BP, Robots, and Nuclear Bombs

BP, Robots, and Nuclear Bombs

Nearly fifty days since oil began leaking into the Gulf of Mexico at tremendous speed, impacting local business, environment, culture, and health, the federal government has estimated that around 1,000 barrels of oil have entered the Gulf per day. BP and the US government are rapidly reaching an unfortunate conclusion: no solution will be reached before August; no cleanup will begin until at least the fall. No matter how heavily the federal government lines the coast with boom, no true success will be reached for keeping oil off the shore until BP finishes creating a viable solution. This explosion and leak exemplify exactly why off-shore drilling is not a good idea. We can't control it, and, when there is a problem, we cannot fix it.

Our understanding of what works to stop an oil spill like this (a relief well) has done nothing to stop BP from trying less secure solutions. Last week, robotically operated devices were sent to the pipe. The machines made incisions in an attempt to fit a cap to the leak, however, due to complications, the plan was- temporarily, at least- abandoned. Before that, 'top kill', in which BP bombarded the rig with heavy drilling mud at extremely high pressures, also was declared a failure after a few days.

The Gulf community is desperate. However, the current 'solutions' that only worsen the condition and disperse oil into the air do not help. Someone last week suggested simply nuclear bombing the rig. Why are money and manpower being spent on these ideas, as opposed to investing in real solutions? It is time for BP to find answers that are not ridiculous, and to stop focusing on those that are. More importantly, why weren't these real solutions invested in before drilling began? BP is ranked among the world's most profitable companies. It should be obvious to everyone where those profits went. It wasn't to solutions in case of disaster, that much is certain.