Oh the Irony

[EyeKhan]

I'm surprised none of this has come up here yet. It's so rich and delectable...

I'm not going to link to anything because I'm assuming this is all common knowledge to you elitists. And if its not, then you ought to pull your head from your arse. Or something.

A few weeks ago the Obama Administration removed the 30 odd year old ban against off-shore drilling in most areas of the East and West coasts of the US. They also removed it for some areas off the cost of Alaska. This is significant because Democrats are traditionally opposed to off shore drilling because of the environmental risks and its a significant change. You might call it a definite bi-partisan olive branch (likely intended to woo some independants back to the Democrat camp).

Then not a week or so later, a giant off shore platform in the Gulf of Mexico, some 40 miles from the coast of Louisianna, explodes, burns and sinks. And BP's fail safe automated well-head capper fails utterly and now 45k gallons of oil are being added per day to a gigantic oil slick right next to an extremely important fishery and ecologicially fragile shore line. And poor BP is fresh out of ideas. Well, out of ideas that won't take a month to implement. Oops.

So here we are with the worst case scenario the ban had been intended to prevent. Could there *be* a more ironic timing on this? If they were evil, like Cain, I'd be tempted to think the Obama Administration blew that platform up to make a point or something. WTF. or or ?

[Loki]

Unfortunately for your point, it was already legal to drill there before. And you know, maybe we should just stop drilling for oil. After all, what's the harm in cutting global oil production and depending more on the states that currently produce most of the oil, right?

[EyeKhan]

Unfortunately for your point, it was already legal to drill there before. And you know, maybe we should just stop drilling for oil. After all, what's the harm in cutting global oil production and depending more on the states that currently produce most of the oil, right?

#1. My point was *not* that this was NEW drilling. Obviously it wasn't since it would take years to implement new drilling in the recently opened areas. Duh.

#2. Nor was my point that all US oil drilling should stop. WTF???

#3. Its so odd how you go into a thread and sort of give a periferal nod to the topic and then proceed to try to have the argument *you* want to have, regardless of the OP's points. It used to bother me but, in all seriousness, I find it funny now. (I just smiled, even)

#4. So, is this ironic timing or what?

[Timbuk2]

And you know, maybe we should just stop drilling for oil. After all, what's the harm in cutting global oil production...

... thereby forcing America, with its sophisticated scientific research abilities, superior economic might and power-hungry populace, into a period of rapid development of alternate energy sources, resulting in the US becoming the first nation to make economic break-through on hydrogen fusion, granting a) almost limitless energy, b) independence from relying on energy sources from dodgy States, c) a vast source of potential wealth in selling the technological know-how to other interested Western nations ...

[Loki]

... thereby forcing America, with its sophisticated scientific research abilities, superior economic might and power-hungry populace, into a period of rapid development of alternate energy sources, resulting in the US becoming the first nation to make economic break-through on hydrogen fusion, granting a) almost limitless energy, b) independence from relying on energy sources from dodgy States, c) a vast source of potential wealth in selling the technological know-how to other interested Western nations ...

Would that be before or after we start more wars in the Middle East and bankrupt ourselves both from those wars and having to import even more oil?

[EyeKhan]

... thereby forcing America, with its sophisticated scientific research abilities, superior economic might and power-hungry populace, into a period of rapid development of alternate energy sources, resulting in the US becoming the first nation to make economic break-through on hydrogen fusion, granting a) almost limitless energy, b) independence from relying on energy sources from dodgy States, c) a vast source of potential wealth in selling the technological know-how to other interested Western nations ...

Would that be before or after we start more wars in the Middle East and bankrupt ourselves both from those wars and having to import even more oil?

There. Buk will have your arugment with you. Happy?

[agamemnus]

... thereby forcing America, with its sophisticated scientific research abilities, superior economic might and power-hungry populace, into a period of rapid development of alternate energy sources, resulting in the US becoming the first nation to make economic break-through on hydrogen fusion, granting a) almost limitless energy, b) independence from relying on energy sources from dodgy States, c) a vast source of potential wealth in selling the technological know-how to other interested Western nations ...

Or, it doesn't happen and we just get more unemployed people and we pay more for energy.

Trimming a bird's wings (so it can't fly) won't make it evolve and develop a fusion jet pack.

My point is that even after stating that they will pay they probably won't. From now on we should force the owners of the rigs to carry enough insurance to cover a major screw-up like this. The existing $1.6 billion policy isn't going to come close to covering the costs and since the policy is carried by the US government, guess who is going to pay.

Actually, I read an article that BP is on the hook for a majority of it, but the other partner doesn't seem like it will have the cash to pay for its obligation.

There is also the maker of the mechanism that automatically stops the oil if there's an accident (which didn't work).

There are also the insurance companies for all the above companies.

They are all on the line for this and all their stocks have plummeted.

I read that BP has lost 20 billion in stock valuation already, which is higher than even the most radical current estimates on the cost to the entire US economy (according to those estimates that I read...).

[Flixy]

So, you're willing to pay (at least) 5 times more for energy, and do away with plastics?

Right, that's why not depending on oil isn't exactly a feasible solution. Energy rich, versatile substances don't just fall from the sky, you know (well, not since that whole cold fusion thing was discredited, anyway ).

I said less, not independent! But yeah, it's problematic and definitely not short term. Paying more should be expected anyway though. Too bad about the cold fusion. I did some research in a type of actual, working fusion at (very) low temperatures.. The stuff works, but it is fundamentally limited to be about one order of a magnitude less efficient than needed for economic breakthrough. So close, but just out of reach...

Too bad that regardless of how much we funded alternate sources of energy, we'd be dependent on foreign oil in the short-to-medium term. Should we become even more dependent on it by cutting our own supplies?

True, and no you shouldn't. But you should regulate it well to prevent stuff like this, and make sure that they are enforced. And that's not happening right now.

[GGT]

Haha, they call it town and not city. I have to show this to some guys from Basel

It's a story from the New Yawker, written like a novel to be readable. Saying "city in Switzerland" sounds sing-song, silly.

...There are also the insurance companies for all the above companies.

They are all on the line for this and all their stocks have plummeted.

I read that BP has lost 20 billion in stock valuation already, which is higher than even the most radical current estimates on the cost to the entire US economy (according to those estimates that I read...).

Insurance: the great enabler for Risky behavior and monetizing loss as gain.

[GGT]

The exploding and sinking oil rig was mentioned in the Happy Earth Day thread. Talk about irony?

[Nessus]

Gotta have war with someone

[Ominous Gamer]

Our governor finally spilt from his party on the idea of off shore drilling because of these events. He is currently running for Senate but losing to someone else in his party with a history of bad and shady spending habits. Kinda sucks too, Crist was a pretty level headed guy, but because of that he was often called a closet Democrat by morons like Lewk.

[Loki]

Our governor finally spilt from his party on the idea of off shore drilling because of these events. He is currently running for Senate but losing to someone else in his party with a history of bad and shady spending habits. Kinda sucks too, Crist was a pretty level headed guy, but because of that he was often called a closet Democrat by morons like Lewk.

By "level-headed", do you mean pandering to the ignorant majority?

[EyeKhan]

I thought I heard on the radio that this thing could actually affect Florida.

[GGT]

They're going to try a controlled burn now. The slick is the size of Delaware.

IMO, the Irony is that Cape Cod tried to fight an off-shore wind farm, saying it would disrupt local ecosystems.

[Ominous Gamer]

Yeah, thanks to the Gulf Stream oil could possibly coat our east and west shores if the hole isn't plugged.

[ar81]

So here we are with the worst case scenario the ban had been intended to prevent. Could there *be* a more ironic timing on this? If they were evil, like Cain, I'd be tempted to think the Obama Administration blew that platform up to make a point or something. WTF. or or ?

Company: "Hey!! They will ban the drilling to prevent a worst case scenario. Let's cause a worst case scenario so the ban is removed because everything was destroyed anyway..."

[CitizenCain]

Could there *be* a more ironic timing on this? If they were evil, like Cain, I'd be tempted to think the Obama Administration blew that platform up to make a point or something.

Please. It was obviously Mossad. They're using the knowledge gained from the controlled demolition of the WTC to attack off shore oil rigs, in the hopes of forcing us to invade more oil-rich Arab countries and steal their oil.

[EyeKhan]

Please. It was obviously Mossad.

What's the difference? Yeah, you heard me. I said it.

[Ominous Gamer]

Congratulations! Loki finally discovered the definition of the word politician!

[Loki]

Not surprised that you'd like someone who's mission has been enact one economically-stupid measure after another just because it was popular.

[Ominous Gamer]

He vetoes them too

[Loki]

He vetoes them too

That had absolutely nothing to do with his attempt to claim the center in the election that's coming up.

[Crowheart]

Possibility of this appearing in Dark Side of the USA as a FED plot?

Magic 8-ball says, It is decidedly so.

[Ominous Gamer]

Of course not, just one man standing againist his party and their insane ideas.

[']['ear]

That had absolutely nothing to do with his attempt to claim the center in the election that's coming up.

So? Crist isn't a wingnut, so the center is a very reasonable place for him to claim.

[Loki]

So? Crist isn't a wingnut, so the center is a very reasonable place for him to claim.

No, he's a populist who's willing to do things he knows are wrong just to increase his popular support.

[']['ear]

TWF dictionary
Populist (n) a politician who pursues policies Loki dislikes.

As opposed to an elected representative representing his constituency? After all, Florida is a state driven largely by tourism (shocking, I know, from a giant beach-clad peninsula at the southernmost part of our mainland). If he didn't try to protect their coast, would he be serving the citizens of Florida well?

[Loki]

So running insurance companies out of the state is somehow good for the state?

[']['ear]

Was there some part of "representative" that you don't understand?