1st thoughts on my oil spill visit

I’m an environmental scientist and author that works for a private company that produces natural biological products for the bioremediation of crude oil among other things. I have worked in environmental cleanup for over twenty years in locations all over the world. We were invited to send our products to one of the parishes in Louisiana to carry out a test of its effectiveness in cleaning up oil damaged beaches and wetlands. The opportunity to visit the oil spill area was a life changing experience.

We were struck by the overwhelming beauty of the Louisiana wetlands. They are vast. We drove for hours through a diverse habitat of grass and water that supports huge populations of fish, crustaceans, shellfish, and all of the other organisms that make this area of the world an environmental treasure to be protected. A living treasure house that nourishes a rich culture of hardworking people that make their living from the sea and that fills our grocery stores and restaurants with a sustainable bounty of seafood.

Or it used to.

I can tell you we didn’t see a single walrus, sea otter or sea lion in Louisiana. There might have been some at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, but we didn’t make it there. Those animals were listed in the BP spill response plan for the Gulf as “sensitive biological resources” even though they are not found in the Gulf. That shows you how much they care about the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico. But maybe they were planning for an even bigger spill that would reach all the way to the Arctic. Who knows, with the success they’ve had in plugging the leak, the oil may make it to the North Pole before the year is out.

Now that’s planning ahead.

The fear and anger of the local people toward BP can be felt in any conversation that you have with them. We heard over and over, “BP is calling the shots, we’re helpless to do anything.” In the words of one local woman working in a restaurant, “We don’t know what we’re going to do. All we know is fishing and shrimping. If we can’t do that, what will we do?” For the fishermen, shrimpers and oystermen, a way of life they have known for generations may be lost forever. BP’s response has been to pay them not to fish or to hire them to run boom boats and skimmers.

The extent that BP controls all aspects of the spill on land is terrifying. I attempted to get samples of the oil for research purposes in Grand Isle and was stopped by police. When I went to the Port Authority of Port Fourchon to get permission to enter the spill area I was told that permission would have to come from BP. The duly appointed law enforcement of the region was apparently powerless to give us access. To quote law enforcement, “BP controls access to the spill—we can’t let you go in without their approval.” A foreign corporation has taken control of part of America…one of America’s most fragile, beautiful and productive regions. Think about that.

The U.S. military is everywhere; Humvees, and Amphibious vehicles. We even saw a Stryker armored personnel carrier. We felt like we were in a wetland version of Iraq. An enormous amount of our taxpayer money is being spent on this military presence.
Our armed forces are apparently there to support BP’s security effort to control access to the spill; so much for the administration’s claim that they are in control of the spill. It is BP’s show 100% except for the Coast Guard skimming and boom setting operations. All the clean up we saw was from private contractors running bulldozers and other equipment scraping up contaminated sand or positioning booms.

Have you gotten tired of hearing, “It’s never been done in 5000 feet of water.” during the repeated failed efforts to stop the leak? Maybe that means we shouldn’t use a technology until we know we can take care of the consequences of its failure. What do you think?

I have to say a boycott is not enough. We must reduce our demand for petroleum based hydrocarbons through the use of electric cars and trains and alternative sustainable technologies. We need to DEMAND that our government begin work immediately on a nationwide network of high speed electric trains to replace aircraft, auto and truck transport. We need a Manhattan Project for trains and electric cars. We need to change our lifestyles to emphasize sustainable technologies that minimize the use of oil based hydrocarbons. Only when we do that will the victory finally be won.

Killing a whale shark

Killing a gentle giant for food. I think I don't I need to add any commentary.

		Mon, Aug 24, 2009 AsiaOne
Whale shark caught and hacked into pieces in Johor
A quiet lunch affair at a seafood restaurant turned awry and bloody when a whale shark, size of a pick-up truck, was hauled onto the jetty and hacked into pieces. A Singaporean eye-witness who was having his meal at the restaurant, south of Johor, Malaysia, at that time wrote this account: "I was there having lunch with some friends at a seafood restaurant when a local walked in and told the boss that a big shark was caught. "I did not give much thought to it until the workers who went there to see came back and told their fellow colleagues that the shark was as big as a pick-up. "This caught my attention. We paid for our meal and went over to the jetty to have a look. "When we reached the jetty, it was already quite crowded. I managed to squeeze in some photos as the poor shark was being sliced by a hack saw. Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: STOMP) According to the eye-witness, the catch could have been the joint efforts of three fishing boats which had brought the big fish in from the South China Sea, as he had overheard conversations from the crowd. "As you can see, the shark was being chopped up, did not stay long to watch as we had to catch our ferry. "Seeing the poor guy being chopped up, I was quite sad. "What you see in picture is very different from the actual situation. There was the noise from the hack saw, blood flowing out etc."

Thoughts on the Sturgeon

Reading "The Philosopher Fish" by Richard Adams Carey and was struck once again by how much we have lost through our over exploitation of the natural world. The waters of North America and Europe once teemed with gigantic sturgeon, fish up to 15 meters and 2000 kilograms in size. Famous today as a source for caviar, they were so plentiful in North America they were sold as food for slaves and the poor. (Lobsters were once this plentiful too!). At one time caviar was so cheap in the United States that it was put out for free in bars in New York much like they do peanuts today. Creatures of the coastal waters, rivers and lakes, they were fished so extensively that now most species are now endangered or threatened. All that remains of this abundance are fragmented remnant populations. This from a fish that has lived on this planet for 200,000,000 years. When people tell me we live in such exciting times with our hellbent lust for technological progress--I tell them I would have liked to have seen a river in the U.S. teeming with fish 10 feet long. A world where the abundance of lobsters and cod boggled the mind. What kind of sailfish were there in those days? Those were exciting times--now gone and forgotten.

Pirates threaten Christmas shopping

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British consumers are being warned they could face shortages of everything from clothes to fuel unless effective action is taken to stop pirates hijacking ships off the coast of Somalia.

The effects could become apparent in the run-up to Christmas, says the British Chamber of Shipping. Michael Buchanan reports.

So far this year, more than 30 ships have been hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, with hundreds of crew members taken hostage.

The rate at which ships are being taken has led the British Chamber of Shipping to warn customers that all supplies that come to the UK and other western European countries from Asia could be put at risk.

Long way round

Gavin Simmonds, head of international policy at the chamber, says: "Car carriers with vehicles for the UK, foodstuffs from Asia, textiles and clothing, dare I say it in time for the Christmas market, will not be arriving on time if they have to [go round South Africa]. We could begin to see shortages within the next few weeks."

Of the ships pirated this year, most attention has focussed on MV Faina, the Ukrainian vessel carrying tanks and heavy weaponry.

But the majority of ships sailing through the Gulf carry supplies vital to the running of the global economy. Goods as diverse as oil, gas, cars, textiles and electronics travel past Somalia on their way to Britain.

The alternative route, going round the Cape of Good Hope, would add up to three weeks to the average journey.

However, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says that two companies have already given their captains the permission to go the long way round and others are considering following suit.

Some action is now being attempted to thwart the pirates, whose actions are also disrupting shipments of aid supplies to the war-torn Somali mainland.

A flotilla of naval vessels from 10 Nato nations is now heading for the Gulf of Aden, and two UN Security Council resolutions have been passed condemning the piracy, and urging coordinated action to stop the attacks.

The issue is also being discussed in the European Parliament.

But despite this there is a distinct lack of urgency to address the problem, say some experts.

The ICS argues that if commercial airlines were being attacked as often as ships, the reaction of governments would be very different.

"It's taken a very long time to get politicians aware of it and to get real military action under way," says Peter Hinchcliffe from the ICS.

Hijacked

"And whilst all these discussions are going on and whilst the pirates continue to hold ships to ransom, there is a very real possibility that cargos will be held up and deliveries will be delayed."

Insurance companies are increasingly concerned by the dangers. Speciality insurer Hiscox says some of its clients have had their vessels hijacked.

While he acknowledges the frustration within the shipping industry at the lack of attention to the piracy issue, Guillaume Bonnissent from Hiscox doubts that ships will actually start to avoid the Gulf of Aden.

"I don't think we are going to see shortages. I think we are more likely to see ship owners charging higher prices [to cover the increased insurance premiums] which may have repercussions for the consumer."

You can hear Michael Buchanan's report on Somali piracy on PM on Radio 4 1700-1800 on Thursday 23rd October. ..
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By Michael Buchanan BBC News

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Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia have been surging

Life imitating art--Is "Saving the Whales" happening for real?

We don't have a pirate submarine or Bwana Doc, but the Somalian pirates have certainly gotten our attention. Kidnapping a ship laden with tanks and other armaments and surrounded by U.S. Navy vessels, the confrontation could have been lifted right out of "Saving the Whales". Modern day pirates are a real problem and we're not doing enough about them. Marine insurance rates are rising and interdiction by the world's navies is a sporadic and usually after the fact matter. The U.S. Navy's new littoral combat ships like the USS Freedom and the USS Independence would be great for the job of rooting out these brigands--just like they were used in "Saving the Whales!" Fast, with a shallow draft and impressive surveillance electronics and helicopter assault capabilities they could take out the modern day equivalent of Poolom Pannarang in no time.


To read more about this great ships check out this link. http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/littoral/

Bwana Doc for President!

Bwana Doc Runs for President

With all the hoopla over John, Hillary and Barack, Bwana Doc thought he'd throw his hat in the ring.

Energy:

Begin building a nationwide network of high speed electric trains connecting all cities in the United States over 50,000 people. Build the cars for these trains out of the aluminum from scrapped airliners.

Begin building 50 nuclear power plants. Yes, there is a problem with their waste-recycle what we can and find out what to do with the rest. There is a solution—we can find it. There is poor evidence that modern plants are dangerous and certainly they emit less radiation than coal fired plants. If European countries can use nuclear power, why can’t we? Continue subsidies for wind, solar, tidal power and biofuels, including biogenic natural gas. Subsidize the conversion of vehicles to natural gas and hydrogen power as well as electric. Tax imported oil to supply the money for these subsidies.

Drill for oil wherever a state will allow it to be done. Let the people decide where they want their oil wells. If the citizens of a state decide they don’t want them—that’s fine too. Many states have done quite well with lots of oil wells—think about it.

Tax new construction in the U.S. that does not meet high standards for energy efficiency.

Tax cars that don't meet a high mpg standard.

Civil Law:

One man, one vote will be abolished. Veterans will get two votes. Combat Veterans will get three. Veterans awarded the Purple Heart will get five. Teachers will get five votes.

Medical doctors and nurses will get five votes. Policemen, Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians will get five votes. Single Parents will get two votes. Insurance, Bank and Mortgage company employees will get 0.5 votes.

A nationwide program to give every homeless person a place to live by 2015. Every animal has a place to live—how come we can’t do as well as animals?

Establish a nationwide program to give illegal aliens citizenship after paying a fine. A criterium for citizenship will be a working knowledge of English. Continue building the wall on the border. Build one on the Canadian border as well. Good fences make good neighbors. Establish a bracero program so that people can come from Mexico, work here legally and go back. Create laws protecting the rights of migrant workers in the U.S. and give enforcement priority and tough penalties. End sanctuary city programs for illegals.

Citizenship in the United States will no longer be by whether you are born here, but it will be a voluntary act when you reach the age of 18. You will have to pass a test that you know basic civics. You have to be able to speak English to be a citizen. You can speak whatever else you want, but you have to be able to speak English.

No corporation or individual will be allowed to contribute more than $100 to any political campaign.

Healthcare:

Establish a program for a basic level of healthcare to be available for all citizens. Non citizens are not eligible.

War on Terror:

We will catch Osama Bin Laden. Once we catch him, we will try him and convict him. He will be given life without the possibility of parole. He will then be exhibited in New York and Washington D.C. so that the citizens can taunt him if they want. Afterwards he will be placed in maximum security and allowed only the basic educational materials of American civilization. These will the following books: a Bible, a Book of Mormon, Dr. Seuss books, The Book of Virtues and the Winnie the Pooh books. As far as video entertainment, “Sesame Street”, reruns of “Mr. Rogers”, and the movie “Delta Force” will be allowed once a week. EWTN will be available 24/7.

We will keep fighting the war until they quit. We will close Guantanamo and end torture of prisoners immediately.

Environmental:

All fines for violation of environmental laws will be increased 1000X. For example, an oil spill now may draw a fine of $50,000. The fine will be increased to $50,000,000.

The money will be spent on wildlife habitat preservation and alternative energy.

There will a ban on shark fishing and a ban on the importation of shark meat to the United States.

The Endangered Species act will be continued and strengthened.

The Adventure Begins!

With the publication of "Saving the Whales" and the launch of the website and this blog, we take off a life of environmental adventure. At least 14 more Bwana Doc (trademark) Adventures are planned. This blog will be a more personal record of my journey on this new path as we explore the inadequacy of government regulation in protecting the environment and the often ineffective protests of environmental organizations. Maybe Bwana Doc's way is the way to solve environmental problems. We'll probably chronicle a few dive adventures in here along the way and maybe some real life environmental cleanups.