July 6, 2010
Someone has found a rare 1970s board game produced by British Petroleum – BP – now infamous for the still-gushing catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. The goal of “BP Offshore Oil Strike” is to get filthy rich drilling for oil – but you have to watch out for the pesky hazards:
But BP Offshore Oil Strike players must also avoid the dreaded ‘hazard cards’, which state: ‘Blow-out! Rig damaged. Oil slick clean-up costs. Pay $1 million.’
Dang. A blow-out. Well – good thing it’s just a game!
May 20, 2010
Ignore that man behind the oil slick:
Last night CBS Evening News aired a segment on the oil spill and included a clip of BP contractors turning the CBS crew away from investigating part of the oil-drenched Louisiana shoreline under threat of being arrested if they proceeded. The contractor, or a Coast Guard…it’s not quite clear, told CBS that they were merely enforcing BP’s rules.
BP’s rules? That was a public beach! Unbelievable!
Here’s the video:
Here’s a NASA pic of the slick from two days ago:
You can see many more fascinating images at NASA.
May 12, 2010
Over at our Facebook page a commenter left an email address where people could send ideas to help with the Gulf oil spill – and what a great idea! (Thanks, Krazy Wild Mann.) That led us to do some snooping, and we found several places where people can find out how they can help, whether by reporting finding oiled birds if you’re in the Gulf region, or contributing to cleanup funding efforts. So here goes.
• Here’s the official Deepwater Horizon Response Web site:
We appreciate your concern and willingness to help.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please call the Deepwater Horizon Response Volunteer Request Line at 1-866-448-5816 or visit the Web sites below.
State specific volunteer opportunities:
- Louisiana: http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/
- Mississippi: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do
- Florida: http://www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org/
- Alabama: http://www.servealabama.gov/2010/default.aspx
- Report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information:
(866)-448-5816
• Here’s their Facebook page.
• Deep Water Horizon Response (DWHR) has set up a phone number to receive calls regarding ideas from the public on response and cleanup efforts. Very serious ideas only, of course: 281-366-5511, and an email account: horizonsupport@oegllc.com
Here’s a video of one of the ideas that have been sent in:
• Here’s a Facebook group: Help Prepare for Florida Oil Spill in Panhandle:
Report oiled wildlife: (866) 557-1401
Even though opportunities for untrained volunteers are limited, the public may, call Volunteer Florida at 866-448-5816.
• This site has contact info for wildlife agencies looking for volunteers.
• The Audubon Society is registering volunteers.
• So is the Sierra Club.
• CNN has volunteer info.
• And what about the floods in Nashville! They need volunteers, too!
• Update: There is now a Facebook page where you can Spew Your Ideas about the cleanup.
Got any more links or ideas? Please put them in the comments and we’ll make updates. Thanks in advance.
May 11, 2010
They tried the cofferdam, now they’re on to the “top hat,” then they may try the weirdest one—the “junk shot:
It sounds to us like BP is now grasping at straws trying to outsmart the growing gulf coast oil spill. As their next plan of action engineers will shoot a pile of trash at high speed into the blowout preventer at the site of the leak on the ocean floor. Experts in the oil field call this maneuver the “junk shot”.
Let’s hope they don’t need to go that far.
• Some random info from the NOAA:
By the Numbers to Date:
- Personnel were quickly deployed and approximately 10,000 are currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife.
- More than 290 vessels are responding on site, including skimmers, tugs, barges, and recovery vessels to assist in containment and cleanup efforts—in addition to dozens of aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units.
- More than 1 million feet of boom (regular and sorbent) have been deployed to contain the spill—and more than 1.3 million feet are available.
- Nearly 3.5 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.
- Approximately 325,000 gallons of dispersant have been deployed. More than 500,000 gallons are available.
And here’s a great graphic illustrating what they’re trying to do with relief wells. (They’ll take months to work at least.) Click for a really large picture:
Cool thought: If it’s 0°F today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold will it be?
