Oil Spill Is Really Pissing Me Off!!!!

[Notorik]

Now the Coast Guard is working for BP. Since when does a branch of the military take orders from a corporation? Oh yeah, pretty much always.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/07/1 ... -role.html

[TomRhymer]

I could be mistaken, but I don't think that the Coast Guard has the legal right to take over unless asked by the company. The rig site is 40 miles from the coast, so I think it's in international waters.

[Flash]

The obvious solution is for everyone to stop using petroleum products. Anything short of that means we implicitly approve of the risk of more oil leaks.

I heard the other day that there's been a major oil spill in the Niger Delta every year since 1969. That was the first time I'd heard of it.

If we continue to use oil while refusing to allow oil companies to drill near our shores where we can at least keep an eye on them and hold their feet to the fire, then we're guilty of the worst kind of hypocrisy, not to mention being silent partners in crimes against nature.

[Notorik]

The obvious solution is for everyone to stop using petroleum products. Anything short of that means we implicitly approve of the risk of more oil leaks.

I heard the other day that there's been a major oil spill in the Niger Delta every year since 1969. That was the first time I'd heard of it.

If we continue to use oil while refusing to allow oil companies to drill near our shores where we can at least keep an eye on them and hold their feet to the fire, then we're guilty of the worst kind of hypocrisy, not to mention being silent partners in crimes against nature.

Point taken but what is the likelihood of everyone altruistically deciding not to use petroleum products? This kind of decision needs to be made at the governmental level because people are not going to naturally do what is best for the majority. Even though we are slowly killing ourselves by polluting our water, destroying our forests and poisoning our food supplies with toxic chemicals.

[jamesbond]

The problem is, use of petroleum-derived products is so pervasive in our post-modern world. Look around us - can you tell one thing that doesn't contain any petroleum product in it?

[tony]

Hi,

Iraqi oil will last about 15 years. Iranian oil about another 5.

Pipeline through Afghanistan 10 years.

After that it's nuclear fast reactors.

Regards Tony.

[battleshooter]

Point taken but what is the likelihood of everyone altruistically deciding not to use petroleum products? This kind of decision needs to be made at the governmental level because people are not going to naturally do what is best for the majority. Even though we are slowly killing ourselves by polluting our water, destroying our forests and poisoning our food supplies with toxic chemicals.

Yup, but the majority's also never going to vote for someone who will "not to use [ban?] petroleum products" so surely it comes back again to the people's responsibility/choice?

Battleshooter

[tubeguy]

Hi,

Iraqi oil will last about 15 years. Iranian oil about another 5.

Pipeline through Afghanistan 10 years.

After that it's nuclear fast reactors.

Regards Tony.

Yup. And with no oil, say goodbye to plastics as we know them.

[Notorik]

Yup. And with no oil, say goodbye to plastics as we know them.

I am using a coffee mug made of corn "plastic". What's wrong with using bamboo cups? There are alternatives to frickn' plastic.

Just read that this spill will make the Exxon Valdez look tiny in comparison.

"Drill baby drill"! Palin, McCain, Republicans, all conservatives everywhere who supported this, SHAME!

[tubeguy]

Yup. And with no oil, say goodbye to plastics as we know them.

I am using a coffee mug made of corn "plastic". What's wrong with using bamboo cups? There are alternatives to frickn' plastic.

Right, I said plastics "as we know them". Of course there are alternatives, good luck mainstreaming them is all I'm saying. It will be interesting to see it happen when we have no choice, how people react to having to pay lots more for stuff we get at WalMart for 49¢.

[Notorik]

Right, I said plastics "as we know them". Of course there are alternatives, good luck mainstreaming them is all I'm saying. It will be interesting to see it happen when we have no choice, how people react to having to pay lots more for stuff we get at WalMart for 49¢.

True. But let me pose this, my corn "plastic" mug is comparable in price, looks, and function to a standard regular plastic mug. Don't you think that people will choose to buy the environmentally responsible product if given the choice of comparable products? This is the dastardly optimist in me coming out. I don't allow him to surface too often as he tends to get "head-slapped".

[bugman]

i use a ceramic mug

that i bought at the thrift store

[25 cents, there are dozens still on the shelf]

[tubeguy]

Right, I said plastics "as we know them". Of course there are alternatives, good luck mainstreaming them is all I'm saying. It will be interesting to see it happen when we have no choice, how people react to having to pay lots more for stuff we get at WalMart for 49¢.

True. But let me pose this, my corn "plastic" mug is comparable in price, looks, and function to a standard regular plastic mug. Don't you think that people will choose to buy the environmentally responsible product if given the choice of comparable products? This is the dastardly optimist in me coming out. I don't allow him to surface too often as he tends to get "head-slapped".

Not in my experience. Good on you for being enlightened, but I don't think the majority is. I didn't know that corn plastic was so cheap though, maybe all is not as bleak as I think.

[bugman]

But let me pose this, my corn "plastic" mug is comparable in price, looks, and function to a standard regular plastic mug.

corn is displacing food farming, driving up prices of basic commodities such as rice and beans

which is the the bulk of my diet, and which has doubled in price since the corn madness began

sadly, though i can buy damn near everything else used, thus doing my bit in reducing all manufacturing [and landfilling to boot], food has to be bought new

oh what can a poor man eat these days?

[tubeguy]

sadly, though i can buy damn near everything else used, thus doing my bit in reducing all manufacturing [and landfilling to boot], food has to be bought new

Funniest thing I've read today.

[bugman]

actually, since posting, i realized that i do get a bit of used food

i've given up on the food bank since their takeover by the assembly of god church [scary and pestering and the food is mostly boxed and canned crap]

but two-day-old baked goods are still delivered to a shelf in the health department, including fancy breads and bagels

and action for eastern montana gets a bunch of other outdated stuff - fruit juices, yogurt, those expensive bags of spinach and other 'prepared' veggies, once even tofu and kimchi [a bugman top ten food favorite!]

all counts as used, in the context of purchase and disposal

[Lobster]

http://www.infographicworld.com/infogra ... ening.html

[Notorik]

Very sad:

http://vodpod.com/watch/3524661-palins- ... -oil-spill

[TomRhymer]

Right, I said plastics "as we know them". Of course there are alternatives, good luck mainstreaming them is all I'm saying. It will be interesting to see it happen when we have no choice, how people react to having to pay lots more for stuff we get at WalMart for 49¢.

True. But let me pose this, my corn "plastic" mug is comparable in price, looks, and function to a standard regular plastic mug. Don't you think that people will choose to buy the environmentally responsible product if given the choice of comparable products? This is the dastardly optimist in me coming out. I don't allow him to surface too often as he tends to get "head-slapped".

Not in my experience. Good on you for being enlightened, but I don't think the majority is. I didn't know that corn plastic was so cheap though, maybe all is not as bleak as I think.

The corn-based plastic isn't really that cheap, it's heavily government-subsidized. It's nearly impossible to figure out the actual cost of anything involving corn, given that there are subsidies both to grow it and for non-food applications. I'm not really criticizing, that same sort of thing goes into almost anything related to the environment these days.

[tubeguy]

True. But let me pose this, my corn "plastic" mug is comparable in price, looks, and function to a standard regular plastic mug. Don't you think that people will choose to buy the environmentally responsible product if given the choice of comparable products? This is the dastardly optimist in me coming out. I don't allow him to surface too often as he tends to get "head-slapped".

Not in my experience. Good on you for being enlightened, but I don't think the majority is. I didn't know that corn plastic was so cheap though, maybe all is not as bleak as I think.

The corn-based plastic isn't really that cheap, it's heavily government-subsidized. It's nearly impossible to figure out the actual cost of anything involving corn, given that there are subsidies both to grow it and for non-food applications. I'm not really criticizing, that same sort of thing goes into almost anything related to the environment these days.

Something else I didn't know. Well I guess we have to start somewhere, if it takes subsidies to get corn production for oil going then that's what it takes to start weaning ourselves off prehistoric fuel supplies.

Edit: comment placement