Do we really know just how serious the oil spill is?

[mashman]

This lady is making a lot of sense. She's voicing what a lot of pissed off Americans (and others) are thinking

And yet no news from the American people... She is bloody good...

[mashman]

ethanol
caster oil
synth oil
why do we still drill for it

it's the most economically viable substance. Land costs money. The sea is virtually free.

[mashman]

Nah it doesn't cost money. In fact the opposite - it costs money not too, but it all depends as to who's signature is on the expense form as to if it gets approved for funding.

WOLF WOLF WOLF!!!! FUCKING WOLF!!!!!

Ah fuck it, no one of value listens.
All the fat cats will look at you as if your a heretic.

lol, noone knows what to do, they're all too busy protecting the business, they'll get it tidied up in time, it's only oil, and then realise they have just opened up some nice new condo space for after the cleanup.

[Naki Rat]

All the H2S coming out of that well along with the oil and natural gas, and ending up in the atmosphere will end up as H2SO4 (sulphuric acid)

[mashman]

All the H2S coming out of that well along with the oil and natural gas, and ending up in the atmosphere will end up as H2SO4 (sulphuric acid)

got any literature for that (i didn't do chemistry)... sounds like a messy day to be an American.

[Naki Rat]

And yet no news from the American people... She is bloody good...

She's got more balls than Campbell, Sainsberry and the rest of them combined.

[mashman]

The EPA has had reports from people smelling gas, the potential health hazards , questioning the source location of the new odour WTF?

[Naki Rat]

got any literature for that (i didn't do chemistry)... sounds like a messy day to be an American.

H2S is hydrogen sulphide, one of the most feared gases in the oil workers' environment. It is probably behind much of the skin blistering, respiratory problems, crop damage (acid rain) and marine life kill that is being reported in the GOM. It combines with oxygen in the body if inhaled with nasty and often fatal effects. Don't know how accurate the mass evacuation plan rumours are but H2S could be a factor there too.

[mashman]

Any idea what it would make if it combines with salt water?

[Naki Rat]

The EPA has had reports from people smelling gas, the potential health hazards , questioning the source location of the new odour WTF?

The good side of smelling H2S as 'rotten eggs' is that it indicates it is at sub-lethal levels "At 100–150 ppm the olfactory nerve is paralyzed after a few inhalations, and the sense of smell disappears, often together with awareness of danger".

I notice the EPA link doesn't mention the dispersant Corexit which is also a gas hazard.

[Naki Rat]

Any idea what it would make if it combines with salt water?

From the bottom of the Wikipedia link from my earlier post:

"Hydrogen sulfide has been implicated in some of the several mass extinctions that have occurred in the Earth's past. In particular, a buildup of hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere may have caused the Permian-Triassic extinction event 252 million years ago.[34]

Organic residues from these extinction boundaries indicate that the oceans were anoxic (oxygen-depleted) and had species of shallow plankton that metabolized H2S. The formation of H2S may have been initiated by massive volcanic eruptions, which emitted CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, which warmed the oceans, lowering their capacity to absorb oxygen that would otherwise oxidize H2S. The increased levels of hydrogen sulfide could have killed oxygen-generating plants as well as depleted the ozone layer, causing further stress. Small H2S blooms have been detected in modern times in the Dead Sea and in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Namibia."

In other words it will deplete the oxygen in the seawater and raise its acidity.

[mashman]

I notice the EPA link doesn't mention the dispersant Corexit which is also a gas hazard.

sounds like nasty stuff. According to wiki it was used during the exxon valdez incident and left quite an impression.

[b]"Corexit 9527, considered by the EPA to be an acute health hazard, is stated by its manufacturer to be potentially harmful to red blood cells, the kidneys and the liver, and may irritate eyes and skin.[24][13] The chemical 2-butoxyethanol, found in Corexit 9527, was identified as having caused lasting health problems in workers involved in the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.[25] According to the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the use of Corexit during the Exxon Valdez oil spill caused people "respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders".[15] Like 9527, 9500 can cause hemolysis (rupture of blood cells) and may also cause internal bleeding.[4][/b["

[mashman]

From the bottom of the Wikipedia link from my earlier post:

"Hydrogen sulfide has been implicated in some of the several mass extinctions that have occurred in the Earth's past. In particular, a buildup of hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere may have caused the Permian-Triassic extinction event 252 million years ago.[34]

Organic residues from these extinction boundaries indicate that the oceans were anoxic (oxygen-depleted) and had species of shallow plankton that metabolized H2S. The formation of H2S may have been initiated by massive volcanic eruptions, which emitted CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, which warmed the oceans, lowering their capacity to absorb oxygen that would otherwise oxidize H2S. The increased levels of hydrogen sulfide could have killed oxygen-generating plants as well as depleted the ozone layer, causing further stress. Small H2S blooms have been detected in modern times in the Dead Sea and in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Namibia."

In other words it will deplete the oxygen in the seawater and raise its acidity.

uck 10 chars

[mashman]

In other words it will deplete the oxygen in the seawater and raise its acidity.

Heavier than normal seawater?

[Winston001]

There are alternatives for oil usage in many areas.

Yes but No. Give us a list of the alternatives and their cost - eg. a $2/litre substitute for petrol. Google the efficiency of bio-fuel. It's either negative (ie takes more energy to make than it produces) or at best produces 20% more energy. Oil straight out of the ground produces 1400% of the energy required to dig it up.

ethanol
caster oil
synth oil
why do we still drill for it

See above. Do some research and look at the figures for producing hydrocarbon alternatives. Same with wind and solar.

Nevertheless the day will come when alternative energy sources such as algae are economic but the technology right now is only getting started. Plus lets be blunt - oil is cheap. Double the price with bio-fuel and see where peoples principles go.....