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What if We Got Serious About Solving the Gulf Spew Crisis?

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Marcus B
But we can still dream.

What if the people in power were truly serious about protecting people and the environment from the present and looming damage resulting from the Deepwater Horizon's blowout?

A scenario very different from today's would unfold:

1. Navy submarines and ships would have a massive presence in the Gulf using sonar to produce real-time volumetric models of the underwater plumes extending from the blowout in several directions. This technology was proven feasible in 2001[10].
2. NASA satellites and aerial recon would be used to augment and guide the volumetric modeling
3. The entire oil industry would be coordinated to move dozens of tankers, pumping vessels and guide subs to "vacuum" the plumes from their underwater positions into waiting tankers, using the volumetric models to guide their operations in 3D.
4. All information would be shared and published real time.
5. Fishing fleets would be fully contracted and mobilized to deploy booms and contain surface slicks and sheen.
6. The best minds in academe and in our National Labs would be put to the problem of sealing the gushing 21" pipe and the bottom of the gulf, using whatever it takes-- an extra BOP lowered on top of the current BOP after cutting the riser pipe; hydraulically crimping the riser pipe; using small explosives to shape the tube into a sealed or nearly sealed shape; etc., etc. there are many possibilities. I would suggest that the three best options be prepared in parallel so even if two fail the third will be immediately ready to deploy instead of wasting precious time developing each solution only after the previous one fails.
7. Shore workers and animal rescue teams from the US, Mexico and Cuba would be coordinated to rescue wildlife and remove and/or minimize any oil reaching land.
8. All existing offshore oil rigs would be immediately inspected for compliance with safety and environmental regulations and immediately corrected or shut down if not in compliance.
9. Clean up operations would continue until a steering committee with representatives from the EPA, and key environmental groups (to guard against captive agency syndrome) agree that the work is done.

That's what a can-do America would do.

That's what a society that valued the common good would do.

That's what leadership would do.

In my dreams.

References:

1. The Examiner, 5/21/2010, Timothy P. Carney: Republicans should end the Big Oil bailout. click here
2. NPR, 2/27/2008, Nina Totenberg, "Supreme Court Weighs Exxon Valdez Damages" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=48308288
3. Inflation Calculator. http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi
4. The Boston Herald, 5/20/2010, Renee Schoof and Lauren French, "Scientist tells Congress: Oil spill 95,000 barrels per day". click here=1256108&srvc=rss
5. DailyKosTV, 5/9/2010, Jed Lewison, interview with Sen. Bill Nelson, "Senator: BP not waiving $75 million liability cap". http://www.dailykos.com/tv/w/002689/
6. Claude Reins as Captain Renault in "Casablanca" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gf8NK1WAOc
7. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart There Will Be Blame. click here
8. "The Loop Current" click here
9. Track the Gulf of Mexico oil spill movement in animated graphic click here
10. Feasibility of using sonar to track plumes. http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/48987 Johansen, O., et al. 2001. ROV Sonar and Pictures from Project "Deep Spill" June 2000. Final Data Report. Page 25

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Marcus B is a free-lance consultant, writer, website developer and activist for election reform.
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