Hundred-Ton Dome To Collect Oil Spill

eldavojohn writes "After failing to contain the Gulf oil spill any other way, a massive containment dome had the finishing touches put on yesterday. It amounts to a giant concrete-and-steel box made by Wild Well Control that is designed to siphon the crude oil away from the water. They expect an 85 percent collection with this device. It's not a pretty situation as Google Earth illustrates."

Comments

Man.

[Pojut]

Here's to hoping it works. This is one major clusterfuck, and a really unfortunate one at that. If this concrete dealy doesn't work, what other options do they have?

The question is

[OMFG it's Rici]

Will it blend?

Re:You won't mind if I poop in your yard, then?

[Lumpy]

Oil drilling is keeping our civilization going

Yup because there is no other way to do things than with oil. Cars cant move without oil, planes cant fly without oil, ships never even existed before oil....

In fact all industry would stop...

Stopping oil production would simply increase the speed of alternatives being produced. Switchgrass based fuel is highly effective and can be ramped up to full speed within 24 months if they actually desired to. Electricity in the USA is mostly COAL, the only industry that would be impacted is transportation based on heavy fuels like jet fuel and diesel and those also have alternatives.

Honestly, electric vehicles would work now if we had the infrastructure to support them. 15 minute charging stations, etc...

Oil drilling is keeping old money rich. Nothing more. Even a 1980's car can easily be converted to use E85 or E100 fuel for very little money, so trying to use a "what about the poor" rant is already dead.

Re:Tax from oil goes in government fund

[spun]

From the article you link to:

Under the law that established the reserve, called the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, the operators of the offshore rig face no more than $75 million in liability for the damages that might be claimed by individuals, companies or the government.

The fund was set up by Congress in 1986 but not financed until after the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska in 1989. In exchange for the limits on liability, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 imposed a tax on oil companies, currently 8 cents for every barrel they produce in this country or import.

Wow, cool. Can I get a limit on my liabilities by paying slightly more in taxes (eight cents per $90 barrel), so I can run around acting irresponsibly without having to pay for it? Wait, I'm not allowed to do that unless I'm a big corporation who can pay for lobbyists and buy the laws I like? Well that's hardly fair.