Hey southerners! Anyone else want to go wash oily birds?

[twentynine]

Quote:
Correction------- not 20,000 GPD but ------ 200,000 GPD

Right now winds are blowing 25 to 30 knots directly out of the south, the absolute worse thing. Those people need calm seas to work on the rig and we need northerly winds to keep the oil offshore.

From what I saw and info I got from family in the area,

--- well long story short--- leaving the drama to my momma--- this is not going to get better soon. Oil is now on La beaches. You guys need to understand we don't have beaches like in the Ca. sense. Our beaches are "marsh", mud, rosseau cane, switch grass, stuff like that, I can't imagine how in the world you get the oil out. The areas being affected now have no-- absolutely no- easy access, long boat rides, nothing in the area, hard to describe. Presently with the southerly wind, I can't imagine how anyone would be able to get into the area via small boat. 25 - 30 knots 7 - 10' seas. That pretty much voids any idea of working on a southerly exposed coast. I have been into that area many many times, at best of times, it's dangerous, a long way from help, add this weather it becomes impossible.

 

[Q9]

Something bothers me about this. First, there was a second spill from a different rig a day or two ago, but it's not being reported much at all. I've read hypotheses of possible ecoterrorist involvement in both, but I've seen no evidence yet. I wouldn't rule it out, though. Second, people were KILLED in that explosion, but all the media is worried about is the freakin' fishes. The MSM apparently does not comprehend that oil is natural, and therefore biodegradable. Third, the administration is closing down new drilling projects due to this. Why? Accidents happen. If these companies could have prevented the explosion, I assure you they would have. Think of the jobs and economic benefits lost due to this move. Sorry for the rant, I just needed to get that out.

By the way, organizing the community to aid with the effects is a good idea. In no way do I intend to put down those who want to help out, I say more power to ya.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

Q9 - I think we're on the same page...I think it's possible that there is much more to this than we'll ever know.

 

[The Egg Bandit]

You don't have to volunteer. They are hiring people right now at the Florida state work centers. I'm on my way in tomorrow. Not sure how it'll fit into my critter feeding/milking schedule, but after being laid off for two years and no more unemployment left, beggars cain't be choosers. I bought as much gulf seafood as I could afford yesterday, because it won't be available for who knows how long. Thank heavens for a chest freezer!
God bless all the gulf fishermen! With this economy, they are in deep doo.

 

[twentynine]

Mechanical failure or human error. One way or the other that is what is going to boil down to. All the hard "evidence" is sitting 5000' down. It will be a long time before all the I's are dotted and Tee's are crossed.

The second spill/rig accident not being reported because it is a fraction of the size and inshore. Easily contained and cleaned up. You guys never hear about the crew boat sinking with 2 lost, or the chopper going down with 6 lost, accident on offshore rig with 1 lost. These things have happened and will continue to happen, all with absolutely no notice from the national media. We here in this area hear these stories daily.

Ecoterrorist? Shooting from the hip-- first OPINION and opinion only--- no way.

True oil is natural, but that doesn't make it any less poisonous. Biodegrade-- well it might, but I think it probably biodegrades into compounds that are no less poisonous than the original oil.

Hiring/volunteer, sure if you are able to do the work, go for it. If I were out of work, you danged right I'd be in line somewhere to get me a job.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
My SIL was on another drill rig out there when the Deepwater Horizon exploded. He works with robotic subs. This disaster has really rattled him and his fellow crew. The way I understand it (and some of you locals I'm sure know better than I do) the Horizon was an older rig that other rigs used as a "standard". In other words, it was ran the way a drill rig is supposed to be ran...it was not a sloppy operation but ran more like "by the book". The impression that I got from talking with him was that the mentality is "if it can happen to the Horizon it can happen to anybody". It's very interesting that the last time he was home we had a lengthy discussion about how *safety* is preached constantly, almost to the point of being smothered by it.

In regards to the cause of the explosion, there has been discussion elsewhere that lightening may have been the culprit, that there was a t-storm at the time...I'm not sure if there's anything to that or not, but if not then it was caused either by human error or human intent. Mechanical failure is caused by faulty design or faulty manufacturing...in my opinion, mechanical failure is a way for humans to dodge responsibility.

Early in the thread their were some off-handed, light-hearted responses to the OP post regarding the oil spill. Please don't take this wrong, I in no way mean to point anyone out for this or chastise anyone as I believe those people to have some very genuine good hearts. What I would like to point out is that the replies are a sampling of the population and that apparently a lot of people are not keeping up with current events that can seriously impact their lives. Several responses were that they had not heard about the oil spill....it had been a week and a half since it happened and probably the largest environmental disaster to the continental USA in history.

A lot of people will say that all they hear on the news is just bad things and they just don't listen to any of it. I agree that there is a lot of bad things on the news, depressing things, but for only about 10 minutes a day you can listen to a news report or scan the headlines online and pretty well be abreast of any developing situations...the rest of the time the commentators and talking heads are repeating themselves or explaining what the reports mean (duh, like we're not smart enough to figure things out ourselves?). Anyhow, having a week and half pass by and folks not knowing about the spill just kind of bothered me. Again, I *really* don't mean to single anyone else, just stating an observation about something that I think is pretty widespread in our society.

My prayers are with and for the families of the oil workers who were lost at sea, for the workers still manning the rigs all over the globe, for the workers trying to contain and stop the spill in the gulf, for the workers beginning to work with the contaminated wildlife and eco-sytems, for all the families that will be affected by this disaster for a long time to come...your family and mine, and for this great country...the United States of America. May God bless us all.

Ed

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

Intheswamp - (Ed) - well said. One of the reason's our Nation finds itself in the shape it's in...is people are not well informed. Too much compliancy - people too willing to stay uninformed - people too williing to be "taken care" of.

 

[jbowyer01]

My brother and BIL both work on the rigs in the gulf. One works for transocean, we were lucky both were in at that time (three on and three off the rig). I would gladly come help wash animals.

 

[OccamsTazer]

jbowyer01, really?

Hooray! A response!
Ok, so I talked to my pastor yesterday about getting some people together, he's all on board too. I'm not sure when we will be needed, but once I get some info back from the people I called I will post what I find.
Apparently it's still not too bad on land, according to the waterfowl rescue place in the first post. It will get bad in the next few weeks, I'm afraid.
I would *much* rather volunteer and meet BYCers in person than plan a wedding, I swear that has *nothing* to do with this...

 

[thebritt]

I read today in the paper that if the oil spill reaches the Gulf Stream, It could be swept to the Gulf side of Florida, south around the tip, and up the Atlantic coast...

Words cannot express the devastation to all marine life, fishing industries, and quality of life at stake. I just can't handle this.

Not to mention the lives already lost and the danger posed to the people trying to clean this mess up. If I lived closer I'd be there in heartbeat.