Re: [Paddlewise] A little context for the BP oil spill: It isn't the Apocalypse

     There was an interesting piece on TV about the Exxon Valdez oil spill
and it's effect on Prince William Sound. The herring industry is dead. All
along the shoreline, one can overturn rocks and there sits the oily sludge,
even though it's been residing there for some time now. The rate of suicide,
divorce, domestic violence, etc. among the local population is way up.
Who knew oil spills could lead to suicide, divorce, domestic violence, etc.
Oh yes, there was also environmental damage.

BRC


Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] A little context for the BP oil spill: It isn't 
the Apocalypse


> On Wed, May 5, 2010 at 10:31 AM, Jackie Myers 
> <jackie_at_muddypuppies.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> "The Gulf of Mexico spill is a calamity with enormous costs.
>> Nevertheless, writes Ken Ringle, there are factors at work, observed in
>> similar calamities years ago, that suggest the damage to the environment
>> may be less than is widely feared, and reporters should be alert to 
>> them."
>>
>> You can be pretty sure that reporters will ignore this advice and, 
>> instead,
> refer to the oil that's still left on the Prince William Sound beaches.
>
> I still can't quite understand why these guys can't be held responsible 
> for
> having equipment on hand to clean up serious oil spills. Either that or 
> just
> captulate to the oil industry and form a new branch of the EPA which will
> just do it and avoid the various issues. There are over 4,000 drilling and
> production rigs (production rigs also drill.. it's called "workover") in 
> the
> Gulf and apparently no one was ready for this.
>
> I am also betting that to get BP to actually pay ALL the damages from this
> incident there will be 20 years of litigation. If any of you are thinking
> about a new career, I'd suggest environmental lawyer.
>
>
> Craig Jungers
> Moses Lake, WA
> www.nwkayaking.net
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