BP making me mad now!

[Ken Stallings]

I just read and heard where government inspectors are complaining that they are being harrassed by BP employees and prevented from installing their underwater measurement equipment. The claim being passed is that BP's legal staff is directing this action to limit the company's liability, which is likely to be based upon the total spill volume.

Worse, local news media in the Gulf area are now reporting damning information about the clean up crews that BP has hired. Reports are that the crews don't appear too terribly motivated to perform the labor and are taking a lot of time off. Judging by the looks of the people, they appear very young and untrained.

To my way to seeing it, it seems BP has decided to hire summer workers at the lowest possible rates.

In fact, by contrast, volunteers coordinated by local governments appear to be much harder working. In addition, local hotel owners are employing crews to perform cleanup who are doing a better job. Right now the local hotel owners who stand to lose the most are furious and openly accusing BP of slow rolling the efforts. They are going on record as saying necessary clean up equipment is being promised in vain by BP but never delivered.

Frankly, it seems all BP can do is spend $15 million on PR ads!

If this turns out true, BP executives are going down and going down very very hard! And in my personal view, if these complaints by numerous people are validated, then I want the US Justice Department to issue an official request for extradition of BP's CEO and frog march his butt to federal prison to stand trial for criminal negligence!

Ken

[Crusader]

I couldn,t agree more with you on this one Ken . I truely feel sorry for all the people affected by this on the Gulf Coast . I hope they plug this damn thing and soon ! BP hasn't even scraped the surface or put a dent in their profits IMO .http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/icons/icon8.gif

Rich

[Kiwikat]

Frankly, it seems all BP can do is spend $15 million on PR ads!

If this turns out true, BP executives are going down and going down very very hard! And in my personal view, if these complaints by numerous people are validated, then I want the US Justice Department to issue an official request for extradition of BP's CEO and frog march his butt to federal prison to stand trial for criminal negligence!

Gee, if they spend any more it *might* put a scratch in their 80 billion dollar Christmas bonuses! These people are the absolute biggest scum on the planet. Plug the hole with their bodies.

They will get away with everything. We will end up paying for the cleanup. Locals will lose jobs, homes, and lifestyles, and the rich @&*#(^#%@ will just keep living the way they are.



Welcome to America! Land of the free and home of the brave... if you have money. :salute:

[PSULLYKEYS]

O'Bama's latest makes the most sense: When BP profits to the shareholders are released, they will go instead to the people adversely effected by their lack of professionalism. BP's Chairman admitted that the people doing the original work were not BP employees. Did someone from BP bother to check the credentials/equipment/training/work experience of the companies involved? What do you think? The head honcho will I'm sure admit his underlings are responsible. He was too busy playing golf or something, as were his VPs. 7 figure morons, with no social conscience or responsibilities. Another example of the good ole boy board director scam that is American business culture. Workers get crumbs, scum bags on top make it all.

[Cloud9Gal]

http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-sign-smileys-994.gif (http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/Free-Music-Smileys/)

Hey guys~ let's leave politics out of this one. We can certainly have a "healthy" conversation about BP, but let's keep it Newshawks-friendly :)

Thank you so much!

[Trans_23]

If this turns out true, BP executives are going down and going down very very hard! And in my personal view, if these complaints by numerous people are validated, then I want the US Justice Department to issue an official request for extradition of BP's CEO and frog march his butt to federal prison to stand trial for criminal negligence!

Ken
Nice thought there Ken and I agree but it will never happen. Except for a few exceptions, people with money just don't go to jail. The BP CEO will die a fat happy cat with all his money in the bank.

[Henry]

sadly as soon as the US threatened legal action
everyone is looking over there shoulder
and confirming with there lawyers first
bad move for all
enough for my politics
im as mad as anyone
but a bad move
need to get it fixed first
and now i crossed the line
H

[Ripcord13]

Nice thought there Ken and I agree but it will never happen. Except for a few exceptions, people with money just don't go to jail. The BP CEO will die a fat happy cat with all his money in the bank.

This situation is equal to a terrorist attack on our homeland, causing great damage to the way of life and way of making a living for so many people, not to mention the damage to the envrionment and wild life. But these people responsible for the disaster will go on living the life of privilege and luxury while the US justice dept. just sits around with their thumbs up their A**es. And the American tax payer foots the bill for the clean up. Tell me in a year from now that I am wrong.

[Ken Stallings]

This situation is equal to a terrorist attack on our homeland, causing great damage to the way of life and way of making a living for so many people, not to mention the damage to the envrionment and wild life. But these people responsible for the disaster will go on living the life of privilege and luxury while the US justice dept. just sits around with their thumbs up their A**es. And the American tax payer foots the bill for the clean up. Tell me in a year from now that I am wrong.

I think this is where that must change, and can change. You are right, if this were a deliberate terror attack then, well, this is the stuff wars are made of.

However, this was on paper an accident and I was very willing to assume that and provide the benefit of the doubt to other claims.

But, as the facts have emerged it seems clear there was systemic negligence that contributed mightily to this accident. Beyond just the gargantuan economic impact of this mishap there must also be added the eight lives lost. You cannot put a price tag on that. Then to have this CEO say to Congress, "I wish I had my life back!" Well, I cannot imagine a more tone deaf and insensitive remark to make. Even uttered in private it reveals a fundamental lack of morality.

But, to utter it immediately after and on public record while under oath, that takes it a whole different level of insensitivity. Now it appears they are nickle and dimeing themselves on the vital cleanup operations by hiring amateurs to perform the work. Even Exxon hired professional crews to perform clean up. What I'm seeing hired by BP aren't looking like professionals, but like a collection of college kids and high school kids looking for temporary summer employment!

That type of negligence in my eyes is a whole new level of crass abdication of basic responsibility. I can accept accidents. What I cannot condone is arrogance both in negligence reinforced with unaccountability.

So, for those reasons, perhaps this needs to become the new poster for corporate criminal negligence. There are a lot of sage arguments that can be made to avoid doing this, but in this case, enough is enough and it is time for society to remind these people that with great rewards come great responsibilities.

Ken

[Skittles]

Is there a reputable source for all this?

[stuartcox]

Is this just cynical or a joke gone wrong?

http://www.dailytech.com/BP+Buys+AdWords+on+Google+Yahoo+for+Oil+Spill+to+H elp+Victims/article18666.htm

[tonybones2112]

My only guesses on the BP thing is who blew the well, the British SBS(Special Boat Service, their SEALS) or our own SEALS. The men who blew this well I have no doubt are where the 11 who died in the explosions, the witnesses: Somewhere with .22s in the back of their heads.

Having sold out to the Saudi Royal Family, the Democrats don't want offshore drilling, although it's been done in the North Sea for decades with few disasters, not enough to stop the practice. Why else would Obama sign the bill not long ago that authorized more offshore drilling if he didn't know this one would soon be popping and people like Ken would be outraged and we would have no offshore drilling because of public opinion?

Is this political? No, this is court and trial procedure. The circumstantial evidence is too strong this well was sabotaged. We even got a cover story, a false "conspiracy" theory that the North Koreans blew it to impeach any further discussions of this being an intentional act of sabotage. Only one little itty bitty tiny thing puts the N. Korean fairy tale in the drink: That's N. Korean subs paying toll at the Panama Canal without being noticed.

"Ah, honorable pleasure cruise, HAI!"

Bones

[Skittles]

Is this just cynical or a joke gone wrong?

http://www.dailytech.com/BP+Buys+AdWords+on+Google+Yahoo+for+Oil+Spill+to+H elp+Victims/article18666.htm

Neither. It's a genuine attempt to help people suffering with problems.

Why on earth would an oil company CHOOSE to associate themselves further with environmental disasters?

[Cratermaker]

My only guesses on the BP thing is who blew the well, the British SBS(Special Boat Service, their SEALS) or our own SEALS. The men who blew this well I have no doubt are where the 11 who died in the explosions, the witnesses: Somewhere with .22s in the back of their heads.

Having sold out to the Saudi Royal Family, the Democrats don't want offshore drilling, although it's been done in the North Sea for decades with few disasters, not enough to stop the practice. Why else would Obama sign the bill not long ago that authorized more offshore drilling if he didn't know this one would soon be popping and people like Ken would be outraged and we would have no offshore drilling because of public opinion?

Is this political? No, this is court and trial procedure. The circumstantial evidence is too strong this well was sabotaged. We even got a cover story, a false "conspiracy" theory that the North Koreans blew it to impeach any further discussions of this being an intentional act of sabotage. Only one little itty bitty tiny thing puts the N. Korean fairy tale in the drink: That's N. Korean subs paying toll at the Panama Canal without being noticed.

"Ah, honorable pleasure cruise, HAI!"

Bones
I'm not sure if you are serious, trying to practice your creative writing skills, or trying to get the thread locked. :confused:

[Henry]

I'm not sure if you are serious, trying to practice your creative writing skills, or trying to get the thread locked. :confused:
LOL
actually i was sent here to do just that
i am a bp mole
ok back to facts
i do believe BP should pay all the way
but please do not let politics get in the way
im not that far away and was thinking of going down there and helping
to see for myself
its a tragedy
H

[Ken Stallings]

Is there a reputable source for all this?

Well, there is nothing more reputable than video showing the actual cleanup crews hired by BP, and noting their ages and their cleanup methods. I have seen these videos from numerous sources and it was pretty clear.

Now we have the governers of Alabama and Louisiana both going on record slamming BP for failure to provide barrier equipment. Alabama was so desperate and mistrustful of BP, that they are paying thousands of dollars a day to rent barges and lining them up to provide an oil and wave barrier to protect Mobile bay. It has worked really well and BP refused to help! So, based on what Mobile, AL did, Bobby Jindal is doing it immediately to protect the Louisiana delta region. Essentially the gulf states are telling BP to "stick it" and based upon mistrust they are going it alone!

Right now, the trick isn't finding someone angry at BP for their lack of actions. Rather, it seems virtually impossible to find any credible source saying, "Yeah, BP is stepping up!"

Ken

[Bone]

The whole thing sickens me.

[Naismith]

I only hope the whole unfortunate business acts as a brake on their explorations in Alaska. And now they have found oil off the Falkland Islands. A touch too close to wilderness Antarctica for my liking.

[Ken Stallings]

I only hope the whole unfortunate business acts as a brake on their explorations in Alaska. And now they have found oil off the Falkland Islands. A touch too close to wilderness Antarctica for my liking.


You see, that's another reason I'm so angry at BP. There are many companies doing this stuff for decades safely and properly. I don't think it would be fair to ruin them because of BP, and why the other oil companies should be out there expressing their outrage over BP's ineptness.

Exxon did a better job handling their Valdez disaster, and have since stood up to convert all their tankers to the double hull design.

Ken

[tonybones2112]

I'm not sure if you are serious, trying to practice your creative writing skills, or trying to get the thread locked. :confused:

I pay very little attention to this part of the SOH forums for that reason, that everyone's feelings and views of reality are tissue thin and because there is no such thing as "freedom of speech". No, I'm serious as a heart attack.

My "creative writing skills" only insure I'm able to communicate my thoughts accurately and need no practice. if everyone's nerves are too shattered to have an open discussion, if we are too naive' to consider any alternatives other than four legs good, BP bad, four legs good, BP bad, maybe the thread needs closing. All I've seen is a lot of BP bashing, and no comments on a solution; the organic/biological emulsifiers that COULD have stopped much of this damage that was used in Texas numerous times but for some reason has slipped Mein Fuhrer's memory while he builds political capital on a disaster.

Four legs good, BP bad, four legs good, BP bad. Do you all feel better?

Boxer The Horse

[Willy]

actually i was sent here to do just that
i am a bp mole
H

Ah! That explains why an Englishman would be living in Louisiana. :d

[Ken Stallings]

I pay very little attention to this part of the SOH forums for that reason, that everyone's feelings and views of reality are tissue thin and because there is no such thing as "freedom of speech". No, I'm serious as a heart attack.

My "creative writing skills" only insure I'm able to communicate my thoughts accurately and need no practice. if everyone's nerves are too shattered to have an open discussion, if we are too naive' to consider any alternatives other than four legs good, BP bad, four legs good, BP bad, maybe the thread needs closing. All I've seen is a lot of BP bashing, and no comments on a solution; the organic/biological emulsifiers that COULD have stopped much of this damage that was used in Texas numerous times but for some reason has slipped Mein Fuhrer's memory while he builds political capital on a disaster.

Four legs good, BP bad, four legs good, BP bad. Do you all feel better?

Boxer The Horse

Huh, well I thought perhaps you were joking. But, since you've gone out of your way to say you were quite serious, then try this "creative" written reply on for size.

If you really believe either the British SAS or the US Navy SEALS would deliberately cause a massive ecological and economic disaster for the United States, then personally I hope you pay much longer lack of attention, or participation, to "this part of SOH."

Was that "clear" enough for you?

Sincerely,

Ken Stallings

[PeteHam]

In NZ, BP is one company I refuse to deal with.

It's always the first to increase fuel prices ( usually by a day or two ), and sometimes the only one to do so.

We're fortunate to have a choice of Fuel Companies where I live and Gull which is an Independant is always the lowest on prices.

It helps to keep the other couple ( Shell & Caltex ) in the same road 'honest' on their prices.

The fiasco in the Gulf reinforces my belief in never to deal with BP.

Pete.

[Henry]

In NZ, BP is one company I refuse to deal with.

It's always the first to increase fuel prices ( usually by a day or two ), and sometimes the only one to do so.

We're fortunate to have a choice of Fuel Companies where I live and Gull which is an Independant is always the lowest on prices.

It helps to keep the other couple ( Shell & Caltex ) in the same road 'honest' on their prices.

The fiasco in the Gulf reinforces my belief in never to deal with BP.

Pete.
personally i believe BP just got screwed because they where the ones who it happened
too it could have been many others
believe me im not happy but it could have been exon or whoever
BP caused it and i hope will fix it
but there for the grace of god go i
the problem is deeper and hopefully the next generation
will not have this problem
but
H

[EasyEd]

Hey All,


the organic/biological emulsifiers that COULD have stopped much of this damage that was used in Texas numerous times but for some reason has slipped Mein Fuhrer's memory while he builds political capital on a disaster.1) BP chose what to use until told different - it was BP's choice - I don't know if they are using anything right now and I'll ignore the connections between the manufacturer of Corexit and BP about just who is on what board and the desirability to use up old stock of a generally unacceptable chemical before eating the loss.

If interested though you can look here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/business/energy-environment/13greenwire-less-toxic-dispersants-lose-out-in-bp-oil-spil-81183.html

That said EPA should have outlawed it long ago.

2)
the organic/biological emulsifiers that COULD have stopped much of this damage that was used in Texas numerous times... I assume you mean organic/biological emulsifiers in salt water in an ocean and approved for that use? What product?

3) Mein Fuhrer is a democratically elected President of the government - of the people by the people and for the people that hopefully will not perish from this earth. One of the truly sad things about America today is that so many people simply do not understand the meaning of the word respect or understand the amount of character it takes to speak their minds about a duly elected President in a respectful way when he represents the wishes of the Nation.

That said... Two quotes...

1) There is one and only one responsibility of business - to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game.
Milton Friedman 1970

2) At this moment, America's highest economic need is higher ethical standards -- standards enforced by strict laws and upheld by responsible business leaders.
George W. Bush 2002

Now how do these quotes apply to - Wall street, corporations, BP in the gulf?

As far as BPs actions are they really doing any more than what Milton Friedman preached? The question is have they technically been "within the rules of the game"? That will certainly be a question for the courts with respect to 11 deaths but beyond that? In the court of public opinion BP has already lost - but how much weight that court really carries when your big enough and supply something everyone sees as critical remains to be seen. I've no doubt a lot of people simply see the gulf fiasco as - in order to have an omlette (cheap gas at the gas station) you have to break some eggs (the gulf of Mexico). Will - or have - the rules of the game change(d)?

As much as I confess to despising GW Bush he hit the nail on the head with what he said in 2002 about "economic need ... ethical standards... enforced by strict laws... upheld by responsible business leaders" too bad he couldn't enforce it. Does BP - or government for that matter - behave by ethical standards - Milton Friedman implies they aren't needed only legal compliance is necessary? Have strict laws (or regulations around deepwater oil drilling) been enacted and enforced or are the laws and regulations lax? And if they are lax - why? Are ethical standards and laws/regulations upheld by responsible business leaders (like Tony Hayward, Bank CEOs)? Will they be?

To me the reaction(s)/demands of the American people around ethics (and I include environmental here), business practices, accountability, energy investment strategy and the resultant government action (or lack thereof) will be all-telling about the future of America.

-Ed-

[HouseHobbit]

ALL of this breaks my heart..
The damage done is truly behond my scope of understanding..
Whatever may come of this, If anything.
I do Hope that improvements are made, and our Children don't have to fight this battle again..

I will not and cannot comment on who did what or who is to blame..
I am far too uninformed..
It is a outrage, that this might not have had to happen..
If this failure was due to something wrong in BP management, then they should be held to a higher standard..

I do Hope that all harmed by this have a chance to recover, and recieve what is owed
to them..
But we shall see..
I Pray, at some point we do learn better from this..

I always will remain hopeful; that we may yet learn a better way..

[hewman100]

I don't know or fully understand what happened, how it happened or anything.

I'm just annoyed that the apportioning of blame seems to have overrode the urgency of getting the problem fixed.
Fixing the leak should have been first priority for ALL involved in oil exploration and drilling.

The best people to deal with the problem should have been sent on site immediately with any equipment needed regardless of where it came from, and then the bill presented to BP et al. afterwards.

A lot of people on all sides are bleating about the after-effects of this disaster. If there had been a concerted and determined effort by all who were likely to be affected by it including the US Govt. as soon as it happened then the situation would not be as dire as it is.

This is a statement of FACT.

'Blame' Culture on all levels has got completely out of control and the only real winners in the end are the lawyers.

[PSULLYKEYS]

How about this point of view:

http://www.infowars.com/steve-wynn-takes-on-washington/

Mr. Wynn has a point. The legal system is also out of control. ya think?:jump:

[jhefner]

As far as BPs actions are they really doing any more than what Milton Friedman preached? The question is have they technically been "within the rules of the game"? That will certainly be a question for the courts with respect to 11 deaths but beyond that? In the court of public opinion BP has already lost - but how much weight that court really carries when your big enough and supply something everyone sees as critical remains to be seen. I've no doubt a lot of people simply see the gulf fiasco as - in order to have an omlette (cheap gas at the gas station) you have to break some eggs (the gulf of Mexico). Will - or have - the rules of the game change(d)?

As much as I confess to despising GW Bush he hit the nail on the head with what he said in 2002 about "economic need ... ethical standards... enforced by strict laws... upheld by responsible business leaders" too bad he couldn't enforce it. Does BP - or government for that matter - behave by ethical standards - Milton Friedman implies they aren't needed only legal compliance is necessary? Have strict laws (or regulations around deepwater oil drilling) been enacted and enforced or are the laws and regulations lax? And if they are lax - why? Are ethical standards and laws/regulations upheld by responsible business leaders (like Tony Hayward, Bank CEOs)? Will they be?

To me the reaction(s)/demands of the American people around ethics (and I include environmental here), business practices, accountability, energy investment strategy and the resultant government action (or lack thereof) will be all-telling about the future of America.

-Ed-

I thought the following was a good read, and falls right in line with what you are saying:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/07/ap-govt-fails-latest-test-trust-gulf/

Bones' remarks so remind me of the comments after Katrina that Bush had the leeves blown up in N.O. post Katrina because N.O. was a Democrat city, or something to that effect. Also reminds me of some of the Kennedy assassination theories.

To which I say hogwash. But it does underscore our lack of trust in both the government and corporations; going back to the 1960s.

-James

[Bjoern]

...

I like your writing style. :d

[cheezyflier]

2AAa0gd7ClM

[Cratermaker]

That was hilarious!

[Clarke123]

Throw a ping pong ball in it 10065

[peter12213]

hahahah, I love that guy who is the public! really funny!

[nio]

BP to their credit held up their hands straightaway and announced that they were ultimately responsible for the accident and its consequences.There may be arguments down the line about quantum of claims but it has done the decent thing in not seeking to hide away.

They are trying to put matters right.They are judged daily on how their efforts progress and have paid a huge price .The price they have paid and will pay is as nothing of course to the price paid by those who sadly lost their lives on that rig.

It may be helpful to recall that this is not the only environmental disaster that has occurred in past times.

Bhopal has been in the news this week concerning the conviction after 25 years of those involved.

Union Carbide was the Company which in that case was ultimately responsible for a loss of life and contamination on a massive scale.

Within three days of the gas explosion , 8,000 were dead. Thousands more died in the months afterwards. And 500,000 people were exposed to the gas. Many still suffer life-long chronic illnesses.

The story of the attempts by that Company to avoid liability and the consequences of its criminal acts is well documented and does not make for happy reading.It is a dismal tale.

I am not having a pop at anyone or trying to stir up bad feeling .Far from it.I am just trying to add some perspective.

best

nio

[Ken Stallings]

Yeah, if they followed through on their words, I'd have a lot less issue with BP.

If they had not strongarmed Deepwater Horizon to substitute sea water for the heavy mud, I'd have even less issue with BP.

If the oil rig captain had not allowed overly centralized control that resulted in deadly delays in sealing the well head, then likely we would not be having this issue and eight people would be alive.

If a frog had wings ....

Ken

[roger-wilco-66]

[...]

If a frog had wings ....

Ken


Right on, Ken.. Just what I thought.


Cheers,
Mark

[KOM.Nausicaa]

BP or any other company - it doesn't matter. The problem is the greed for oil. Years ago, you know what was considered extremely deep sea drilling? .........300 meters. Now we have a problem at 1600 meters, that nobody can fix, becuase working at this depth is like building a base on the moon. Extremely complicated. Still, there are already plans for drilling at 7000 meters. The deepest spot in the oceans we know of is 11000 meters. We should not drill at depths were nobody can repair when something goes wrong! That is the heart of the problem.

[lefty]

I'm not going to start defending BP - there are serious management flaws here - (and before you all crucify them, just remember 40% of BP's stockholding is held in the U.S. )

It just seems illogical to indulge in on-the-limit drilling and extraction without any real contingency plans - surely this should be controlled by some sort of legislation, not just US but global. The same thing could happen in any of our oceans, and accidents are always going to happen, just like shipwrecks. We must be able to react in some way better than this very amateur-looking effort.

[Roadburner440]

Haven't read all the responses, and I will leave my political feelings out of this (no I do not think the government is involved, but do believe that current and past have not done all they could to monitor said company). I find it a telling sign of our times that this company is unwilling to take responsibility, and keeps trying to pass blame on to the rigs builder/operator for what has happened. Them trying to limit their liability is a shame... They should have some kind of plan in place, and funds set aside because at some given point they should plan for something like this to happen. Not saying it is unavoidable.. But it would be better for these companies to have money set aside in case something like this happens and never does. Instead of what appears to have happened and now they are trying to limit their liability, and attempting to get government to pick up the tab.... I know whenever I make a decision to do something I always think about what is the worst that can happen, and what will my liabilities/obligations be in said event.. So for a company that could have an impact on hundreds of thousands of square miles of ocean, beaches, and tens of millions of people to not do the same is to me is unconcievable.... Also I have to agree with the above post.. If we have no way to fix something that goes wrong at X depth, then we have no business being there no matter how much oil there is. Is better to develop the tech to be able to fix issues, and drill than to just drill and pray nothing happens.

[aeromed202]

That clip was awesome. For weeks I haven't been able to print what's been on my mind with this whole affair. But thanks for a bit of rare humor.

[Emil Frand]

The only thing that matters right now is stopping the flow, all efforts should be focused only on that. Im sure BP wants it stopped as badly as anyone else. All the finger pointing will continue for years along with the clean up. BP is taking a beating in the public eye and to spend 50 million on PR isnt so bad,whats so wrong with them getting their mesage out, Im sure any of us would do the same, theyve spent 1.4 billion so far trying to clean up and stop the flow. All this BP hate is just BS theres PLENTY of blame to go around but as long as everything was peaches and cream nobody cared how or if the MMS was doing their job or if BP or any other oil company was doing things right. The boycott BP movement is a joke, it effects their image but only hurts the BP station owners who live in your community.
As long as BP does the right thing with pay outs to those affected and gets it cleaned up Ive no problem with them, it took people over 20 years to get their money from Exxon but i dont see anyone bitching about that or Exxon.

[Roadburner440]

I by no means am saying it is all BP's fault. It certaintly isn't. I think overall responsibility does lie with them though, and the governing body charged with issueing their permit to drill/inspecting the rig for regulation compliance. I never buy BP gas anyway (prefer Hess or Mobil myself). If we weren't in such an oil dependant world there wouldn't be a need for all this drilling. Unfortunately everything from plastic bags, oils, and fuels require petroleum bases to be produced.. Hopefully at some point in the future there will be alternatives found. I will agree though that the most important thing is to stop the leak. Whether it is BP, the military, or whoever.. I would hope other oil companies with rigs at similar depths are involved in assisting BP so that way maybe they can share a lessons learned type of thing to help prevent this from happening again.

[cheezyflier]

i've said before, that i believe the root of the problem lies with our current culture of apathetically accepting corporate greed. it has created a philosophy of "acceptable risk" management. decisions are made because someone said "the probability that we will see a worse case scenario is X. the cost of ensuring that we do not is n.
if we gamble a little (because the odds seem favorable) we can save y amount and reap big profits. in the event that we are wrong, no single individuals will be held responsible, and our bonuses are contractually guaranteed"

in other words if they gamble, they don't lose. we do. if they had a similar game in vegas, would you not play?

[Snuffy]

The true problem lies with the environmentalists that put limits to off shore drilling within a mile of the coast line.

If we could tap in shallower water ... repairing this thing wouldn't be a problem.

Blame the tree huggers.

[Ken Stallings]

i've said before, that i believe the root of the problem lies with our current culture of apathetically accepting corporate greed. it has created a philosophy of "acceptable risk" management. decisions are made because someone said "the probability that we will see a worse case scenario is X. the cost of ensuring that we do not is n.
if we gamble a little (because the odds seem favorable) we can save y amount and reap big profits. in the event that we are wrong, no single individuals will be held responsible, and our bonuses are contractually guaranteed"

in other words if they gamble, they don't lose. we do. if they had a similar game in vegas, would you not play?

Unfortunately, what you say has logic behind it provided that none of the execs are held personally accountable.

However, that is why I maintain that when these leaders act like the money is from Monopoly and the damages are like washing your hair, then when disasters are caused and peoples' livelihoods destroyed by deliberate negligence, then put those execs in a jail for several years.

That way, there is another factor to account for when the backroom discussions are carried out. Perhaps, then, the decisions focus more upon basic responsibility to society, with a healthier consideration of duty for the public welfare.

When society gives you the keys to something vitally important and cherished, and you accept those keys, you have to be held to a high standard of behavior.

Ken

[Wing_Z]

Every single thing you do in your day requires you to sign on to "Acceptable Risk".
Your house is not indestructible, your car will only stay on the road within a strict performance envelope etc etc.
This is cost-driven.

Putting CEO's in jail will drive your best business leaders offshore, to places that do not prosecute.

What is essential, though, is Plan B.
When the brown stuff hits the rotating one, you absolutely must already have the response in place.
If you do not, you will be made to pay, and pay, and pay.
This seems to be the present scenario for the BP spill, and if followed through properly, the system has worked.