disaster in the gulf

i'm not sure how many outside of the u.s. know about this, but last week an oil rig in the gulf of mexico exploded and sank in the gulf of mexico killing 11. now the pipeline is leaking oil into the gulf waters and the currents there are taking this oil into various fragile ecosystems in the lousianna deltas. the loss of human lives is tragic, as well as the loss of countless other animals. making this tragedy worse is the fact that the ecosystems being threatened are already in a delicate state, not to mention the various other ecological impacts.

most floridians were adamantly opposed to putting rigs in the gulf because of the environmental risks, as well as economic risks as florida, louisianna, texas, cancun etc... depend heavily on tourism. however some wheels were greased and the rig was put in, now nature is paying the price for corporate greed.

off the coast of new england they are putting in a wind farm. this is a much better solution to providing energy as it has a low impact on the environment. if only they had thought of this instead of the oil rig

i understand that every nation is contributing to the high demand for oil, however we should all contribute to reducing this demand and use various alternatives.i've already greatly reduced the amount of fuel i use, i don't drive anywhere unless i absolutely have to, i turn off all lights that are not in use, i use open windows and fans instead of air conditioners, i eat alot of meals that don't require much cooking. being a drafting student i've even designed a very low carbon emission home that makes considerable use of wind, solar, and propane(a natural gas that pollutes much less then regular fuel). i even designed a water recycling system for this home. if we don't start taking better care of the planet, it won't continue taking care of us.

i'll step down from the soapbox now

A well written post, I think we should all do our part, though it may be hard at times, doing things in a more natural manner can benefit both the planet and ourselves. Me and my girlfriend have been walking for any chores within 2 miles of our place its been really refreshing, walking to the bank instead of driving and sitting in line is both nice on the body and mind, as well as the environment.

It is always sad to hear about an oil spill, so messy and deadly, wonder why I never hear about solar charger spills...

Well said! My goal is to live in a self-sufficient earthship but until then, I try to do what I can to help as well as educate others. As Jedi, we are deeply aware of our connection to our environment and I only hope that more and more people believe as we do. Looks like there's room on that soapbox for more of us!! Lol

or of wind slicks travelling

the baddest news in this are ...

now humans destroy part of the nature... to gain balance, nature is gonna take action... it always do.

wait for it.
be ready to help.

because nature do always something to be in equilibrium....

weather is his partner, not ours, and is gonna be used.
============

I like the idea of solar energy in homes, in cars, also wind...
but unfortunately right now, are really expensive, you need more than the price of your house to make it self sufficient and clean with the environment...
and guess what, is not because parts are expensive, is more from the pressure of oil companies in not allow you to use it, and create more dependency on oil.

hear what nature try to say to us...
and if you can hear it... you are gonna cry

666 wrote:

the baddest news in this are ...

now humans destroy part of the nature... to gain balance, nature is gonna take action... it always do.

wait for it.
be ready to help.

because nature do always something to be in equilibrium....

weather is his partner, not ours, and is gonna be used.
============

I like the idea of solar energy in homes, in cars, also wind...
but unfortunately right now, are really expensive, you need more than the price of your house to make it self sufficient and clean with the environment...
and guess what, is not because parts are expensive, is more from the pressure of oil companies in not allow you to use it, and create more dependency on oil.

hear what nature try to say to us...
and if you can hear it... you are gonna cry

quite true...excuse the expression, \"natures a bitch, and she likes to prove it\"...i truly feel that most natural disasters are natures way of balancing out things. also quite true about pressure from the oil companies keeping alternative energies expensive, although propane remains quite cheap, largely because so few people like to use it.

The sad truth over the next 50 years is that there really is no viable replacement for what oil does. Currently hydrogen is to unsafe in large quantities to be useful as a car fuel and most methods use to much energy to create it. Natural gas has the distribution system for homes and business, but does not provide the same energy by weight/volume, as well as potential safety concerns in mass produced vehicles.

The single biggest gain could be made by replacing every oil and coal power plant with modern nuclear plants. This change alone could cut fossil fuel demand and greenhouse gasses by a huge amount. Solar and wind have there uses, but they also have major limitations for mass produced electricity for the general population.

On a personal note, I did look into installing solar panels to cover most of electrical needs during at least the summer months; unfortunately I did not have the $20,000 lying around to outfit my house with them. Hybrid cars are another way to help, and they should hit true mainstream prices in another couple years, along with electrics.

Until then, remember to use compact fluorescents…

MTFBWY

P.S. Yes I sound very pro nuclear. I worked with reactors for almost a decade and they are the most amazing machines. My own opinion on the waste is to mix it with sand, glassify it in an electric arc furnace, tenplace it on a simple solid rocket and launch it into the sun...but that's just me

the average 3 bedroom 2 bath home uses 1200kw hours of electricity per month. northern tool supply sells windmills that generate 500kw hours per month for $500....4 windmills would generate more then enough for the average home...of course the upfront cost of $2000 is hard to get past. as to propane, they've actually made large strides in it's use in automobiles as far as making it safer and more efficient, not to mention more powerful....again upfront cost for conversion puts it out of range for the average income, which is why so far only a handful of offroad competition trucks have it....solar panels are definately still way too expensive.

they tried to replace the local powerplant with a nuclear one, but the powerplant made a petition and used the whole \"a nuclear plant costs more to maintain and will cause your bill to be higher\" argument, and considering they double our bill for \"fuel adjustment\" alot of people signed....the fuel adjustment is a scam....in alabama the fuel adjustment is $10 or less....here in florida it = (total amount of bill x 2) + $20....so since my total bill before adjustment is $80 i have to pay (80 x 2) +$20 or $180....pretty shady to me...

The issue in nuclear power is still pollution, since the waste product of a breeder reactor cannot be safely stored anywhere and the US doesn't use breeder reactors (because the resulting radioactive sludge is so impossible to handle and can only be recycled for 20 years or so). Until these are handled, nuclear power is every bit as dangerous to the environment as greenhouse gasses, though the damage isn't as apparent.

The maintenance offset is indeed a scam.

well, here's word from the resisdent Louisianan Local.

This spill is a disaster not just for enviromental reasons but for Economic reasons as well. Not only does this rig sinking cause a huge setback in oil production which will drive costs and thus prices up, it will also cause immense damage to Louisiana Fishing Industry, which is a *Huge* portion of the Local Economy, Shrimp, Fish, Crab, all of these things are going to be very difficult to come by soon here, which is going to drive up the cost of seafood which could cause a lot of local businesses to go under.

In Short, this Spill is a major MAJOR disastor that the state hasnt' seen since gustav, at least that was reparable by restoring power and clean up crews, this will cause far more lasting effects.

I've god a baaaad feeling about this.