Gulf Oil Spill...

[diamondsoul]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

If it were on land, they'd be able to plug it. But no, folks throw a hissy fit over drilling on land .. but look what happens when it's deep under water and can't be easily reached in order to stop it. Rather than having a mess in one spot .. they have a wide spread mess in the water that follows the coastline. Smart, very smart to support offshore drilling and not on land where it CAN be stopped.

I don't think it is a matter of people supporting one thing or another but of the way the situation has evolved with the demand for oil unabated and a general NIMBY attitude. Out of sight, out of mind.

Takes something like this occurring for people to realize that out of sight is not such a great thing.

Perhaps alternative energy will not seem to be such an expensive alternative after the hundreds of billions of dollars spent and lost because of this spill.

Cheers

Lar

[stereocuuple]

our population has outgrown the earths resources there is no source of energy alt. or otherwise that can sustain our species at its current of future levels.

nomatter what energy will become cost prohibitive sooner than later.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

If it were on land, they'd be able to plug it. But no, folks throw a hissy fit over drilling on land .. but look what happens when it's deep under water and can't be easily reached in order to stop it. Rather than having a mess in one spot .. they have a wide spread mess in the water that follows the coastline. Smart, very smart to support offshore drilling and not on land where it CAN be stopped.

Actually Dave, it is the oil companies who won't drill on land. They all want leases in the Gulf and the Atlantic but they won't touch the hundreds of lease they already have on the mainland - go figure.

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by stereocuuple

our population has outgrown the earths resources there is no source of energy alt. or otherwise that can sustain our species at its current of future levels.

nomatter what energy will become cost prohibitive sooner than later.

Actually, you guys represent part of the solution, by living in the city and using mass transit.

The automobile contributed to the growth of suburbs, which contributed to road congestion, which created the demand for greater roads, which made the suburbs more attractive, which increased the demand for automobiles, which made mass transit and walking less viable alternatives. With more space, suburban housing was built larger, with greater demands for heating and cooling - and with larger garages. It takes time to drive to work from the suburbs, so people need more energy consuming conveniences. We develop a disposable economy in which it is easier to get rid of appliances than it is to get them repaired. The greater expenses associated with the more convenient lifestyle generates the need for two incomes, and two commuters in the suburbs, which leaves less time and increases the demand for time saving devices, and for eating out, which increases expenses and energy consumption, making the second income mandatory rather than optional.

In other words, the string of events that have occurred to make us energy hogs have a symbiotic relationship that had made energy dependence a difficult cycle to overcome. There are all sorts of baby steps that we can take to reduce consumption, but real energy savings require a drastic change in lifestyle.

Hey Cupple, how are you enjoying the mass transit. Has it tempted you to engage in the blasphemy of a .mp3 player? What effect doe the city living have on your entertainment/social opportunities? Are you able to walk to take care of a lot of your needs? Do you feel healthier with the additional walking? I have enjoyed Chi-town when I have visited. Hope you guys are enjoying it up there.

Regards,

D-Ray

[noonereal]

all you nuclear power plant fans should pay close attention

accidents ALWAYS happen

if this oil mishap is a disaster what will you say when Indian Point power plant blows (or any other) and over 10 million are affected?

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by stereocuuple

our population has outgrown the earths resources there is no source of energy alt. or otherwise that can sustain our species at its current of future levels.

nomatter what energy will become cost prohibitive sooner than later.

don't agree at all

there is so much energy available from the sun and wind that such an insignificant species cannot hope to consumer even a tiny amount of it

[westgate]

Originally Posted by noonereal

all you nuclear power plant fans should pay close attention; accidents ALWAYS happen.

yup. sort of like murphys law in action...

[Sandy G]

About 30 years ago, TVA got in a Big Way to build a Nookie Plant literally across the river from our farm. They cancelled it in '81-82 & we hired a few of the guys who worked there. Just listening to them, I got the feeling that the 3 Stooges, Abbott & Costello, or the Marx Bros. coulda done a better job managing it. It was to be a $3 BILLION project, they were a little over a third of the way done & had spent almost 2/3 of the money when wiser heads stuck a fork in it. There were also rumors of it sitting adjacent to a huge natural gas dome, & there were supposedly 3 reactors of the same design that ALL got cancelled about the same time. The electricity it would have produced wasn't going to be used here, it was gonna be used in the northeast, so it was said. So if the sumbich blew up, it woulda killed a few thousand pinhead hillbillies-Republicans at that-instead of a few million Democrats up in the Northeast...Can't have THAT happening, you know ? (grin)

[westgate]

supposedly the camera is on a remote vehicle in vicinity of the well head.
don't know what this can tell us at this point (or how 'real' this is...)-

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_inte...ov_stream.html

also, don't really know if it's live or if it's memorex...

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by noonereal

all you nuclear power plant fans should pay close attention

accidents ALWAYS happen

if this oil mishap is a disaster what will you say when Indian Point power plant blows (or any other) and over 10 million are affected?

Really? Must have missed the news then since Canada has been running heavy water nukes for years now.