The Great BP 'Oil Clean-Up' Scam
President Obama dipped his feet for a couple of minutes in the stinking waters of a Florida beach and announced that 'beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean, safe and open for business' in a publicity stunt that seemed more appropriate for a Simpsons episode than real life. Indeed, contrary to the rosy picture painted by Obama's irresponsible call for ordinary Americans to 'come on down here, not just to support the region, but also because it's a beautiful place to visit,' the facts tell a different story that will persist for decades.
It's not only a matter of how long the oil will take to biodegrade or be cleaned up. Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) discovered a massive plume of hydrocarbons from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico measuring at least 22 miles long, more than 3,000 feet below the ocean's surface. Their study, published in the August 19 issue of Science, claims that although the oil droplets that make up the plume are too small for the eye to see, samples of the plume analyzed confirmed the existence of benzene, toluene, ethybenzene, and xylenes. The team saw no signs that microorganisms were degrading the oil.
Researchers at the University of Georgia have concluded that 80 percent of the oil, representing up to 3.2 million barrels of the black gunk, still remains in the ecosystem. We suspect this may be a very optimistic assessment as it does not take into account the newly discovered plume and we doubt that BP has managed to recover the claimed 20 percent. It does not take a scientist to see that the oil did not magically disappear as BP claims. Rather, the toxic dispersant Corexit sank it to the bottom of the sea floor. In this way, BP and the US government sought to "mortgage" the cost of the clean-up over many years, if indeed it can be cleaned up at all. The chances are that the damage has already been done to the world's eco-systems, but the real repercussions are yet to be felt. This winter may bring some nasty surprises!
A man named Steve who was hired to help in the clean-up effort described what he saw to Counterpunch:
"It's as if a nuclear apocalypse has gone off in the Gulf," he said. "The media is not telling the truth. No one is telling the truth. Let me tell you something. Yesterday on the beach where we work, my crew cleaned up seven hundred bags of oil. Today we went back and the beach was completely covered in oil, as if we had never been there. Today we carried away another seven hundred and fifty bags. Every day we clean up, then the tide brings it in again. The oil is everywhere, deep under the sand. Today I wanted to measure the oil, so I stuck my shovel into the sand and the oil was down there eight inches deep."
Steve leaned in close, "Do you want to know how long my contract is to work down here?" he asked. "Three years." His jaw muscles tightened as if he wanted to suck his words back into his mouth, but could not. "They are telling everyone it is not so bad, but clean-up will take many years. I am going to be here a long time." Steve wiped a hand heavily over his eyes as if they were burning. "Let me tell you something. Today we saw three sharks washed up dead on the beach. The insides of their noses were black with oil. The membranes of their mouths were black with oil. Their eyes were black with oil."
The latest development in the unfolding Gulf tragedy is the explosion of yet another oil rig, this one belonging to Mariner Energy of Houston, located about 200 miles west of the BP spill site. The fire sent its crew of 13 into the water, injuring one. The Coast Guard reported that an oil sheen a mile long and 100 feet wide has spread from the site. As for the cause of the fire, it is either not known or we are simply not being told - and we are not holding our breath for the truth.
There is also great cause for concern about the possibility that hurricanes will carry toxic pollutants over the US mainland. After a slow start, hurricane season has finally kicked into gear with Danielle and Earl, and tropical storm Hermine. These have not yet strongly impacted the Gulf region but according to one hurricane forecast what we've seen so far is just the beginning of a very busy season that may bring 18 tropical storms, out of which 10 could be hurricanes. Contrary to what the following video states, it is not just a possibility but rather a virtual certainty that the poisonous oil/Corexit mixture will be carried further inland within the next three months. The question is when and how far, but it could be as far north as New England.
No comments:
Post a Comment