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If Only Information Flowed as Freely as Oil
"Deep Spill 2" sounds like a sequel to a Hollywood thriller.
Unfortunately, it is more of a reality show. "Deep Spill 2" is the name of an ambitious series of proposed scientific experiments that should be happening right now. Scientists from around the globe are ready, literally, to dive in to understand what is happening with the oil and gas that are spewing into the Gulf of Mexico with the force of a volcano.
There is one problem, though: BP won't let them.
Ira Leifer is a scientist on the government-appointed Flow Rate Technical Group and a researcher in the Marine Science Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He organized a team of scientists to develop intensive study of the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher, since so little is known about how oil and gas behave underwater, especially at the depths and temperatures one mile below the surface. The group of scientists presented the plan to BP, which ignored them, then to Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Markey wrote to BP on June 10:
"My understanding is that BP has not yet responded to Dr. Leifer's request to make direct flow measurement. ... I request that you provide whatever budget and ROV [robotic vehicle] access is needed to allow these scientists to deploy their measurement activities."
A month later, Dr. Leifer told me: "We have heard nothing from BP. ... Other scientists I know who are doing and trying to do research find themselves blocked at every turn from actually learning what we need to know so we can address this spill safely."
Ten years ago, scientists conducted "Deep Spill 1," a limited, 750-barrel controlled release off the coast of Norway, to study deep-sea oil spill phenomena. The lack of scientific knowledge of deep-water oil disasters allows BP officials like Tony Hayward to pronounce, as he did in late May, that "The oil is on the surface. ... There aren't any plumes."
So, while BP scientists, executives and public relations experts produce sound bites with their own fake "news teams," the world's leading experts are being shut out by BP itself.
Also shut out in the BP Gulf disaster are the media. The Coast Guard has announced new rules keeping the public, including photographers and reporters covering the spill, from coming within 65 feet of any response vessels or booms on the water or on beaches. Violators could face a fine of up to $40,000 and felony charges. In order to get within the 65-foot limit, media must get direct permission from the Coast Guard captain of the Port of New Orleans.
The 65-foot limit follows the rule requiring overhead flights with media to stay above 3,000 feet. Just like the Bush administration barring photographs of flag-draped coffins, the Obama administration seems to be colluding with BP to limit the images of the disaster. With current rules, and with photographers potentially facing felony charges, you can expect far fewer photos and videos of oil-soaked pelicans and dying sea turtles. You probably likely see fewer overhead close-ups showing how woefully inadequate the cleanup is, as 4 million gallons of oil jet into the Gulf every day.
Stories of denial of media access accumulate like tar balls on the beach (which have now made their way into Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain and to beaches in Texas). "PBS NewsHour" reporters were repeatedly denied access to a Department of Health and Human Services "National Disaster Medical System" trailer, ringed with barbed wire. A "CBS Evening News" crew on a boat was accosted by another boat with five BP contractors and two U.S. Coast Guard members, and denied access to an oil-drenched beach.
Dr. Leifer sees reporting as an essential part of the overall process:
"Reporters having access is part of the learning process as a society so that when there are accidents in the future, we actually can respond intelligently and not with a lot of unknown assumptions."
If only BP and the federal government allowed information to flow as freely as the oil, we might well be on the road to dealing with this catastrophe.
Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.
- Posted in
32 Comments so far
Show AllThe United States government needs to be completely humiliated at this point.
We need to do an end run around them and raise the money ourselves so these scientists can do the necessary work to discover the TRUTH.
Maybe Oprah or some other filthy rich human being will finance this since obviously the U.S. Congress/Obama will not.
The federal government knows that if there were to be a top to bottom full investigation into this disaster that they would be blamed as well as BP, Transocean and Halliburton.
The Republicans are stonewalling the vote for there to be subpoena power in the investigation and the Democrats and Obama are letting them get away with it:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25878.htm
There has been major criminal collusion against humanity and nature going on and they are all running like roaches in a filthy kitchen at 3 a.m. when the light is turned on.
you miss the point, it is not a matter of money, they are being physically prevented from approaching any sensitive locations.
The Federal Government should be disbanded.
is this the line in the sand?
Don't expect any help from Oprah, she endorsed Obama early in his camapaign.
C'mon! The entire "Progressive" wing of the Democratic Party fell in love with the glorified social worker now occupying the White House. Sadly, I am one of them. We are now paying the price.
Obama is no more credible as a Democrat than was Willie Boy Clinton. They are both shills for big money, big healthcare, corporations and, yes, the military-industrial complex. Is it not time for us to get our heads out of the sand, research the background of other Democrats who might just have the courage and talent to be a real leader, and immediaely embark on a campaign for him/her to replace Obama as a candidate for the presidency in 2012?
If we don't have a real leader who is a genuine Democrat and an advocate for the people, we have lost the ball game. Honesty and integrity may be virtues in short supply these days, but I hold out hope that there are a few of them still around.
The news media must revisit the charge to them from the Founding Fathers to serve as the watchdog on government and stop serving as company mouthpieces for all the deception they peddle to us on behalf of their political and financial benefactors. So far, they have done a magnificent job of enabling the massive corruption that has been with us for decades, and is only getting worse.
pioagape,
A "genuine Democrat?"
What pray tell is that?
When you find one--let me know......
Dems are just as scummy as the Repugs.
If the common understanding of the term "genuine" somehow escapes the shallow recesses of your limited intellect, far be it for me to try and educate you at this point in time. Given your inability to discern the difference between Democrats and Republicans, I am sure you would be welcomed with open arms by Sarah Palin, the paragons of Republican intellect and their happy band of "Teabaggers."
Good luck.
Obama's performance is grossly inept. His administration's failure to utilize the assistance of the marine researchers reminds me of their complete ignoring of thousands of nurses who wanted to volunteer their time to help Haiti in the days/weeks after the earthquake. The nurses appealed to the Obama admin. and they were ignored!
Also, the harsh punishments for reporters and non-violent protesters today is totally unacceptable. Progressives have to speak out about this at every turn.
Perhaps Amy Goodman can convince someone from the MSM to ask Obama at his next press conference why BP has a veto over everything involved with the spill - even to the point of having the Coast Guard enforce BP's rules.
Geez, what could bp and the gov't possibly be hiding down there? Maybe one or two other wells that blew in the explosion. Maybe a leaking ocean floor. Am I crazy or did I once see a video of oil gushing right out of the ocean floor on one of bp's cameras?
Obviously they know that the situation is out of control.
I very strongly urge all who read this article to help with the Wikipedia spill article. You'd be surprised how few editors take part in a Wikipedia article. And for every article related to big money, you've got to imagine that at least one of those editors is a paid editor with unlimited time and knowledge. Even if you don't feel comfortable with editing, you can join in on the discussions going on on the discussion page.
Watching Democracy Now! this morning I saw a clip from CNN with Anderson Cooper speaking. I found it here:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1007/01/acd.02.html
Read it - it's a good one. I have added that information to the article just this morning.
I thought I might wake up today, the European's might have all the problems of their Nation solved today, and the oil gushing out of the Gulf stopped. I wasn't laying any bets in Vegas of that thing happening, though.
So they don't have all the problems of their Nation solved or the oil gushing out of the Gulf stopped. All the information I personally need about their world.
So just kick back, relax, and enjoy being alive on Creator's earth today. Maybe they'll have all the problems of their Nation solved plus the oil gushing out the Gulf stopped later today, or maybe tomorrow.
But I wouldn't lay any bets in Vegas on that thing happening.
Life is good. What an experience! It's always best to forgive.
I am not certain BP should be compelled to finance research with their own underwater vehicles and "budget" as requested by Markey. It could be in their interest to finance it, but since we don't have the gritty details here, it's not possible to give an informed opinion. I'm reserving judgement. BP should pay for all the damage done by their negligence, but should that include funding research? I'd have to see those details.
I can understand that BP needs to be able to go about its business of drilling the relief wells, under the supervision of the US govt, without planes, helicopters, and reporters all over the place distracting them and getting in the way. That is just common sense.
I do violently disagree with keeping the media out of the oil spill areas on the coastline and places farther removed from the relief well drilling and cleanup vessels.
British East India Company...British Petroleum.
British East India Company...British Petroleum.
Monopolistic activity by the company triggered the Boston Tea Party.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_India_Company
Well it's too bloody late to dump their nasty oil in the harbor... They did it first!
sad
>^^<
This country is a beacon for freedom all over the world. Faux News told me so. I don't need no snoopy reporters telling me different.
One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation. – Thomas B. Reed (1886)
Is 65 feet so bad? It sounds like this rule is being sensationalized in some places by some over reacting. Sixty-five feet isn't so far. They all have high quality telephoto lens. That's enough room to keep the news media from getting in the way of the workers. I don't think they let news media get that close to fire trucks and emergency response centers anywhere without permission. my 2 cents.
People are wondering about this nation that has people in jail for getting caught trying to steal groceries or for having a little bag of weed. BP has spilled millions of gallons of oil in our gulf and none of them are locked up - and the jack asses in charge of the oligarchy would have us believe that justice is taken seriously in the USA. Ho ho ho!
p.s.
Don't forget about WikiLeaks - working to let information flow more freely than oil:
http://twitter.com/wikileaks
LOL!
Right!
We are so f**ked.
I'll have fries with that!
>^^<
"My understanding is that BP has not yet responded to Dr. Leifer's request to make direct flow measurement."
BP isn't stopping anyone from doing anything. Let the scientists from Santa Barbara make the trek to the Deep Horizon spill site. NOBODY is stopping them. Their asking BP's permission is akin to Demoks "bending and stooping" for their Repuk masters. Their cowardice/complicity is NOT amusing.
"Let the scientists from Santa Barbara make the trek to the Deep Horizon spill site. NOBODY is stopping them."
That's right! Fly right out, zip right out to the spill site, and...well that last mile might be a little bit of a problem...
Could somebody please provide me with an explanation why the Navy's "Alvin" from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute is not on the job conducting independent research and monitoring of this disaster. Where is the independent lens of science and journalism? See Alvin here: http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=8422
It's so sad when attorneys become Presidents and behave like corporate attorneys supporting obstruction of justice and denial of alternatives to mitigate damages...
Now there is a useful target for the US military.
Stop the Afghan wars and killing war drones.
The oil of the world, it is already owned by BP.
And what ever the oil touches, BP also thinks it owns.
Oil owns the middle east and the entire Gulf of Mexico,
Oil controls the adjoining governments, and army chiefs.
Oil ensures that climate change continues to grow.
Together Oil and Coal control nearly all of human beliefs.
The sources of all terror always wear a suit and tie.
Have million dollar salaries, to blanket their mind.
The drug dealers of civilisation want to keep up supply.
As long as we keep on using, to the future we are blind.
Fight the oil drug pushers, who make our future grim.
Instead of working for, and making war for their whim,
Stop needling the earth, and spoiling its thin skin
Stop our terrible addiction to energy with carbon.
Our most fervent desires are our enemy.
Stealing the balance of life like a traitorous thief.
Release desire freely and face double jeopardy.
Too much power always leads to grief
I am for supporting Michael Moore for out next president...
Hahahahahaha! Great Joke. Throwing your support behind the guy who practically prostituted himself for mr. hope and change and was quoted as saying "president O would be the first president to receive the Nobel Peace prize, not once, but twice". And just the other day on DemocracyNow.org said that "Afghanistan wasn't Barack's War". wow. yeah there is an intelligent individual for you. NOT.
I suggest you vote for someone other than the two clowns that will be running for the dems and repubs.
I thought it was all over.. no news on the MSM this week, I guess this explains it. Kinda like Chernobyl it'S there it'll kill you if you get too close. but don't worry, go have a nice day, "we" got it covered. "WE" being the government. and we're here to help!.
>^^<
The United States of Fascism, thievery, destruction, and
murder.
P.S. does anyone believe these live feeds? I don't .........
there is more reason to believe they are fake than real......
pioagape v chelsey -
Too bad pio.. can't explain 'genuine democrat' and resorts to personal attack on chelsey to cover pio's own inability?
pio... put a name to your genuine d maybe T kennedy, b boxer, r fiengold, b biden