The Gulf Oil Nightmare

[redshift]

Jerry, I have to take issue with your assertion that this is 'our' fault, on an individual level. The petroleum infrastructure was established long before any of us were born. The industry itself has been proven guilty of maintaining the structure (disallowing alternatives) and will go to extreme lengths to hold onto their profit power. Just yesterday in an MSN top story, BP has been buying top spot on Google search, so that people looking for info would be swayed/redirected to BP's own site!

Just like the global warming/climate change issue, where we continually hear the tired third degree that we (personally) caused that as well. Not to start a debate on either of those points, but I will not take one iota of blame, and I don't think the vast majority of us should either. Also your point about fossil fuel I disagree with wholeheartedly. This is an area where I have done seriously extensive research, and I subscribe to the abiotic oil theory. That is to say, petroleum is a perpetually self-renewing resource. And if you need proof you can look into the DeBeers diamond cartel to see how the supply is manipulated to keep the prices high, as was mentioned on one of the videos I posted.

I'd go out on a limb here and say that most of us on RCM, being electric freaks, would embrace new technology much more willingly than your average person. The fact we still don't have truly practical alternatives has kept even us in the 19th century in many ways, because the expense of many of the new technologies is prohibitive. And I don't think that's by coincidence either...

Arc, I agree that is about the only method that would seem feasible. But that 10,000 psi number is daunting. That is 5 TONS per square inch. The first video mentions that even if they could do that, the wellhead may be to weak to withstand it, if that's true then where does that leave us? People (including myself) are beginning to grasp the true scope of this only lately.

[JERRY2KONE]

Redshift Try to remove yourself from the present perspective and look at this situation lets say 200 years from now. What do you imagine the people of that time will say about this catastrophy from that end. Regardless of what any of us will say about who is running the show in oil right now the entire industry is driven by the demand of the people. The idea of invention is driven by the restrictions of our present technology. If we are forced to do without oil you can bet your bottom dollar that somone will come up with better ways for us to create the power we require to move forward. Looking at this whole picture from the outside the blame for the situation at hand belongs to anyone using oil right now, incuding myself. None of us will pay for the damage being done by using this oil. It will be our children, grandchildren and the many generations to follw who will have to pay for the mistakes that we are making right now. These mistakes are being made with a clear concience of knowing that oil is not the only answer to our power needs.

This world will end at some point due to the natural order of things. That end could be 100 years or 1million years, but if we continue to poison our own planet that end will come much sooner and at the hands of the human race as a whole.