Gulf of Mexico oil spill
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Deepwater Horizon firm gives execs safety bonuses, with no apparent sense of irony
Transocean, the offshore drilling firm that ran the Deepwater Horizon rig, has given its top execs massive bonuses for having “the best year in safety performance in our company's history.” Seriously. Here’s what the annual report says: “Yeah, some people died and some animals died and some livelihoods were ruined, but that was only April […]
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BP execs may face manslaughter charges
Here’s a novel concept: Cause people to die, get charged with manslaughter. It doesn’t usually work that way with corporations, which apparently get all the benefits of being legally considered “people” with none of the consequences. But federal officials are looking into manslaughter charges for BP managers who presided over the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The […]
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Oil company ‘fesses up, feigns surprise about spill
Well, now we know the source of the renewed oil assault on Louisiana's shores. Oil company Anglo-Suisse Offshore Partners has admitted that it had a "minor leak" while plugging a disused oil well. In some kind of Chanukah miracle, the five gallons of crude they admit to spilling turned into a 30-mile-long wash of oil […]
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Louisiana’s new oil plague sounds tasty, is terrifying
Remember tar balls? Those were just an appetizer. The scary new oil formations washing up on Louisiana’s beaches sound like you’d get them at Whole Foods — “emulsified oil,” “oil mousse.” Um, yum? This comes right on the heels of the government approving deepwater exploration plans for the first time since last year’s disaster. Sure, […]
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If President Obama calls it safe, watch out
Pondering whether “safe” means what he thought it meant.Photo: The White HousePresident Barack Obama is a good fellow at work in a difficult era, to say the least. So this post is not intended to be a slam on the president. Still, it is a good idea for Obama to be much more cautious when […]
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As if the Gulf Coast hasn’t had enough to deal with, now there are dead baby dolphins
Swim, little guy! Swim away as fast as you can!Photo: Mark LeeWell HERE’S some cheerful news for your Friday afternoon: Dozens of dead baby dolphins have been washing ashore in the Gulf of Mexico, along Mississippi and Alabama coastlines. Crap. The timing seems pretty suspicious — the BP oil spill happened around the time these […]
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BP’s oil: still causing trouble in the Gulf
BP’s vast oil spill may be out of the headlines, but its oil isn’t out of the Gulf. Reports the Associated Press: Oil from the BP spill remains stuck on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, according to a scientist’s video and slides that demonstrate the oil isn’t degrading as hoped and has decimated […]
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Van Jones on the economic injustice of plastic [VIDEO]
Van Jones lays out a case against plastic pollution from the perspective of social justice in this TED talk.
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Did we learn anything from the BP oil spill?
The National Oil Spill Commission has given marching orders on how to prevent another disaster. But will Congress listen?