Free Spilly

I just heard today that BP used a diamond-edged saw to successfully cut off the top of the damaged riser pipe! Yay! Unfortunately, the saw they used could only give them a 'rough' cut of the pipe instead of a clean one. The saw was actually used earlier in the week for the same purpose, but it got stuck halfway through. And that shit's made out of diamonds! The next step in this oily shitstorm is to put a cap on top of the opening in order to capture the oil and 'siphon' it to the surface. However, even this familiar challenge is being undertaken within BP's 'test and adapt' phase of operations. Isn't that where we've been from the beginning?

The oil spill is a problem that is getting worse by the day, and the effects it is having on the Gulf Coast region are just now being felt. Florida's coastal regions could begin seeing the oil as early as today. Life both in the sea and on the land will be directly affected, not to mention the economies of these areas, as tourism inevitably plummets and fishing companies lose money and go under.

This is an issue that the federal government needs to really step up in. I'd like to see President Obama become a little more vocal about the spill. He speak about BP with a harsher tone than he has thus far used. Bush was faulted for his complacency in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Obama needs to be the anti-Bush in this situation - isn't that why is got elected in the first place? Obviously a president's time is priceless, but the oil spill has to be priority number one.

It should be obvious to most people by now that BP is a company that cuts corners in order to turn a larger profit. The Oil age is killing us people! As long as companies like BP are being relied upon for our energy consumption, we will have to deal with problems like these. Sure, the last significant oil spill was well over a decade ago, but the consequences that follow last for probably as many years after.

I read today that electric chargup stations will be installed in a handful of locations throughout the country. These stations will preclude the arrival of several semi-electric vehicles being introduced for 2011, including the Ford Focus and GM's Volt. This is a great step forward for our transition into a new energy era and I just thought I'd end the post on a positive note by mentioning it. See ya soon.