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I'd like to see more solar. There was a good National Geo article about that last summer. The technology is really improving, though I think we're still a long way away from making it affordable to the average folk. I cannot wait until I can coat the roof of my house in panels.

BTW - I know a wealthy couple who were doing all kinds of nuttiness to install geothermal power because they thought solar panels were ugly. In the middle of fucking deep forest, Vermont! Who's gonna see?

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Originally posted by dreamtrove:
...At any rate, I strongly suspect seismic activity caused the rig disaster, and there's a possibility that activity was indirectly caused by lots of guys under water with bombs. Oh, another one, this stuff never gets talked about, but you can see the statistical abberations: N. Korean nuclear tests and earthquakes, also, Iran/Pakistan and earthquakes. Just saying there's a possible correlation between people setting off large amounts of explosive underground and seismic activity, which isn't much of a stretch.

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I heard some people are working on a photovoltaic PAINT. Can you imagine? And it won't make your house look like a frozen dinner!

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Originally posted by out2theblack:

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Originally posted by dreamtrove:
...At any rate, I strongly suspect seismic activity caused the rig disaster, and there's a possibility that activity was indirectly caused by lots of guys under water with bombs. Oh, another one, this stuff never gets talked about, but you can see the statistical abberations: N. Korean nuclear tests and earthquakes, also, Iran/Pakistan and earthquakes. Just saying there's a possible correlation between people setting off large amounts of explosive underground and seismic activity, which isn't much of a stretch.

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Good to see you , D-T !

Interesting article :

'...Then, there's the question of the cause of the explosion. One source, of questionable reliability, TheEuropean Union Times suggests that the platform explosion was caused by a North Korean Mini-sub, launched on April 20th from a ship which departed Cuba on April 18th and then deviated far from it's scheduled course to Venezuela. The article speculates that theTransocean Corporation which owns and operated platform, has ties to South Korea through Hyuundai holdings in the company, so this was an attack by N. Korea on it's enemy, South Korea.'

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Gulf-of-Mexico-worst-Case-by-Rob-Kall
-100502-823.html

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Originally posted by SignyM:
A series of explosions and spills on offshore rigs had the Obama administration ALREADY primed to write new regulations for offshore rigs. It's clear that the oil companies, whose only motive IS profit, cannot be trusted to safely operate offshore rigs, nor can they be trusted to respond to disasters OR to clean up their mess.

They are simply following the successful business model: Make off with the profits, and leave the costs to everyone else. In this case, the costs include destroying the oceanic and coastal environment.

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Originally posted by Hero:

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Originally posted by SignyM:
A series of explosions and spills on offshore rigs had the Obama administration ALREADY primed to write new regulations for offshore rigs. It's clear that the oil companies, whose only motive IS profit, cannot be trusted to safely operate offshore rigs, nor can they be trusted to respond to disasters OR to clean up their mess.

They are simply following the successful business model: Make off with the profits, and leave the costs to everyone else. In this case, the costs include destroying the oceanic and coastal environment.

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Your assertion that profit is a corporation's only motive is correct. Corporations are entities formed to channel investment into industry seeking profit in return (otherwise its a crappy investment and I'm taking my money elsewhere). However, I think the fact in both this recent spill and the Exxon case show you to be wrong that the quest for profit drove them to ignore safety concerns.

Oil spills like this cost companies billions upon billions in clean up costs, restitution, lawsuits, and lost revenue.

Since Exxon's spill oil companies have sought to minimize their risk and liability with safety measures in the hopes of protecting their profits.

If this were a small business then you would be correct, they could simply 'make off with the profits'. However BP is a large, multinational corporation with tens of billions of dollars invested in property and commerical enterprise here in the United States, simply put...they are to big to simply 'make off' and too spread out to hide.

They have already agreed to pay for clean up costs and lost revenue. They will pay in the form of lawsuits. They will pay with lost revune, diminished reputation, and lost market share. They will pay and pay and pay, just like Exxon did.

The more they pay the more other companies will seek to limit their exposure with new technology and improved safety measures...all aimed at one goal, protecting profit. Good thing that's their sole motive.

H

"Hero. I have come to respect you." "I am forced to agree with Hero here."- Chrisisall, 2009.

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Originally posted by Kwicko:
Those oil companies have ALSO sought - through legislation - to limit their liability in the wake of such disasters. And they've succeeded. In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez, laws were passed which limited the punitive damages to $75 million. Already estimates for this mess are topping $14 billion.

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Originally posted by Kwicko:
In other words, as always, you put corporate interests well above the interests of the environment and small business owners who are adversely affected by the actions of the corporations.

I thought you were a "free market" guy? Shouldn't the "invisible hand" of the market LET the bad companies go out of business? Are you saying that you support regulation to limit their liability? I thought you were against regulations on corporations at all. Guess you're only against the ones that might have the corporations pay out for the damage they do...

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I explained the reasoning behind the law and noted it was valid reasoning. I agree that liability should be limited, but I think that is the role of the Jury and the Courts, not the Congress.

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Lets say there is no limit, somebody sues, the award is so large the company goes out of business and putting tens of thousands of folks out of work while at the same time not paying the settlement (because its a foriegn corporation allowing assets to be looted or sold off with proceeds going to creditors and investors who are ahead of the litigants on the food chain).

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The company which operates this oil platform should be fined into the ground for this catastrophe. Only when the costs of carelessness exceed the costs of care will any corporation bother with true engineering safety.

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