# Getting beyond ourselves..........



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Looking at some latest news around the world................actually closer to home, and you have to wonder what we are thinking.

There are 4 oil leaks currently going on the Alberta Oil Sands. Apparently, it has been leaking for 9 weeks and they have no idea how to stop it.

http://planetsave.com/2013/07/26/al...ng-oil-for-9-weeks-situation-called-uncommon/

It has finally been revealed the Fukishima nuclear plant has been leaking radioactive water into the ocean. The "front" is heading east towards the US/Canadian west coasts. They have no idea how to stop it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/27/w...d-for-delaying-disclosures-on-leaks.html?_r=0

There is a nuclear plant in the US leaking radioactivity underground. They have no idea how to stop it.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...y-be-leaking-into-soil-from-hanford-site?lite

Please note in each instance............they don't know how to stop it.

Recently, Haliburton settled a claim for their involvement in the Horizon deep water spill. BP is complaining about the cost of cleanup..........and scientists have gone under the ocean and found thousands of miles of oil laden ocean floor. The "additive" used to "hide" the spill from public view didn't dissolve the oil..........it only made it clop together and sink to the ocean floor.

http://www.haliburtonecho.ca/2013/07/26/halliburton-pleads-guilty-to-destroying-gulf-spill-evidence

And lastly, I watched a documentary where a guy went out on a boat looking for the infamous plastic garbage whirlpool in the Pacific Ocean.

He found it...........and it wasn't all that difficult.

Hundreds and hundreds of miles of plastic of all shapes and sizes, on the ocean surface and below, floating in a giant whirlpool east of Hawaii.

The fish and birds eat the resin pellets..............and they die.

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1

What the heck are we doing?


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## Spidey (May 11, 2009)

Re: The oil-sands link - It doesn't say that it is an unnatural event only that it is "uncommon". I've read reports that there are naturally high levels of oil in many areas because, well, it's the oil-sands. 

But that all being said, I think it is totally appropriate to hold industry to the best standards possible. It's just that unless we want to adapt the Amish lifestyle and ditch all modern conveniences it is unrealistic to think that there will be no accidents.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I agree with you, but I think we should be careful we don't let technology get ahead of our ability to control it.


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

A bit late for that isn't it? Just sayin'


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

It may be..........if we continue down the path we are on.

We care for this world as if consumption is more important than life itself.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

That's what we get for letting governments interfere in the free market. We wouldn't have any of these problems if we just let capitalism work. :hopelessness:

:biggrin:


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Absolutely right Nathan. Couldn't agree more!


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## sisco (Oct 18, 2011)

I agree with many of you, economies today do an extremely poor job of "internalizing" environmental costs, so damage and degradation will continue until this error can be rectified. If ever there was a role for government today, it would be this. Government MUST do what it can to protect the environment - the markets, as they are currently structured, will not do an adequate job.

That said, Sags, do you have any evidence to back-up your statement that "scientists have gone under the ocean and found thousands of miles of oil laden ocean floor. The "additive" used to "hide" the spill from public view didn't dissolve the oil..........it only made it clop together and sink to the ocean floor.".....???


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Oil on floor of Gulf

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57566171/study-dirty-bathtub-buried-oil-from-bp-spill/

Lots of references come up under a Google search.

There are also newer reports of oil leaking from the floorbed through fracture created by the BP spill.

Let's also remember that some of these environmental tragedies haven't been "fixed" permanently, and it may not even be possible to do that.

Chernobyl is still smoldering away, under a pile of concrete. How long will Fukishima leak radioactive water into the ocean?

If anyone knows...........they aren't saying.

Maybe that is more my fear...........that our ability to create possible environmental disasters is much higher than our ability to control them.

One classic example that I think about............

The designers of the Titanic were smart enough to build a fabulous ship, and were smart enough to include bullhead walls in the hull, but dumb enough to not build them right up to the ceiling. The cascading water from one damaged bulkhead to others created a domino affect and when enough water weight had shifted.......it eventually sank the ship.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Low levels of radiation are not a problem. We're bathed in radiation constantly, it's the dose rate that matters. 

Coal kills more people every few days than nuclear power ever has.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

For a bit of good news, I read that due to the oil spills in the Gulf, a new bacteria has evolved which eats oil hydrocarbons.

Mother Nature is trying her best to resolve the situation and fix our screwups.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

They didn't evolve. They existed before, but took advantage of the huge increase in resources available to them.


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## sisco (Oct 18, 2011)

Sags, I just read the CBS and Nature.com piece about the "dirty blizzard", and the "dirty bathtub". I'm not saying that there isn't oil on the sea floor, but it seems to me that these researchers have not yet demonstrated that their hypothesis is actually correct. Throughout the article the wording is "could have", or "may be", etc. The DWH spill was an environmental disaster, but it's important to value facts over hypothesis. It is stated in the Nature.com piece that widespread sediment sampling revealed only very low levels of oil contamination.

Here is an article which reveals some of the misinformation that has been presented with respect to the DWH spill.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-01-22/news/os-mike-thomas-bp-oil-spill-012311-20110122_1_spill-oil-gulf

There was a LOT of research money up for grabs during the DWH spill, and unfortunately, some researchers found themselves grasping at straws and making inflammatory statements in an effort to attract attention.

That said, your point is well taken that much more caution must be taken in the future with respect to potentially damaging technologies. We only have one earth, after all.

ps. Oil degrading bacteria have been around for a long time. It has been estimated that up to 500,000 barrels of oil seep into the Gulf of Mexico every year through natural oil seeps - this oil is used by a variety of naturally occurring oil degrading bacteria.


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