Monday, 31 May 2010

Despite promising efforts to stop the Gulf oil leak through a 'top kill' effort,
a mind boggling amount of damage has already been done to this precious
ocean ecosystem.

It can be hard to keep track of all the devastating statistics, quotes, and facts
concerning this disaster, but it is essential that the public maintain a working
knowledge of what's going on, both politically and environmentally.

As a people, we must demand change from both an oil industry that drills first
and asks questions later, and the corrupt government agencies that let them
get away with it. We must also realize that we have encouraged this sort of
behavior through lifestyles that are addicted to oil, and an unwillingness to
make sacrifices for a cleaner, healthier future.

Here are 10 of the most horrifying facts about the Gulf oil spill. Read them and
let their gravity weigh heavy on your hearts and minds. Let them motivate you
to take action so our planet never experiences this kind of manmade disaster
ever again.

1. New estimates show the undersea well has spilled between 17 and 39 million
gallons. These estimates dwarf those of BP, who claimed the spill had only
released 11 million gallons to date, and mean that the Gulf leak is far bigger
than Exxon Valdez, making it the worst spill in American history.

2. The National Wildlife Federation reports that already more than 150
threatened or endangered sea turtles are dead. And 316 sea birds, mostly
brown pelicans and northern gannets, have been found dead along the Gulf
Coast as a result of the spreading oil.

3. The Minerals Management Service, directly under the supervision of the
Interior Department failed to impose a full review of potential environmental
impacts of the BP drilling operation because preliminary reviews of the area
concluded that a massive oil spill was "unlikely."

4. The Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General released
a report indicating that at one Gulf Coast office of MMS, agency officials
attended sporting events on the dime of oil companies, stored porn on company
computers, used cocaine and crystal meth, falsified inspection reports, and
accepted "gifts" from "good friends in the oil industry." (Links via ProPublica).

5. A significant amount of the oil slick is being drawn well to the south in the
east-central Gulf of Mexico, meaning that it has been captured by the Loop
Current. Oil in the loop is a hazard to the Florida Keys, (and entire East Coast)
as well as areas of the west coast of Florida. Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula
of Mexico could also be at risk of exposure to the oil, which also could be drawn
into the Gulf Stream through the Florida Straits, and perhaps northward to
part of the Atlantic Seaboard.

6. As much as we'd like to forget it, the Gulf Coast is prime hurricane country,
and if a storm blows in, the result could be devastating. The presence of oil
could lead to a more powerful hurricane because crude accumulating at the
surface could be raising the temperature of the surrounding water.

7. Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP,
has been flying under the radar in the mainstream blame game. Because of
past experience with Gulf Oil spills, Transocean decided to insure the Deepwater
Horizon rig for about twice what it was worth. In a conference call to analysts
earlier this month, Transocean reported making a $270 million profit from
insurance payouts after the disaster.

8. Perhaps because it knows the possibility of remedying the situation is
practically impossible, BP has made publicly available its laughable "Oil Spill
Response Plan" which is, in fact, no plan at all. Besides mentioning the protection
of Arctic wildlife (probably lifted directly from the Exxon Valdez plan), the plan
does not include any disease-preventing measures, oceanic or meteorological
data, and is comprised mostly of phone numbers and blank forms. Most
importantly, it includes no directions for how to deal with another deep-water
explosion in the future.

9. A large number of fishermen are becoming seriously ill - and many of them
believe that the chemicals that BP is using in the Gulf are to blame. Local
shrimpers in Louisiana are already predicting that it will be seven years
before they can set to sea again.

10. Gambling websites are now placing odds on what species will be first to
become extinct as a result of the oil belching from BP's ruptured well in the
Gulf of Mexico.



SIGN THE PETITIONS!
Prevent Another Oil Spill: Rethink Offshore Drilling
Tell President Obama to Stop Offshore Drilling!

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dreamed of racing on 9:47 am

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Wednesday, 26 May 2010

2 more oil spill, this time in our water.. 2 malaysian ship collided on
Tuesday morning 6am, resulting in 2500 tonnes of oil spilled into our sea..

Waterways Watch chairman Eugene Heng said there are concerns over the
oil spill regardless of its severity. "Even if it doesn't reach our shores, the
pollution could affect marine life," he said.

let's hope that the spill will not worsen our already dirty coastal waters..

Another oil industry mishap occured yesterday as well, once again on
American soil, and once again BP was the corporation in control of the
malfunctioning equipment.

Reuters reported that a power outtage on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
triggered the opening of relief valves, causing an unspecified volume of
crude oil to overflow a storage tank into a secondary containment.

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dreamed of racing on 10:20 am

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Thursday, 20 May 2010

another good reason to go vege..


One year ago, in May 2009, the Nature Conservancy released a startling report
on the status of the worlds' oyster reefs. Based on data compiled from several
scientific studies and surveys, and analyzed by a group of scientists from several
countries, the report found that 85 percent of oyster reefs worldwide had been
destroyed.

Low in saturated fat, but high in protein, iron, Vitamin D, and healthful omega-3
fatty acids, oysters have long been considered a healthy delicacy by seafood
connoisseurs. But oysters are so much more than a tasty, nutritious meal. As a
vital part of the Earth's ocean ecosystem, oysters serve as efficient water filters,
removing excess nutrients and sediment from their surroundings, which helps
prevent dangerous algal blooms.

And oyster reefs, just like their better-publicized neighbors, coral reefs, create
safe habitats and breeding grounds for many species of small fish by providing
shelter from rough seas and places to hide from predators. Many other types
of seafood depend on the oysters to maintain a healthy population.

Water pollution, unsustainable fishing practices like deep-sea bottom trawling,
and ocean acidification due to global climate change has taken an enormous toll
on oyster reefs, threatening to unbalance the delicate ocean ecosystems that
depend on them -- which, in turn, threatens the world's supply of food from the
sea.

Until recently, scientists had hoped that they might be able to rescue some of the
damaged and dying oyster reefs around the world by reseeding them with oyster
larvae from a healthy source. And one of the last remaining places in the world
with more than half its oyster reefs still intact -- the Gulf of Mexico.

But those oyster reefs are currently in the path of vast plumes of potentially toxic
oil from the April explosion of a British Petroleum offshore oil drilling rig and the
resultant massive oil spill. No one knows yet exactly how the spill will affect the
Gulf's oysters. Adult oysters' ability to filter toxins may well protect them to a
degree from the petrochemicals and potentially toxic minerals that the oil spill
contains.

But oyster larvae may well be killed in large numbers by the spill. And the
chemical dispersants currently being used to break up the oil in the spill have not
been thoroughly evaluated for their long-term effects on sea life. And no one really
knows whether oysters that have survived filtering large amounts of oil and oil
dispersants will be safe to eat.

Several oyster fisheries have filed a class action lawsuit against BP to try to recover
what they anticipate could be millions of dollars worth of lost revenue. But as a nation,
as a planet, we may lose much more in this spill than fishing jobs and easy access to
all-you-can-eat oyster platters.If the oyster reefs in the Gulf are severely damaged
by this oil spill, we may well lose one of our last best chances to preserve the Earth's
oceans as we currently know them. And that is the sort of loss that I do not believe
can be valued in dollars and cents.

well... scientists can't confirmed oysters are safe to eat, did you think AVA can
confirmed? what about the chemical dispersants used? what about the rest of the
sea food? what are the caused of this spill? human.. all of us.. earth is getting "sicker"
at an alarming rate.. this is only one of the way we're killing earth.. just in case you're
not aware of it..

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dreamed of racing on 9:17 am

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Thursday, 13 May 2010

A grateful heart brings serenity..

If you were to ask your friend or colleague, "What would give you peace of mind?",
he or she might reply to say a million dollars, a luxury yacht, a fiery red Ferrari,
an Armani wardrobe or even a cruise around the world.

This begs the question: Would these luxuries and indulgences really help? If you
could attain peace and contentment simply by travelling to exotic places or having
material possessions, then life would not be as complicated as it seems to be.

Humans, in general, are an unsatisfied lot, always cravingfor more. Peace of mind
has been defined as "an undisturbed state", "an absence of mental conflict" and
"serenity". Based on these definitions, would it not be hard to achieve peace of mind
just by obtaining more possessions or traversing the world?

Owning more possessions usually leads to the desire to obtain even more possessions.
Afterall, the chase for material items can give you only temporary contentment.
I saw a cartoon once which depicted four characters – an old and a young couple.

A speech bubble above the old woman said, "if only I had her figure", referring to
the sexy young thing. On the other hand, the nubile hottie's speech bubble read,
"If only I had her diamonds!", referring to the hag's jewellery. The young chap
eyeing the old man thought, "If only I had his money", while the retiree looking
back at him thought, "If only I had his wife!"

Life is such, isn't it? The grass always looks greener on the other side. Someone
once said that having peace of mind starts with being grateful for what we already
have. Many a time, thankfulness begets blessings. When we are thankful for what
we have –namely our friends and our possessions– we attract more good people
and good things our way.

People who always complain about what they do not have often tend to stagnate.
It's a law of life that life dishes up more ofwhat you dwell upon. Those who often
complain often attract more things to complaina bout. So, if you are the sort that
is always envious of what others have, and constantly whingeing about what you
do not have, consider taking a different tack and start being thankful and happy
for what you have.

I believe that if you do so, more good things will come your way. An Indian proverb
says: I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet. This shows
that everything needs to be looked at from the right perspective. Mr Anthony
D'Angelo, who made a difference in higher education in the United States, once said:
"If you have the time to whine and complain about something, then you have the
time to do something about it.”I wish you peace of mind and a thankful heart!

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dreamed of racing on 4:01 pm

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