FKA Kiteboarding Forums  

Go Back   FKA Kiteboarding Forums > St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay Forum > Let's Ride!
Connect with Facebook

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 05-17-2010, 08:10 AM
Tony Tony is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 143
Default 60 Minutes on the Oil Spill

You gotta watch this. There is a part 1 and part 2. Watch the video.

Compliments of Todd W.:

Here's the story:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6490197.shtml
Video: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6490348n
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 05-17-2010, 10:12 AM
Water Monkey Water Monkey is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 119
Default good piece

A lot of the info does not surprise me, just makes me sick......
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-17-2010, 11:10 AM
Unimog Bob Unimog Bob is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Parrish
Posts: 771
Default

It all makes me sick. What makes me most sick is the transparency (if you have half a brain) regarding the LACK of federal gov't oversight/punishment to prevent things from going wrong. IMO, the federal gov't exists for very few reasons. One reason they exist is to regulate large businesses that can do catastrophic harm to our environment while profiting from its resources. Instead, they practically encourage them to take risk by doing (close to) nothing. It's obvious to me that gov't bows to big business.

I saw in the second part that BP was fined 108 million for their negligence that cost 15 men their lives. I did some more research. BP averages 24 Billion a year profit. That's 65 million a day (profit).

So. They were fined less than two days profit for being negligent. Think about that. Any man that is divorced usually loses HALF of his worth that day, and then often pays for years after the fact. I don't bring this up for sexist reasons, but as a comparison. Why then isn't BP fined in a comparable manner? Say 1/10 of total value? That might encourage them to not be negligent in the future and spend money/put effort where needed to guard against more negligent mishaps. It'd then make sense to spend money to guard against losing it. As the penalties exist now, it makes NO monetary sense whatsoever to guard against destroying the environment, or losing 11 or 15 men/women.
It's beyond obvious (to me) that big biz has zero conscience and makes decisions based solely on the bottom line. Fining them comparable to two days work is just ridiculous and will never encourage proper behavior. If penalties are minimal, poor decisions will continue indefinitely.

Sounds like nearly all on the rig knew of the problem (with blown out BOP). The BP rep literally knew of the risk with removing "the mud" while putting in the plugs, but insisted (over TransOcean's recommendation) to do it to "expedite" drilling later. Pure greed, no conscience or concern for anyone or anything. It makes us all sick.

Last edited by Unimog Bob; 05-17-2010 at 11:36 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-17-2010, 11:50 AM
Water Monkey Water Monkey is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 119
Default exactly

Right on. I could rant my brains out on this but I think we are all on the same page. Instead I feel like my anger should be put towards something proactive. Time will tell what this oil is going to do.

I need to get rid of this anger towards the whole situation by doing something positive. I hope this is not in the form of cleaning our beaches. Maybe some sort of petition or work with a local legislator to make sure these bastards are held accountable. IDK...just frustrated.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-17-2010, 11:56 AM
Unimog Bob Unimog Bob is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Parrish
Posts: 771
Default

Same here. I wish I was more positive about the proactive stuff.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-17-2010, 12:25 PM
Steve-O's Avatar
Steve-O Steve-O is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: largo
Posts: 1,043
Default

BP=British Polluters

I am an avid watcher of 60 minutes as they usually tell it like it is.

Don't you think with all the money involved in the oil industry that a 3rd unbiased party should be involved in making decisions that effect us all.

Imagine the two head managers fighting over a decision, but the decision ultimately coming down to someone that has no ties to the bottom line.

The US Govt is really on a role lately. Go Team!!!!
__________________
"kiteboarding for whatever reason, is the recipe for much of my happiness"
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-17-2010, 06:54 PM
Unimog Bob Unimog Bob is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Parrish
Posts: 771
Default

Fat Cat retires : http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/05/...nation/?hpt=T1

Quote:
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last week announced he would split MMS into separate divisions -- one for regulating offshore oil drilling and the other for collecting royalties from oil companies. Salazar said that having both responsibilities in one agency created a culture of possible corruption.
No shit?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-17-2010, 09:55 PM
Black Black is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Oldsmar/Tampa area
Posts: 8
Default Titanic

I couldn't help but think of the Titanic watching the 60 minutes program on the oil disaster. The company pressured the captain to go faster and ignore the warnings. They said she could never sink.
Transocean's Deep Horizon rig was bigger, faster and set a record for the deepest drilling operation in history. They said that this couldn't happen.

It has happened and just like all the lives lost from the Titanic this makes me real sad.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 05-18-2010, 08:25 AM
Erick's Avatar
Erick Erick is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 336
Default The worst is yet to come

Sorry I wish I could bring better news. Where are we going with this mess?

KEY WEST (AP) -- The U.S. Coast Guard says 20 tar balls have been found off Key West, but the agency stopped short of saying whether they came from a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Some 5 million gallons of crude has spewed into the Gulf and tar balls have been washing ashore in several states along the coast.

Scientists are worried that oil is getting caught in a major ocean current that could carry it through the Florida Keys and up the East
__________________
Champions use adversity like a kite uses the wind;
rising against it, they soar to new heights.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-18-2010, 09:31 AM
Todd RT's Avatar
Todd RT Todd RT is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Pinellas
Posts: 253
Default

On one hand, I wished I hadn't watched 60 minutes... as now my oil-anxiety levels are even higher! But on the other hand, I'm really glad I now understand the big picture and how bad BP F*&%#D this whole thing up.

Thought the live video of the explosion was amazing. Go figure that 4 guys were fishing under the rig! LOL! They are lucky to have gotten away from the rig before it blew!

Let's hope they can stop the flow soon! Very soon! And I hope we don't see anything worse than tarballs.
__________________
"I LOVE the smell of WIND in the morning... Smells like..... KITING!!"

"The biggest drawback of kiteboarding is the adverse effects it has on getting anything else done."
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

Do not advertise outside of [COM] Forums.
Do not show disrespect for others in your postings.
Users can be denied access to this Site without warning.
FKA, Inc., it’s officers and moderators are not responsible
for the content of the postings and any links or pictures posted.

Report Problems by PM to “administrator” or via email to flkitesurfer@hotmail.com

Copyright FKA, Inc. 2004, All Rights Reserved.