Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Provokes Panic and State of Emergency

“I really wonder what gives us the right to wreck this poor planet of ours.” - Kurt Vonnegut

(LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.) - OK, all of you "Drill, baby, drill" imbeciles, where are you hiding right now, crawled back into whatever slimy, bitumen-encrusted asphalt sink hole you emerged from? Still think drilling oil offshore is, like that traitorous Marine Colonel Ollie North said, a really neat idea?

C'mon out, or are you at a Tea Party hiding behind a bogus patriotic sign, along with your other Mad Hatter (Michael Steele) and Red Queen (Sara Palin) friends, you know the ones that call for punishment first, then the trial?

I ask because certainly the non-human species that live in or rely upon the Gulf of Mexico need those waters to be relatively pollutant free, and they have nowhere to go.

They've already felt the brunt, the steady drip feed of civilization via the toxic soup runoff of urbanization, I mean what's a few more contaminants among chums?

They're getting that punishment, and there was no trial anyway, they've committed no crime other than exist wonderfully as God created them, as part of naturally complex, interlocking continuums commonly known as marine and estuarial ecosystems.

Yes, we can cry about, even find fiscal compensation for the shrimpers and other fishing industry members that earn their living in this area. And of course those favorite tourist resorts in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida aren't looking forward to the adverse impacts as vacationers cancel or re-schedule visits this merry month of May---Or even longer as the side-effects cascade throughout the communities of unique organisms native to the Gulf.

These significant adverse impacts could still be visible during the final holiday weekend of May, bringing ironic meaning to the word "memorial." Chocolate-colored, oil-drenched surf will do that, you know?

Westerners, and Americans in particular, have this asinine belief that whatever older technology decimates or destroys can be remedied by a subsequent technological advance. Sorry, but it doesn't always work out that way.

This is the blind faith and tekkie equivalent of prayer and supplication, of watching the horizon for the calvary to save your wagon train's butt, the "Waiting for Godot" syndrome. Like that famously absurd play, maybe he ain't coming, so what do you do then?

Why didn't we, as a country held hostage by OPEC years ago in the mid-70's initiate the exploration of alternative, non-petrochemical, non-carbon energy solutions?

We'd already have them by now. I sat in my car at 6:00 am back then, waiting in line with others who had an even numbered license plate here in California, in some World War II redux of rationing.

We put a man on the moon within 8 years after JFK challenged us to do so as a country, we got up to speed and snuffed out Hitler in what, 5 years, yet decades later after the OPEC embargo we're still in our caves environmentally speaking? Why didn't we learn our oil-dependency lesson back in 1973?

We're still being held captive by OPEC, they even boldly, shamelessly, use our blood money to finance terrorism that takes American civilian and soldier's lives. Almost 40 years later, we still have dinosaur-minded, corrupt politicians sleeping with oil corporation lobbyists, and their solution? Just keep drilling.

And that reeking sulphur odor, gee, isn't Hell supposed to smell that way? Do you think these pigs care if there are any other life forms left as long as they have hefty salaries and profit-sharing? And howsabout those humongous retirement portfolios, living out one's empty existence on a dead, lifeless planet, no less?

They say that when you start digging a hole, once you're in over your head and can't get out, stop digging. Instead of forcing energy cartels to develop newer, non-polluting sources, we gave them a free ride, carte blanche, no end in sight for profit mongers.

At the risk of our health, our children's heritage and the jeopardizing of the planet's future. Speaking of which, anybody notice that the Big Oil Boyz are reaping bucks like never before in 2010, or should I say "raping" because that's what's happening all over the globe? You wouldn't stand around and watch your biological mother get physically assaulted, why are we all standing around now like voyeurs as this latest but definitely not last petrochemical fiasco unfolds?

These pieces of excrement (I refuse to call them human), whether they're pimping coal or oil, are raping this planet's resources, they remove these resources and leave behind catastrophic nightmares to clean up or abandon. They rape, plunder and pillage the economies of other nations as well by getting permission of the respective foreign government leaders to remove and market THEIR resources, paying huge bribes or trading commercial influence.

Whether it's the eery, moonscape look of an open pit mine or gargantuan oil spills, deforestation of the rain forests, whatever, no amount of money can bring back these places to their original pristine and functional order. You can't turn back some clocks, the internal gears don't allow that.

Maybe you're one of those people who believe that God gave us the responsibility, the gift of stewardship over all life forms. Well ask yourselves, what kind of stewards are we today, do you feel better about yourself as a consumer of these resources? Can you actually look your alarmed children in the eye after this and tell them it's okay, the ocean is huge, life is plentiful and resilient, God can just make another one, or is that 1 million?

Better yet, if asked, do you think that your children will really believe that all of the babies, the children of these species will be okay too, and will you tell your worried kids so as you tuck them in tonight?

For the record, one quart of oil contaminates 250k gallons of water, one part of oil equals one million parts of water.

We are an obstinate if not outright crazy species at times, perhaps as some believe a biological dead end, or in a worst case scenario potentially the assassins of this world. It's as if we are constantly choosing between the lesser of energy evils, but they still remain evil, the ones we use to fuel our cars, planes, trains or heat our homes. How much ecological anguish, how much environmental abuse do we expect Mother Earth to take?

There's no such thing as a "planetary intervention," you won't be seeing that reality TV show anytime soon. Is extinction, provoked by our rapacious and conscienceless activities, exacerbated by a few nukes dropped by some penile-challenged generals, the only way, thus wiping us off the face of this lonely lifeboat, this 3rd stone from the sun, this beautifully blue marble in space we call home?

Maybe migrating to Mars or another planet isn't such a bad idea, after all we've really screwed the pooch around here. There'll always be another one, won't there Mommy and Daddy?

FYI: If a project near you has some interesting enviro-aspect(s) that you think is/are worthy of Salem-News.com coverage and our readers attention, feel free to contact me with a very brief synopsis. Water-related “Blue Interventions” are my specialty!

Launched in 2010, Odd Man Out is the creation of Roger von Bütow and his OMO columns are written exclusively for Salem-News-com. Born and raised in the LA Harbor area, son of a German immigrant father, he's been in Orange County for 45 years and is a 38-year resident of Laguna Beach, Ca. In 1998, he began his professional career in environmental review processes (CEQA, NEPA, MND, MND and EIR/EIS). He's a rare mix of cross-trained builder, writer and consultant as he brings his extensive construction experiences dating back to 1972 into his eco-endeavors. He has tremendous field and technical expertise in successful watershed restorations, plus wastewater, urban runoff, water quality monitoring/improvements and hydrologic mechanisms. He's built everything from commercial spas to award-winning private residences, and provided peer review and consultant analyses for single homes, subdivisions and upscale resorts.

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gp May 18, 2010 8:47 pm (Pacific time)

I just read this:"But President Barack Obama, whose administration has taken a tough line on BP and other companies sullied by the disaster, saw his drive to increase corporate liability limits for those responsible for oil spills, halted in Congress." The corporations should pay ALL COSTS, EVERY PENNY EVEN IF THEY GO BANKRUPT AND I HOPE THEY DO.

Charley May 2, 2010 11:09 am (Pacific time)

Thanks Paul. It took 3 search pages to find you but you are now one of my Bookmarks. Good Commentary. The technical aspects of this "spill" baffle me and it is obvious that halliburton slopyness was to blame for the blowout. halliburton is busy screwing up the water in pristine south Arkansas; fracking for natural gas. What do we do about them? Them and their ilk are destroying the World at an astonishing rate! I love Deep Ecology and have practiced it at times but now it is time for all of us to figure out a way to make it Universal. Thanks for telling it like it is!

Val Pittmany May 1, 2010 6:04 pm (Pacific time)

My money is on a Marine too! Also you covered two wars! That GOP idiot has already lost, but that's okay, it probably wasn't even a male you were talking about, based in its politics.

Natalie May 1, 2010 1:43 am (Pacific time)

I'm not sure...is it gonna be guns, fists, whoever spits further, curses more graciously, or blinks first?

Joe April 30, 2010 9:05 pm (Pacific time)

Let'g get it on! I don't like Tim's politics all the time but he is a fellow former Marine so my money is on him.

Paul Thomas April 30, 2010 6:48 pm (Pacific time)

Hey Paul, I'll shove these personal insults right back at you, your BS won't be published here, and I hope that SOB takes me up on it.

Tim King

Dexter April 30, 2010 4:58 pm (Pacific time)

Bill Griffith vs Tim King..."Ding Ding"

I'm hoping this moron has the guts to write back, let's see what he's made of.

Natalie April 30, 2010 4:07 pm (Pacific time)

While I'll be milking my cow, riding a horse to work, showering in a cup of water, shopping for the latest technology washer that doesn't require water, trying out reusable bathroom tissues, can we also ask those who use jets to get to and from work every day to fly less frequently? BTW they say cows are worse smog-causing-air-polluters than cars, so, I'll just breastfeed my kids till they are 16. Sorry, gp, but some measures are too extreme for me. But I don't mind growing my own vegies and digging out my own well. The water is tasty and very cold; I could, maybe, dump my fridge then. Hope, you're not starving there because of your environmental beliefs.

Natalie April 30, 2010 3:09 pm (Pacific time)

You threw my commment into garbage again, didn't you?

Editor: Nothing tossed out Natalie, please try to resubmit.

Joe April 30, 2010 1:35 pm (Pacific time)

No, my name is not Joe April, it's just plain Joe.

Carol Mc Dougal April 30, 2010 11:37 am (Pacific time)

Roger here is a video a couple weeks old and clearly shows Obama's opinion on offshore drilling. Now we can see if he and his staff know how to manage, which is a lot different than just talking. The Bee Gee's knew all about the talk, remember? realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/04/29/flashback_obama_says_oil_rigs_today_dont_generally_cause_spills.html

Bill Griffith April 30, 2010 7:44 am (Pacific time)

I hate negroid racists, also and all non-caucasian racists should be deported along with their enablers..,

Editor: This is that retarded vermin Bill Griffith. I did an IP search, and earlier today he wrote anonymously, "Wipe out Gaza and all the anti-Jews. " So I have one for you Bill, you silly little golf ball, I challenge you to a few rounds in the ring, nice and legal, and I promise I won't take my gloves off when you aren't looking. This is Tim King, you know who I am, and you know all of the terribly insulting things you have written in our comment section for years. So you are a pro-Israel Republican, and I am a pro-Palestinian Journalist. You hate my politics and I hate yours, so let's duke it out and see who the bigger man really is? Are you up to it? You know my email, and I say let's make this public.

gp April 30, 2010 3:47 am (Pacific time)

"If you voted for Obama, drive a car fly, use plastics or anything else that comes from petroleum you are just as guilt as the fat cats at EXXON who pay no taxes, that includes you Mr. Butow." I have to say that I agree with old Joe here. It is terribly difficult to not use plastic but with some effort one can greatly reduce that consumption. One New Year's Day I promised myself not to buy any food that came in plastic. Wow, that didn't last long. No sour cream, no yogurt, no cheese. I don't use much of these things but then I was hard pressed. Now in our little southern cone village, I can walk to the dairy for milk and cheese that I take home in a glass jar-the milk- and paper- the cheese. But on the once or twice a year purchase of such things like ketchup, once a fixture in my frig, I am stuck with the plastic bottle or the soft plastic bottle refill packet. Although the containers for such items as mayo, ketchup, olives and more are available in the so called "ecconomico" soft packets, they are no cheaper either to my pocket or the planet. I am trying now, after years of recycling, to produce less garbage and finding it very difficult. Really, not only is plastic a petroleum product, it is also the largest component of the home waste stream. When i moved here I had a wake up call, the recycling is limited to reuse. There are no funds for trucks to pick up recycling let alone pay for the gasoline to run the stuff to a distant buyer. So here, many businesses use soda bottles to contain paint, cleaning supplies and hold nursery stock. Yet there remains an enormous flow of such things into the garbage stream. One thing the lack of recycling has done for me is make me even more aware that there is no "away". Burn it, bury it or dump it at sea, it is all still polluting. Re use is good but only slightly. The real solution is not to produce the garbage in the first place. If we are serious we will give up products that come in plastic. Say farwell to the ketchup, it is really not the vegetable that W claimed it to be. Of course, giving up the auto is another thing. Such a horrifying idea! We have lived without one for many years, it is very easy. I challenge all of you to give up the use o,a month, or a lifetime. Use public transportation, a bike, your legs (think of it!) and rent a car on occasion when you want to go to the beach or up into the mountains. Your bus tickets and cab fare, car rentals and new bike won't cost the $500 minimum monthly cost of the auto at your curb.

Daniel Taylor Cantin April 29, 2010 10:40 pm (Pacific time)

Wow, you said it. Thank you for that, I feel better reading your words. I hear and see so many around me who don't understand the importance of changing themselves and thus this sick society, they don't even see anything wrong with it or the way they live. This society and lifestyle with no prosperity, no hope, only this short sighted, ego driven, all consuming nature I see all around me. What future do we have if everyone continues to live like this, not only our future but for the whole natural world that has cradled us and given us everything. Many want to be slaves and plenty don't even care to know what is going on to change anything, the state of apathy in people doesn't help the situation. As I become more knowledgeable about the natural systems that provide us with everything we need they are constantly overshadowed by these forces out of my control which are destroying this sustainability I seek. To use the unspoiled land and water, grow food, build shelter with the resources around me and just live free. Independence with others while encouraging sustainable harvesting from nature to provide all we need, living in harmony and not owing anyone a god damn thing. To be part of a community that truly cherishes these values is a hard thing to find these days.

Roger von Bütow April 29, 2010 9:31 pm (Pacific time)

First, Joe April (if that's really your name) I didn't vote for Obama. His recent decisions on rolling back international whale and dolphin protection accords, and even breathing mention of allowing offshore oil drilling, are repugnant, retro and ecologically vacuous. And your claim that oil rigs today "generally don't cause spills" is mysterious pretzel logic. No, the rigs don't "cause" them, but they are the potential medium, we created those hazardous devices. No guns don't kill people, people kill people. Oil rigs or platforms per se don't kill oceans, people kill oceans. CONCLUSION? Get rid of people. :+) :+) :+) Seriously, saying they "generally don't cause spills" doesn't put the petrochemical genie safely back in the earth. Creating potentially dangerous scenarios like these platforms without full containment contingencies is dumb. That's like saying an occasional hydrogen bomb is acceptable.......And no, before anyone mentions it, I don't believe nuclear reactors are the way to go-----Only if we want to go the way of the dinosaur into total extinction from a catastrophic meltdown or explosion. Fusion, not fission, has some potential but I doubt those alive today will live long enough to be there soon, if ever. Sadly, we'd take all of the other life forms with us if a nuclear accident or incident/confrontation happens, otherwise I'd say: Hey, go for it! Let's get rid of humans altogether, we can't be trusted, have some other species be the pinnacle predator. We suck at it. I doubt that after millions of years of evolution the whales would become the global eco-fascist oppressors we are. Apparently they, like many other marine mammals, just like singing, hanging out and being groovy. Makes you wonder where we went wrong, where we broke bad, doesn't it?

Joe April 29, 2010 8:46 pm (Pacific time)

Bush/Cheney/Palin are not in charge, Obama is. The wars, economy, enviromental disasters are his. You guys can blame the conservitives of this country all you want but you guys are in charge now. Stop the blame game and fix it. If you don't know what Patriot means look it up in the dictionary. The only thing that is going to save us is getting rid of all incumbents and starting fresh with a third party. Stop toeing the line and we might be able to save us.

Editor: toeing the line is the last thing we are out to do. Patriot does not mean conservative. In fact the party that would launch two unilateral wars with no plans for victory in the Middle East is anything but conservative, that has to be the biggest misuse of terminology in the nation today. I believe in steering people toward the middle of the road, having a strong military but only it in dire unavoidable situations, stopping GM food, raising the minimum wage, and seeing taxation shift to the upper income brackets as it has. I have NO agreement with the rich not paying their fair share of taxes. Being rich should not mean being without honor. Most importantly, I believe in taking care of Veterans, and cleaning up the ridiculous filthy messes we have made out of so much of this nation, particularly in regard to water quality. Now you know a little about what I think. Let's not leave out racism; I hate racists. I also have serious problems with the acceptance of Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people. I think all people in the world are equally important. I think we should spend billions abolishing human trafficking. I think we should legalize marijuana. I believe we should invest in the Mexican economy. I believe border issues are not in perspective, and either way shoring up Mexico would make people stop wanting to come here. I hope you agree with some of this, because we are pushing these things all very hard, never hard enough, but we keep the world informed.

Roger von Bütow April 29, 2010 7:06 pm (Pacific time)

What difference does it make, if it's an accident, inept response, an act of terror or probably that old petrochemical standby, human error? Try those excuses out on the plants and animals affected. The entire pyramid of petrochemical is basically human error---As in why do we keep this idea of petroleum or other such polluting energy resource consumption as our go to, primary strategy? It's plain stupid. Claiming we need time to develop other sources is bogus too, so let's drill in the meanwhile is disingenuous-----Like I wrote, we got that warning 45 years ago, didn't heed it then either. Starting out now, practically at Square 1, is probably too late. I love the smell of burning hydrocarbons in the morning, that tangy metallic taste in your mouth from vehicular pollution, don't you?

Joe April 29, 2010 7:05 pm (Pacific time)

Go ahead and try to blame this one us Patriots but here is a quote from your man Obama of course this was said after the election not before it when he was against offshore drilling. President Obama on April 2, 2010: "I don’t agree with the notion that we shouldn’t do anything. It turns out, by the way, that oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills. They are technologically very advanced. Even during Katrina, the spills didn’t come from the oil rigs, they came from the refineries onshore." If you voted for Obama, drive a car fly, use plastics or anything else that comes from petroleum you are just as guilt as the fat cats at EXXON who pay no taxes, that includes you Mr. Butow.

Editor: Well I hope the company pays you well Joe for this type of advocacy, and don't come back and tell me your financial interests aren't involved here, because nobody will believe it. What the hell does patriot mean in this context anyway? Does it mean you suck oil out of the earth and get on your knees and praise the Bush's and Cheney's of the world? It is your choice to be a sellout, but don't try to pin this thing on my brother Americans who voted for Obama, because he was clearly the lesser of the evils? But that is the Republican response isn't it? Take what the GOP does and blame it square on the Democrats, typical as it gets.

Sorenson April 29, 2010 6:01 pm (Pacific time)

Thanks for letting the world know about that POS North, you are a great writer Roger and even though I was in the navy and only for a short while, I greatly admire Marines and only wish I could have been one. They rejected me, this is before the don't ask don't tell thing. Anyway, go team!

Anonymous April 29, 2010 3:52 pm (Pacific time)

this was an accident.. depleted uranium in the middle east was done on purpose among many other atrocities being done by the CIA/Mossad/bankers, while they talk about global warming and taxes for carbon dioxide which trees breath and give us oxygen. etc. yeesh

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Provokes Panic and State of Emergency

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