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標題: Scientists dispute White House claim that spilled BP oil has vanished [打印本頁]

作者: peter236 時間: 2010-9-3 13:15 標題: Scientists dispute White House claim that spilled BP oil has vanished

http://www.guardian.co.uk/enviro ... -oil-spill-vanished

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 18 August 2010 19.57 BST

The White House is facing a growing challenge to its claim that most of the oil from the Deepwater disaster has disappeared from the Gulf of Mexico, as at least two independent teams of scientists reported new evidence of oil persisting deep under the surface of the sea.

Earlier this month, government scientists reported that about 75% of the oil had been captured, burned off, evaporated or broken down in the Gulf.

But University of South Florida scientists, returning from a 10-day research voyage, said they found oil on the ocean floor in the DeSoto canyon, a prime spawning ground for fish far to the east of BP's rogue oil well. Preliminary results suggested that oil was getting into the phytoplankton, the microscopic plants at the bottom of the Gulf food chain.

"The idea that this could have an impact on the food web and on the biological system is certainly a reality," David Hollander, a marine geochemist, told the University of South Florida radio station. Smaller organisms would be likely to be affected the most, he added.

"Fish eggs – if they're in that environment – they may not be consuming it, but it's like paint in the air. You breathe it at low concentrations for a long enough time, you're still going to have that response."

Scientists from the University of Georgia also disputed the White House claim, releasing their own analysis suggesting 70% to 79% of the oil in the Gulf of Mexico remained in the water. "The idea that 75% of the oil is gone and of no concern for the environment is just absolutely incorrect," said Charles Hopkinson, a marine science professor at the university.

And the Gulf Coast Fund, a citizens' group, maintains that oil is still washing ashore in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. "Just because the oil is no longer on the surface, it does not indicate the area is healthy," said Wilma Subra, a chemist advising the group. "We've received reports from residents all along the coast who continue to see oil on and off shore, as well as reports of hundreds of dead fish, crabs, birds, dolphins, and other sea life."

Congress is due to examine the White House claims at a hearing tomorrow on the fate of the 5m barrels of oil that leaked into the Gulf from BP's well. The energy and commerce committee will also look at official claims that Gulf seafood is safe to eat.

BP might not be able to execute the final kill of its well until September, said Thad Allen, the US Coast Guard's former commander, recently retired.

Allen said that BP and government officials had yet to agree on a way to pump cement into the bottom of the well without putting too much pressure on a cement seal at the top. Engineers are assessing whether to install a new blow-out preventer or a new system for relieving pressure on the cap at the top of the well.

The debate about the fate of the oil is a product of the strategic decision taken by the BP and the Obama administration to tackle the oil offshore and prevent the waste penetrating Louisiana's ecologically fragile wetland; the move involved spraying nearly 2m gallons of chemical dispersants on the oil, some of it at depths of 1,524 metres (5,000ft).

The approach means that scientists are now operating in uncharted waters.

BP's well caused the biggest offshore oil spill but never before had response teams used such quantities of dispersants and at such depths.

The efforts to end the problem also led to fears that the chosen cure, in this case the chemical dispersant Corexit, was more dangerous than the ailment. Research had suggested that Corexit made organisms more vulnerable to the toxic components in the oil.

The uncertainties about the long-term consequences of the oil spill have complicated efforts by BP and the Obama administration to move to a long-term response plan. The administration is demanding new pressure tests before it gives the go-ahead for the completion of a relief well.

BP said it was winding down its claims operation, and that today would be the last day it would consider claims from anyone suffering economic losses through the spill. All new claims would be overseen by Ken Feinberg, an independent administrator appointed to oversee the $20bn BP escrow account. BP said its team had so far paid out $368m to claimants.

作者: peter236 時間: 2010-9-3 13:17

本帖最後由 peter236 於 2010-9-3 13:19 編輯

The US government and the British are lying again. There will probably be more environmental problems and health problems coming out of this oil pollution.

作者: mukmuk2 時間: 2010-9-3 13:29

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作者: Lik 時間: 2010-9-3 13:38

The US government and the British are lying again. There will probably be more environmental problems and health problems coming out of this oil pollution.
peter236 發表於 2010-9-3 13:17

And university researchers and the media are free to report on whatever they want, no matter how embarrassing the research results or the news report would put the government into.

Do you see Obama forcing a media lock down on what can or cannot be reported? Do you see the US government issuing a standing order to force every media outlet to acquire the same news that is dolled out by the White House or Pentagon press office?

Now ask youself what PRC and Xin Hua news agency would do in a similar case.

STUF la, moron~

-Lik

作者: lo_pak 時間: 2010-9-3 14:27

本帖最後由 lo_pak 於 2010-9-3 14:29 編輯

A successful politican should be a good "story teller" and an "efficient executer" at the same time...

作者: peter236 時間: 2010-9-3 14:53

本帖最後由 peter236 於 2010-9-3 14:56 編輯

And university researchers and the media are free to report on whatever they want, no matter how em ...
Lik 發表於 2010-9-3 13:38

STUF la, moron~~

You are still defending your Anglo-Saxon masters.

The people near the Gulf of Mexico are still suffering from this big oil spill.

Regardless of what the PRC does, it is the US government that is lying about the Gulf of Mexico disaster. What a loser you are?

作者: mukmuk2 時間: 2010-9-3 15:07

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作者: peter236 時間: 2010-9-3 20:09

how are you so sure that PRC is not lying and only US government is? All the governments are all ...
mukmuk2 發表於 2010-9-3 15:07

You moron~~
I didn't say the PRC didn't lie. Just open another thread la, if you want to discuss about it.
But this thread is about the US government lying.

作者: mukmuk2 時間: 2010-9-3 20:26

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作者: peter236 時間: 2010-9-9 21:26

The US government is lying again. There will probably be more environmental problems and health problems from this oil pollution.

作者: mukmuk2 時間: 2010-9-10 07:44

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