Shell has two rigs up there now, one was being towed for tax reasons from Alaska waters into international waters to spend Jan 1, then it would be towed back not having to pay Alaska any tax for the year. The tax cheat fell in disfavor of the gods and a storm sent it onto the rocks. The second rig was put under criminal investigation yesterday for violations of all kinds to do with safety and pollution violations. So much for Shell being a good citizen.
2012 saw only two rigs trying to work in Alaska arctic waters, both disasters. Next year expect about a dozen, the following year perhaps 25.
So far, no matter where in the world there was an oil spill, no more than 5% of the oil was recovered or cleaned up. In many of these cases it was in warm waters, calm weather, such as the BP gulf spill. Here we had hundreds of vessels working to clean it up. 3% was skimmed, 6% burned, that's it. The arctic spills will have at beast a handfull of vessels to help, fish, bears, seals, king crabs, whales will die. In total darkness for weeks, violent storms, ice bergs, they will have an excuse for safety reasons to do nothing, nothing at all.
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| oil sticky after 23 years ExxonValdez |
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| Oil spill in frozen sea |
The industry has a new containment dome to stop run away wells that break off underwater, remember how hard that was to put on in the Gulf, the new one, the one to fix all the former failures, and this one designed for under ice failed it's first test, crushed like a beer can a few weeks ago. I have no faith in these companies, they will soon cause dead zones as we have in the gulf.
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| crushed containment dome |
But wind farms are such an eyesore ...
ReplyDeleteSmoke stacks aren't so pretty either, or waiting on coal trains at the crossing.
DeleteDon't forget mounatain-top removal ... ; )
DeleteNAC: if you miss the mountain top you can see it two more times. Once in the rail car at the crossing, again when it leaves the smokestack.
DeleteSomehow that's not quite the same ...
DeleteYa I know, it's just not the same.
DeleteHey, congrats on the Crooks and Liars link!!! Great post (but aren't they all?)
ReplyDeleteThanks, but now I know C&L can make mistakes.
DeleteCould you specify exactly who opened the Artic to drilling?
ReplyDeleteWho bragged about his Administration setting record oil, gas, and coal production?
Who promoted offshore drilling just weeks before the BP blowout?
Who failed to regulate mountaintop removal, coal ash impoundments, and greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal plants?
Answer: It was the same guy: Obama.
and who sold out the world in Copehagen
DeleteBill:
DeleteYour questions and answers appears to be correct. Nothing in the blog said otherwise (if that's what you meant). You did leave out a few things the "guy" did do, 50+mpg on cars in a few years, at least for the moment blocking the new tar-sands pipeline.
Indeed he has disappointed me on lots and lots of issues. I am glad it wasn't Palin and the old guy or Ryan and the 47% guy in his place, the fight would even be more gloomy had it been. Stop by again, I'm sure to need some help with the story line.
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DeleteSorry, it is corrected here:
DeleteCopenhagen, and a number of other environmental policy setting meetings have been crippled by the foul four: China, India, Russia, USA. Most the time C, I, and R set on their hands while the USA often takes the lead blocking or watering down progress. I wish it were otherwise.