardless of whether or not your theory about a Catholic Task Force is true, are you sure that hiding out in a coal mine is the best idea? Are you thinking of taking militant action?

[Prayer Warrior 7 year prophecy]

I'm not saying that militant action is necessary at this time but we do need to prepare ourselves for the times ahead. We may need to defend ourselves if it comes to that. In any case we have ignored the Jesuit threat for too long and we need to start preparing ourselves to fight back.

The BP oil crisis is just another piece of prophecy that has come to pass. What the media is not telling you is that the BP CEO and other top officials are secretly in league with the Jesuits and are funding their operations.

We need to start analyzing the 7 year end time prophecies more at church so that we as Adventists recognize the signs of the end all around us.

[SivartM]

Fight back? Where do you read in the Bible about fighting back? Jesus said, "Blessed are you when you are persecuted."

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Quote:

What the media is not telling you is that the BP CEO and other top officials are secretly in league with the Jesuits and are funding their operations

If it's such a secret, how do *you* know about it??

[Prayer Warrior 7 year prophecy]

First of all I'm talking about spiritual warfare. We Adventists need to start being "warriors" against the Threats of Jesuits and the secret threat of the Masons!

If we stand by idly while prophecy is telling us we need to prepare we will not be ready to face the threat of the Catholic Task force that is talked about in Daniel 7.

We need to unite on this issue as a church. It was at the last General Conference that they presented the Papal flag amongst ours. It doesn't take a blind person to see that the task force of Catholics and Jesuits have already invaded our church!

[SivartM]

Do you know Jesus?

[Prayer Warrior 7 year prophecy]

Do you?

[SivartM]

That didn't really answer the question, but yes, I believe so. Do you remember when Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled"?