BS: Soiled by Oil

Subject: RE: BS: Soiled by Oil
From: Gareth
Date: 14 Dec 02 - 07:25 PM

I am no lover of the oil companies, or those that send thier merchant seamen to die in coffin ships.

But rember the U-Boats " Happy Time" 1942 - No Convoys, No Escorts ( US Navy - Not learnt here attitude.)

Tankers outlined by the lights ashore. Oil, both light and heavey spilt by the ton.

But the reef survived.

For detail, CLICK 'ERE and browse.

Gareth - Remember you b*****r with nature and nature b*****r's back !!

Subject: RE: BS: Soiled by Oil
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Dec 02 - 09:54 PM

While it doesn't appear that the Florida barrier reef is in any imminent danger, CNN is reporting (bizarrely in it's "Science and Space" news section, rather than just the headline news) that a double-hulled tanker carrying 90,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel and 20,000 gallons of lube oil, is drifting about two miles from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and that it dropped anchor to slow its drift toward the park's shallow waters when its engine failed early Thursday off Marathon in the Middle Keys.

"It is slowly drifting east-northeast, parallel to the Florida Keys National Marine sanctuary boundary, presenting no immediate threat to the sanctuary," said Coast Guard spokeswoman Danielle DeMarino.

The sanctuary surrounds the Florida Keys chain of islands and is home to the United States' only living barrier coral reef. It is the third longest barrier reef in the world, after Australia's and Belize's.

The ship was en route to Houston from Quebec. Once we see a spill of the magnitude of the horrible Prestige accident in the Florida Keys, we'll see things change, but I'm afraid not until then.

BTW, Capercaillie has a song about the oil spill off Shetland, called "Black Fields" though I can't remember which album it is on.

Subject: RE: BS: Soiled by Oil
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 13 Dec 02 - 09:27 PM

Is it possible? Yes. Will it happen? Only when a watershed event of some type neutralizes the power that big oil exerts on our economy and our politicians. What the exact nature of that event may be is anybody's guess. Actually running out of fossil fuel is the most obvious one, but something else will probably tilt the scale before that happens. The current situation in the Middle-East is rife with possibilities for massive interruption of the oil flow, economic disaster for the oil companies and a resultant public outcry for change in energy policy.

Bruce

Subject: BS: Soiled by Oil
From: michaelr
Date: 13 Dec 02 - 08:47 PM

This was posted on the Capercaillie message board:

Antonia (Spain)
Posted - 29 Nov 2002 : 01:05:47   

Hi friends!!

You know that Galicia is suffering the biggest catastrophe of the last 25 years thanks to Prestige ship. Its poisoning fuel oil is engulfing our coast, killing our marine richness, our natural paradises and ourselves. Fishing, shellfish and tourism are the mainstays of the Galician Economy. Many families are seeing their future seriously threatened. But worst is the ecological harm.
My Galicia is suffering, my people is suffering and my heart is broken.

Complains and oppinions are being collected in this web page http://www.leliadoura.com/prestige.asp If you want to add yours don't doubt writing in. They are waiting for your oppinion.

What are all these complains for? To avoid this kind of catastrophes happening again in our Sea. You can get more info here http://personal.telefonica.terra.es/web/ies-leliadoura/informacion.html

Many thanks to you all, guys.

Antonia
Galicia-Spain


Now I know that this is not exactly news any more, but just the other day I saw footage of the devastation on WorldLink TV's Deutsche Welle news program, and it made me cry. This is much worse than Exxon Valdez, and far less remote than Alaska.

Right after that, WorldLink aired a documentary called "Trinkets and Beads" about the effects of oil drilling in the Ecuador rain forest on the indigenous Huoarani people, whose way of life is being irretrievably changed by the building of roads through their forest habitat, and by the pollution of their drinking water supply by oil runoff.

Add the current Iraq situation, and it's clear that fossil fuel is ALL BAD. Do you think it's possible to end our dependence on it, and switch to other energy sources (assuming the political will to do so were there?)

Cheers,
Michael