Granted the nuke solution does have a certain PR problem for the individual whose authority is required to go ahead with such a plan, so I'll think I'll just wait and watch the USGS earthquake map for the US for the Mag 3.8 in that area of the Gulf coast and the miraculous stemming of the oil flow from the pipe on the BP web cam.


Why all the fuss over using a nuke anyway if it is a technical solution to solving the problem. I mean this is not exactly the other side of the moon!

For every 100 calories of energy in your food, 60 will originate for direct solar and 40 from hydrocarbon sources i.e. oil and gas. This doesn't include the energy associated with storage, packaging and transportation. The world would literally starve using the unsustainable methods of modern agriculture if we did get of the oil teat.

The energy is the only key to the modern civilization development. The Humankind in a whole is far beyond the point of returning back to the nature. If we start to use less energy the progress will simply stop or most likely reverse. It's the law of nature already.

It's better to ask: who and how makes the energy today and why all of the cleaner alternatives aren't working.

We're killing ourselves the way we're doing things with energy right now. So, we'll kill ourselves eventually, whether it's by dangerous oil drilling, getting off oil, starving ourselves, or whatever. Any other energy source, even if clean, will do absolutely no good if we don't change the premises. The premises are that real jobs require long commutes to the office, that we need big nasty vehicles, etc.

With all the technological advancements in communications within the last 20 years, it's possible to change dramatically how we do things in order to save a tremendous amount of energy. Instead, most people want to rely on the scientists and engineers to figure out a way to give us all the energy spoils that we think we need when we really don't.

Every person and every corporation needs to point the finger inward, instead of outward to others. If a sufficient number of people think it's not possible to revolutionize our mindsets, then it's actually NOT possible.

MSNB just now had a segment about the potential human health hazards for the workers and urged breathing devices for those in close proximity to the oil.

My bad, as I'd not seen the CNN segment over the weekend, thanks for sharing the link. Unless they can get this thing capped and fast, I'm sure there will be lots of options discussed by the media.

BP only cares about their bottom line and is NOT to be trusted. CNN has interviewed people near the Gulf who claim BP is NOT allowing workers to wear gas masks. According to the people, BP does not want the gas masks on television because the gas masks would be bad for BP's public image.

By the way, I have also seen and heard reports of cleanup workers getting extremely sick from working in the oil disaster area.

Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Why hasn't the solution that worked in the 1979 Gulf spill been tried yet?

30 years ago they tried all of the same crap that isn't working now and 9 months after the leak began they finally drilled 2 relief well adjacent to the leak and eventually got control of the leak and capped it.

Drill the damn relief wells and ebb the leak, then cap it. This should be done before any other cockamamie hood or ridiculous nuclear option is even mentioned out loud.

To answer Wilman800's original questions: Nope, I haven't heard of any of those options. The main reason is that I am so disgusted with the blame game and grandstanding from all parties that I ignore the news when they start talking about it.

According to Tony Hayward, that's probably just food poisoning. Uh-huh, yeah, that must be it.

But this is being done already, isn't it?

My understanding is that relief wells are being planned and prepared, but it will take some months to complete. The other Mcgyver-stuff is on a "might as well try it, it would be good if it actually worked"-basis while the relief wells are being done.


If this is not true, then please enlighten me.