[lolitics]Your thoughts on offshore drilling after this mess.

BillyBadAss · May 20, 2010

I find it a little ironic that the worlds worse oil spill to ever happened is happening right in the backyard of a bunch of red states. This spill is going to destroy coastline business/tourism. So do people still think that offshore drilling drilling is a good idea since the oil companies seem to be too irresponsible to do it properly?

What are your thoughts?

kiff · May 20, 2010

Sure, they should keep doing it, but the feds need to actually use the billions (if not trillions) they've taxed from the oil industry to actually implement the "back-up plans" they've had since the 90's.

That said, it would be better to promote natural gas (something we have a LOT of), oil drilling in anwar and the small scale (very safe) nuke power...

Lostsoul · May 20, 2010

Keep drilling, put nuke power back to use (Some Uni designed some new kind of nuke power). Eventually work towards using electric vehicles, not shove it down our throats before it, and we, are ready. Also work slowly towards solar on homes

Zxanphorian · May 20, 2010

kiff said:
Sure, they should keep doing it, but the feds need to actually use the billions (if not trillions) they've taxed from the oil industry to actually implement the "back-up plans" they've had since the 90's.

Or better yet, actually hold the folks that own the oil rigs and the ones that use it responsible for developing, testing, and implementing proper safety features for the rigs. Also, they should develop contingency plans (the various cleanup, siphoning, etc methods) in case these features fail. Sure this huge and devastating disaster is allowing BP and others adapt and evolve methods, but it should NOT need a disaster of this magnitude for them to be able to form the contingency plans.

Sir_Brizz · May 20, 2010

I'm glad that BP isn't trying to deny involvement or ignore the problem. They are actively helping in solving the problem, cleaning up, etc. They've committed billions of dollars to the mess already.

I think they should have had better contingency plans if something like this happened. Why isn't there a deadman's switch where the valve meets the ground in case the worst happens and the pipe snaps at ground level down there? It really doesn't make any sense.

Still, I don't think disasters should prevent us from doing what we need to do to maintain our economic stability. While we are investigating and developing new technologies to replace fossil fuels, we still need them. And sending billions off to foreign countries that don't share our open market policies to begin with doesn't seem like future proofing ourselves.

TWD · May 20, 2010

I really don't think the answer is so simple. There's certainly a lot that can and should have been done to prevent something like this from happening. However, at the same time I think we have to assume that big accidents will happen. At that point one has to wonder if the economic benefit from offshore drilling really overcomes the potential damage. I bet someone could really calculate all the numbers and come up with a good answer, but I'm not going to go through the effort.

Luckily for us I don't think it's really necessary. Build more power plants and open up areas on land. I think it's funny that offshore drilling was considered safe politically, but ideas like ANWAR were placed on the shelf.

Sir_Brizz · May 20, 2010

If the appropriate safeguards were in place, an accident like this shouldn't happen. At least, not to this magnitude.

The problem is, nobody knows how to fix the current problem. If they knew how to fix it, the disaster wouldn't be nearly as bad.

MrSmiles · May 20, 2010

Sir_Brizz said:
If the appropriate safeguards were in place, an accident like this shouldn't happen. At least, not to this magnitude.

The problem is, nobody knows how to fix the current problem. If they knew how to fix it, the disaster wouldn't be nearly as bad.

Appropriate safe guards are in place, beyond what you can imagine. Accidents like this don't just happen.

SlayerDragon · May 20, 2010

The thing about nuclear power is that it's very safe most of the time, but the times where bad things happen it is disastrous.

TWD · May 20, 2010

SlayerDragon said:
The thing about nuclear power is that it's very safe most of the time, but the times where bad things happen it is disastrous.

This is simply not true. This might have been the case with old Russian reactors like Chernobyl, but it's not the case with modern technology. Such risks are now contained, and are far below the levels of risk we take on with alternative sources. Even the kind of accident like that on 3 mile island is no longer a concern. Modern nuclear power plants pose no risk to the people and environment around them. The worst that can happen in a disaster is that the people inside the plant are put at risk.

kiff · May 21, 2010

They have smaller ones now that aren't really even "plants". They use a type of pellet instead of rods, aren't as dangerous and they're self-contained.

Sir_Brizz · May 21, 2010

MrSmiles said:
Appropriate safe guards are in place, beyond what you can imagine. Accidents like this don't just happen.

They are? That's why there is no shut off valve below where the pipe is leaking a few hundred feet above the ocean floor?

Iron Archer · May 21, 2010

It's not irony when the Feds let it get worse week after week when they were supposed to have plans that could be implemented for such incidents, yet had to beg Puerto Rico for the equipment they were supposed to have.

Then again, what was that saying? Oh right:

“You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid.”

— Rahm Emanuel

SnaKe-Fu · May 21, 2010

More drilling.

MrSmiles · May 21, 2010

Sir_Brizz said:
They are? That's why there is no shut off valve below where the pipe is leaking a few hundred feet above the ocean floor?

Unless BP ignored some major regulations, there is a cut off valve on the pipe just above the sea floor.

Plumb_Drumb · May 21, 2010

it's leaking way below though.

I've never been a proponent of drilling oil, environmentally, but I know we still need it. big time.

Balton · May 21, 2010

TWD said:
Such risks are now contained, and are far below the levels of risk we take on with alternative sources.

Seriously? Nuclear power less risky than having a windmill or a solar pannel standing around?

Zur · May 21, 2010

My conclusion: we as a species are totally and utterly reckless and stupid.

Plumb_Drumb · May 21, 2010

i can't read, I thought he said sea surface.

blargh.

I'M A PROFESSIONAL INTERNET POSTER

ZenPirate · May 21, 2010

We should't be using oil a all. Nuclear is the answer for the power grid, and hydrogen is the answer for automobiles.

[lolitics]Your thoughts on offshore drilling after this mess.

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