it's clear now: BP intentionally caused spill

[82_28]

Deepwater Horizon survivors: "Are you fckng happy? The rig's on fire! I told you this was gonna happen!"

A prominent Houston attorney with a long record of winning settlements from oil companies says he has new evidence suggesting that the Deepwater Horizon's top managers knew of problems with the rig before it exploded last month, causing the worst oil spill in US history. Tony Buzbee, a lawyer representing 15 rig workers and dozens of shrimpers, seafood restaurants, and dock workers, says he has obtained a three-page signed statement from a crew member on the boat that rescued the burning rig's workers. The sailor, who Buzbee refuses to name for fear of costing him his job, was on the ship's bridge when Deepwater Horizon installation manager Jimmy Harrell, a top employee of rig owner Transocean, was speaking with someone in Houston via satellite phone. Buzbee told Mother Jones that, according to this witness account, Harrell was screaming, "Are you fucking happy? Are you fucking happy? The rig's on fire! I told you this was gonna happen."

Whoever was on the other end of the line was apparently trying to calm Harrell down. "I am fucking calm," he went on, according to Buzbee. "You realize the rig is burning?"

At that point, the boat's captain asked Harrell to leave the bridge. It wasn't clear whether Harrell had been talking to Transocean, BP, or someone else.

On Friday a spokesman for Transocean said he couldn't confirm or deny whether the conversation took place. He was unable to make Harrell available for an interview.

During hearings held late last month by the Coast Guard and the Minerals Management Service, Harrell denied any conflicts with his BP or Transocean bosses. He said that he did not feel pressured to rush the completion of the well, even though the rig had fallen behind schedule.

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Yet Buzbee's claims add weight to other statements that contradict Harrell's version of events. Testifying before the Coast Guard and MMS panel last month, Douglas Brown, the chief mechanic on the Deepwater Horizon, said that on the morning of the day that the rig exploded Harrell had a "skirmish" over drilling procedures during a meeting with BP's "company man," well site leader Robert Kaluza. "I remember the company man saying this is how it's going to be," Brown told the panel. As Harrell was leaving the meeting, according to Brown, "He pretty much grumbled, 'I guess that's what we have those pincers for,'" referring to the blowout preventer on the sea floor that is supposed to be the last resort to prevent a leak in the event of an emergency. The blowout preventer failed following the explosion on the rig, causing the massive spill. (Transocean's chief electronics technician, Mike Williams, also recalled the argument but named a different BP "company man," BP's top official on the rig, Donald Vidrine).

In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Transocean appeared to back the claims that Harrell had feuded with BP: "The testimony certainly seems to suggest that [Harrell] disagreed with the operator's instructions, but what those were and why he disagreed are matters that will ultimately be determined during the course of investigations."

Other rig workers have also claimed that they were pressured by BP and their supervisors to cut corners. Transocean roustabout Truitt Crawford told the Coast Guard that he overheard senior management saying that BP was "taking shortcuts" by replacing drilling mud in the well with saltwater, which would have provided less weight to contain the well's surging pressure. Transocean's Williams told 60 Minutes that a supervisor had dismissed evidence that the well's blowout preventer had been damaged. And workers with Halliburton, the well's cementing contractor, had complained that BP's use of cement "was against our best practices" and told the oil company that it would likely have "a SEVERE gas flow problem" unless the well's casings were centered more carefully.

Buzbee told Mother Jones that the sailor's version of Harrell's phone conversation following the explosion was corroborated by a statement from a second crew member who says he also overheard the call. Both statements were taken in-person by Buzbee's investigator and safety consultant, who has interviewed some 60 people involved in the disaster, and signed by the witnesses, he said. Buzbee declined to make the full statements available to Mother Jones because, he said, "it is work product, meaning that it is something that I do not have to produce or disclose in litigation but that can be used at the right time in the litigation." He added that he intends to take a deposition from the crew members at a later time.

Buzbee's case against the operators of the Deepwater Horizon is hardly his first foray into suing major oil companies. After a BP refinery in Texas City exploded in 2005, killing 15 workers and injuring dozens more, he won $100 million in punitive damages from the company. In the wake of the 2002 shipwreck of the Prestige oil tanker, which devastated the coast of Galicia, he won a $70 million settlement from Spain's government on behalf of the country's Basque region. And he's also nabbed $15 million from Transocean and $6.2 million from Halliburton for injured offshore oil workers.

Yet Buzbee is convinced that the Gulf oil spill lawsuit will be his biggest ever. "It's the grandaddy of all cases," he said. "This is going to define BP and whether BP survives. This is going to be the biggest case in the history of the United States, no doubt about it."

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010 ... nna-happen

[crikkett]

Speaking of wishing for the eschaton, I watched Jack Van Impe last night

That's one of my favorite shows!

[Percival]

When I saw a news report of a bird not only covered in oil but so mired in it lying on its back with its wing outstretched, able to only move its feet, I became physically ill and I remain haunted by it as we speak and have continued nightmares over it.


It really physically makes me sick to see something like that, and it makes me mad too, very angry.

This is just the beginning.



This is what I was referring to in the post about where I said all facing extermination now. Most of us humans who are lucky enough to live in America have no idea what we've been doing to the rest of the world for over a century, when the US switched to an economy driven by a lust for oil. Now we're about to get a big dose of our own poison.

Ok I got you now and I totally agree, I think that is a rather profound point actually and probably completely overlooked by the lot of us, us not meaning RI, but humanity in general.

I really try hard not to be a doomsdayer type and make every little thing out to be the coming of the end but this oil spill is a major problem that is going to impact all of us in one way or another for years to come. I mean it is mind blowing the amount of oil that is spewing from that fucking hole day after day after fucking day and there is no end in sight, these people are completely clueless as to what to do next.


FUCK!

[justdrew]

in case anyone's missed this:

I remember from decades ago talk of oil eating microbes. This isn't super-science, this is long proven SOP. and yet... BP has none of it, not a peep about this from the media either, it's pathetic.

WTF is going on here? How is it possible this country is behaving so completely incompetently? Our "leaders" are just a bunch of ignorant incompetent clowns marching around in their suits and ties, scamming. It's beyond belief the pathetic level of technology that has been developed for this entire range of problems. Zero planning. zero preparedness. zero demonstrated competency. For god's sake let's fire these bastards.

seize every asset they have and turn it into the US National petroleum development department. and at some point we better find some old bastards in their 80s, convince the best of them to come back to work and train some god damn educated management that knows how to lead. because all we have now on con-men and scam artists.

dispersants weren't just a bad choice, they were the exact opposite of what should have been done.

[norton ash]

Cripes, I did a high school biology report in 1979 on oil-eating microbes.

[seemslikeadream]

Media Blackout and Arrests taking place at the Gulf

[justdrew]

There is a point where negligence is not credible and intent must be assumed.

[undead]

We are very fortunate that there are people who have been thinking about this inevitable situation for quite some time now. Because I have a generally optimistic view of life, I'm hoping that these people will be put in charge and we will be able to begin to clean up this mess. Eventually. There are some serious obstacles to be removed first and the jury is out on whether or not this will happen. Sharing information is the most productive course of action at this time. Once the long term effects of this catastrophe are assessed, and all those rapture-ready "Christians" in the gulf states have black sludge coming out of their taps, and they realize that they will have to stay here on planet Earth and get cancer just like the rest of us, I think we will be forced to adopt a more realistic approach to dealing with this.

Mycoremediation and Its Applications to Oil Spills

By Paul Stamets



The BP oil spill has inflicted enormous harm in the Gulf of Mexico and will continue to do so for months, if not decades, to come. I have many thoughts on this disaster. My first reaction is that when the skin of the Earth is punctured, bad things can happen.

Clearly, this disaster could and should have been prevented. Despite all their assurances of safety, BP and/or BP's subcontractors, failed to ensure the functionality of the emergency equipment on the Deep Horizon rig. The oil industry claims that further regulation will handcuff them, but it is now obvious that more steps need to be taken to prevent a catastrophe like this from ever happening again.

However, this spill did happen, and we now must deal with the aftermath. Although estimates have been that BP could be liable for more than 14 billion dollars in clean up damages, very few in the media have mentioned the long-term, generational consequences of this oil spill. There will inevitably be a surge in cancer cases, widespread degradation of wildlife habitat, and an array of diverse and complex strains on local communities, our nation, and the planetary ecosphere as a whole. We all know that the seas are connected, and ultimately our biosphere suffers globally when suffering locally. Now as the hurricane season approaches, we may see catastrophes converge to create what may be the greatest ecological disaster in hundreds of years.

While we will need a wide array of efforts to address this complex problem, mycoremediation is a valuable component in our toolset of solutions. Mycoremediation has demonstrated positive results, verified by scientists in many countries. However, there is more oil spilled than there is currently mycelium available. Much more mycelium is needed and, fortunately, we know how to generate it.


Pouring oil on straw

Here is what we know about mycoremediation, based on tests conducted by myself, my colleagues and other researchers who have published their results. (See attached references.)

What we know:

1.) More than 120 novel enzymes have been identified from mushroom-forming fungi.

2.) Various enzymes breakdown a wide assortment of hydrocarbon toxins.

3.) My work with Battelle Laboratories, in collaboration with their scientists, resulted in TAH's (Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons) in diesel contaminated soil to be reduced from 10,000 ppm to < 200 ppm in 16 weeks from a 25% inoculation rate of oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) mycelium, allowing the remediated soil to be approved for use as landscaping soil along highways. (Thomas et al., 1999)

4.) Oil contains a wide variety of toxins, many of which are carcinogens.

5.) Mycelium more readily degrades lower molecular weight hydrocarbons (3,4,5 ring) than heavier weight hydrocarbons. However, the heavier weight hydrocarbons are reduced via mycelial enzymes into lighter weight hydrocarbons, allowing for a staged reduction with subsequent mycelial treatments.

6.) Aged mycelium from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) mixed in with ‘compost' made from woodchips and yard waste (50:50 by volume) resulted in far better degradation of hydrocarbons than oyster mushroom mycelium or compost alone.

7.) Oyster mycelium does not degrade keratin-based hair as it produces little or no keratinases, whereas other mold fungi such as Chaetomium species (which include some high temperature-tolerant leaf mold fungi) produce keratinases.

8.) Worms die when put into contact with high concentrations of hydrocarbon saturated soils, but live after mycelial treatments reduce the toxins below the lethal thresholds.

9.) Spring inoculations work better than fall inoculations as the mycelium has more time to grow-out. Bioregional specificities must be carefully considered.

10.) Amplifying native mushroom species in the bioregion impacted by toxic spills work better than non-native species.

11.) More funding is needed to better understand and implement mycoremediation technologies.

12.) Oil spills will occur in the future-we need to be ready for them!


Oyster mushrooms on oily straw

What we don't know:

1.) The effect of salt water on the growth of mycelium on hair mats soaked in oil. The Presidio project with Matter of Trust did not test the hair mats used to soak up the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco bay. The hair mats that were tested were ones that were put into contact with motor oil and Bunker C oil collected from the bowels of the Cosco Busan, without saltwater.

2.) The differential gradients of decomposition of the complex oil constituents from contact with Oyster mushroom mycelium. Different toxins degrade at different rates when placed into contact with mycelium.

3.) The variables that influence the success of mycoremediation, particularly since the targeted toxins are often complex mixtures of volatile and non-volatile hydrocarbons.

4.) How many other species of fungi could be applied for mycoremediation beyond the few that have been tested? Up to now, Oyster mushroom mycelium (Pleurotus ostreatus) has been tested successfully but there are literally thousands of other species yet to be tested for mycoremediation.

5.) How each fungal species used pre-selects the subsequent biological populations and how these further enable plant communities as habitats recover from toxic waste exposure.

6.) Whether or not the mushrooms grown on decomposing toxic wastes are safe to eat.

7.) To what degree of decomposition by mycelium of toxic soils makes the soils safe for food crops.

8.) How economically practical will it be to remove mushrooms that have hyper-accumulated heavy metals-will this be a viable remediation strategy? Which species are best for hyper accumulating specific metals?

9.) How to finance/design composting centers around population centers near pollution threats?

10.) How to train-on a massive scale-the mycotechnicians needed to implement mycoremediation?

11.) How to fund "Myco-U's", learning centers with emphasis on implementing myco-solutions to human made and natural catastrophes?

12.) How extensively and diverse will mycoremediation practices be needed in the future?


Oysters on oil

How can we help?

Knowing that the extent of this disaster eclipses our mycological resources should not be a reason to not act.

I proposed in 1994 that we have Mycological Response Teams (MRT's) in place to react to catastrophic events, from hurricanes to oil spills. We need to preposition composting and mycoremediation centers adjacent to population centers. We should set MRT's into motion, centralized in communities, which are actively involved in recycling, composting and permaculture-utilizing debris from natural or manmade calamities to generate enzymes and rebuild healthy local soils.

I see the urgent need to set up webinar-like, internet based modules of education to disseminate methods for mycoremediation training so people throughout the world can benefit from the knowledge we have gained through the past decade of research. Such hubs of learning could cross-educate others and build a body of knowledge that would be further perfected over time, benefiting from the successes and failures of those in different bioregions. The cumulative knowledge gained from a centralized data hub could emerge as a robust yet flexible platform that could help generations to come. Scientists, policy makers, and citizens would be empowered with practical mycoremediation tools for addressing environmental disasters.

There are additional opportunities here. By encouraging strategically placed gourmet mushroom production centers near debris fields from natural and human-made disasters, we can open a pathway for mycoremediation. The ‘aged compost' that is produced after mushrooms are harvested is rich in enzymes-a value-added by-product and this ‘waste' product is aptly suited for mycoremediation purposes. What most people do not realize is that most mushroom farms generate this compost by the tons and are eager for it to be used elsewhere.

On a grand scale, I envision that we, as a people, develop a common myco-ecology of consciousness and address these common goals through the use of mycelium. To do so means we need to spread awareness and information. Please spread the word of mycelium. Educate friends, family and policy makers about mycological solutions. Bring your local leaders up the learning curve on how fungi can decompose toxins, rebuild soils and strengthen our food chains. What we lack is the widespread availability of mycologically skilled technicians and educators and a more mycologically informed public. We need a paradigm shift, a multi-generational educational infrastructure, bringing fungal solutions to the forefront of viable options to mitigate disasters. An unfortunate circumstance we face is that the field of mycology is poorly funded in a time of intense need.

To support this expanded mycological awareness, I offer my books as resources-especially Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World and Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms. Also, please see my talk on Ted.com (http://www.ted.com/speakers/paul_stamets.html)-this is an excellent primer for those wanting to understand how mushrooms and fungi can help mitigate disasters and heal ecosystems.

Let's become part of the solution. We may not have all the answers now but we can work towards an integrated strategy, flexible in its design, and yet target specific to these types of disasters. We should work in preparation to resolve ecological emergencies before and after they occur. Together, we can protect and heal our communities and ecosystems.


Oysters on oil

THE PROBLEM: OIL IS A COMPLEX MIXTURE OF TOXIC HYDROCARBONS

Not many people, even experts, fully grasp the diverse range of toxins that are present in oil. Bunker C oil is used as a fuel, particularly in cargo ships, and is especially ‘dirty'. Here is a list of some of the hydrocarbons typically found in Bunker C oil:

CONTAMINANTS IN BUNKER C OIL

cis/trans-Decalin

C1-Fluoranthenes/Pyrenes

17a/b,21b/a 28,30-Bisnorhopane (T14a)

C1-Decalins

C2-Fluoranthenes/Pyrenes

C30 Tricyclic Terpane-22R

C2-Decalins

C3-Fluoranthenes/Pyrenes

17a(H)-22,29,30-Trisnorhopane-TM (T12)

C3-Decalins

C4-Fluoranthenes/Pyrenes

17a/b,21b/a 28,30-Bisnorhopane (T14a)

C4-Decalins

Naphthobenzothiophenes

17a(H)-22,29,30-Trisnorhopane-TM (T12)

Benzothiophene

C1-Naphthobenzothiophenes

17a(H),21b(H)-25-Norhopane (T14b)

C1-Benzo(b)thiophenes

C2-Naphthobenzothiophenes

30-Norhopane (T15)

C2-Benzo(b)thiophenes

C3-Naphthobenzothiophenes

18a(H)-30-Norneohopane-C29Ts (T16)

C3-Benzo(b)thiophenes

C4-Naphthobenzothiophenes

17a(H)-Diahopane (X)

C4-Benzo(b)thiophenes

Benz[a]anthracene

30-Normoretane (T17)

Naphthalene

Chrysene/Triphenylene

18a(H)&18b(H)-Oleananes (T18)

C1-Naphthalenes

C1-Chrysenes

Hopane (T19)

C2-Naphthalenes

C2-Chrysenes

Moretane (T20)

C3-Naphthalenes

C3-Chrysenes

30-Homohopane-22S (T21)

C4-Naphthalene

C4-Chrysenes

30-Homohopane-22R (T22)

Biphenyl

Benzo[b]fluoranthene

30,31-Bishomohopane-22S (T26)

Dibenzofuran

Benzo[k]fluoranthene

30,31-Bishomohopane-22R (T27)

Acenaphthylene

Benzo[a]fluoranthene

30,31-Trishomohopane-22S (T30)

Acenaphthene

Benzo[e]pyrene

30,31-Trishomohopane-22R (T31)

Fluorene

Benzo[a]pyrene

Tetrakishomohopane-22S (T32)

C1-Fluorenes

Perylene

Tetrakishomohopane-22R (T33)

C2-Fluorenes

Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene

Pentakishomohopane-22S (T34)

C3-Fluorenes

Dibenz[a,h]anthracene

Pentakishomohopane-22R (T35)

Anthracene

Benzo[g,h,i]perylene

13b(H),17a(H)-20S-Diacholestane (S4)

Phenanthrene

C23 Tricyclic Terpane (T4)

13b(H),17a(H)-20R-Diacholestane (S5)

C1-Phenanthrenes/Anthracenes

C24 Tricyclic Terpane (T5)

13b,17a-20S-Methyldiacholestane (S8)

C2-Phenanthrenes/Anthracenes

C25 Tricyclic Terpane (T6)

14a(H),17a(H)-20S-Cholestane (S12)

C3-Phenanthrenes/Anthracenes

C24 Tetracyclic Terpane (T6a)

14a(H),17a(H)-20R-Cholestane (S17)

C4-Phenanthrenes/Anthracenes

C26 Tricyclic Terpane-22S (T6b)

13b,17a-20R-Ethyldiacholestane (S18)

Retene

C26 Tricyclic Terpane-22R (T6c)

13a,17b-20S-Ethyldiacholestane (S19)

Dibenzothiophene

C28 Tricyclic Terpane-22S (T7)

14a,17a-20S-Methylcholestane (S20)

C1-Dibenzothiophenes

C28 Tricyclic Terpane-22R (T8)

14a,17a-20R-Methylcholestane (S24)

C2-Dibenzothiophenes

C29 Tricyclic Terpane-22S (T9)

14a(H),17a(H)-20S-Ethylcholestane (S25)

C3-Dibenzothiophenes

C29 Tricyclic Terpane-22R (T10)

14a(H),17a(H)-20R-Ethylcholestane (S28)

C4-Dibenzothiophenes

18a-22,29,30-Trisnorneohopane-TS (T11)

14b(H),17b(H)-20R-Cholestane (S14)

Benzo(b)fluorene

C30 Tricyclic Terpane-22S (T11b)

14b(H),17b(H)-20S-Cholestane (S15)

Fluoranthene

C30 Tricyclic Terpane-22R

14b,17b-20R-Methylcholestane (S22)

Pyrene

17a(H)-22,29,30-Trisnorhopane-TM (T12)

14b,17b-20S-Methylcholestane


Oysters on oil

Toward an Integrated Solution: Mycomediation Resources

Recommended texts:

Gadd, G. 2001. Fungi in Bioremediation. Cambridge University Press.

Singh, H. 2006. Mycoremediation: Fungal Bioremediation. Wiley Interscience.

Stamets, P. 2005. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California.



Recommended articles:

M. Bhatt, T. Cajthaml and V. Šašek, 2002. "Mycoremediation of PAH-contaminated soils." Folia Microbiologica, Springer Netherlands,Volume 47, Number 3 / June.

Cajthaml, T., M. Bhatt, V. Šašek, and V. Mateju. 2002. "Bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soil by composting:
A case study." Folia Microbiologica 47(6): 696-700.

Cajthaml, T., M. Moder, P. Kacer, V. Šašek, and P. Popp. 2002. "o train - on a massive scale - Study of fungal degradation products of polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons using gas chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry detection. " Journal of Chromatography A, 974: 213-222.

Eggen, T., and V. Šašek. 2002. "Use of edible and medicinal oyster mushroom [Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.:Fr.) Kimm.] spent compost in remediation of chemically polluted soils." International Journal of MedicinalMushrooms 4: 225-261.

Giubilei, Maria A; Leonardi, Vanessa; Federici, Ermanno; Covino, Stefano; Šašek, Vaclav; Novotny, Cenek; Federici, Federico; D'Annibale, Alessandro; Petruccioli, Maurizio, 2009, June. "Effect of mobilizing agents on mycoremediation and impact on the indigenous microbiota." Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, Volume 84, Number 6, June 2009, pp. 836-844(9). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Šašek, V., John A. Glaser, Philippe Baveye, 2000. "The utilization of bioremediation to reduce soil contamination: Problems and Solutions." Nato Science Series IV. Earth and Environmental Sciences vol. 19.

Šašek, V., T. Cajthaml & M. Bhatt, 2001. "Use of fungal technology in soil remediation: a case study." Water, Air and Soil Pollution: Focus 3: 5-14.

Šašek, V. 2003. "Why mycoremediations have not yet come into practice" The Utilization of Bioremediation to Reduce Soil Contamination: Problems and Solutions, 247-266. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands.

Thomas S., P. Becker, M.R. Pinza , J.Q. Word, 1999. "Mycoremediation of Aged Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contaminants in Soil." NASA no. 19990031874.

Thomas, S., 2000. Personal Communication. "Subsequently to the end of the study, WSDOT retested the soils at its own expense, with a more detailed sampling regime, and found that it did indeed meet the EPA criterion of less than or equal to 200 ppm TPH, which allowed WSDOT to use the soil in highway landscaping." Nov. 30. Email to Paul Stamets.


Oyster kit floating on water

For more information, please visit:

http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/mycova.html

http://www.fungi.com/mycotech/petroleum_problem.html

Copyright (2010) by Paul E. Stamets.

Photos of '"Oysters on Oil " are by Susan Thomas of Battelle Laboratories (Thomas et al., 1999).

[seemslikeadream]

Thanks undead


now I'm gonna watch this tonight

[undead]

Yeah, Paul Stamets is the man with the plan for sure. I'm thinking he's going to be hitting the TV talk shows once the initial crisis is concluded.

Given that effective methods for cleaning up oil are generally known (in educated circles) and have been for a long time, BP and friends must answer for their irresponsible actions after the accident as well as their negligence beforehand. The really insane part here is the use of dispersant chemicals to attempt to hide the scale of the spill. Besides being toxic to humans, the dispersants are making are making the oil more difficult to clean up. BP is not even going to try to clean up the spill. They are going to try to weasel out of any and all responsibility.

The main hubris on BP's part is thinking that they will be able to hide this, as if spraying chemicals on the oil will just make it go away. Seeing this mindset demonstrated on a mass scale is breathtaking. The silver lining may be that the public will be forced to acknowledge how insane our current system is. Hopefully we can survive long enough for people to have this realization.

[justdrew]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out this corexit shit somehow kills the bio-remediation organisms.

[undead]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out this corexit shit somehow kills the bio-remediation organisms.

Yeah. Somebody might have to find an organism that eats Corexit, or even genetically engineer one. There is a lot of positive potential for biotechnology like that. The problem is that the only people with the means to produce that kind of technology are the people making Corexit and others like them. A lot of environmental activists have an attitude that is categorically against genetic engineering of any kind, and I agree with this to a certain extent because in our current economic system the only people who will be doing any genetic engineering are the capitalist elites. Still, a lot of people have the attitude that we just shouldn't ever go there no matter what. I have never agreed with this view and I think it often comes from a fear of the unknown and a desire for a more simple solution. In any case, I doubt that there is going to be a low-tech solution to this. Sorry, Luddite hippies.

[82_28]

Don't know if anybody ever read this, but I did when it came out and just basically remembered it.

I present ILL WIND. I enjoyed it as a kid. Pick it up if you can. I remember it being good, though the reviews don't seem so good.

http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Wind-Kevin-J- ... 0312857608

A promising disaster scenario fizzles as Anderson and Beason (coauthors of Assemblers of Infinity and The Trinity Paradox) succumb to lightweight plotting, facile characterization and an apparent need to allude to as many pop-cultural artifacts as possible. When a panicky oil company tries to clean up a major spill in San Francisco Bay by dropping genetically engineered oil-eating microbes on it, the little organisms go berserk and start devouring most of the world's long-chain polycarbons (gasoline, plastics, etc.). Within the first 150 pages, this leads to a breakdown of communications and information-processing systems. From there until the end of the novel, however, affairs are basically limited to several displays of plucky ingenuity (during which one character compares the work of his group, unfavorably, to that of the Professor on Gilligan's Island). Meanwhile, an acting president and a general, independently, attempt to enforce martial law on an unwilling populace. The heroes are heroic, especially scientist Spencer Lockwood and pilots Billy Carron and Todd Severyn (the latter atoning for having unwittingly dropped the petrol-eating organism in the first place). Todd's girlfriend, Iris Shikozu, stages a post-apocalyptic rock concert at the Altamont Speedway. Almost all the chapter headings are titles of old pop songs, books or movies (Good Vibrations, The Stand, Urban Cowboy). It's possible that those who care, as Iris does, about Kansas's live comeback album will find this fascinating, but most readers are likely to feel that The End of the World As We Know It deserves better handling.

[justdrew]

with microorganisms selective breeding is sufficient. As for genetic engineering of organisms/virus released into the wild... gene transfer will occur, and there simply is no telling what would happen. Not worth the risk and it's a waste of time, talent and resources that would better go into natural breeding, selection and identification of existing wild strains and better understanding how the organisms interact and evolve in the wild.

[undead]

with microorganisms selective breeding is sufficient. As for genetic engineering of organisms/virus released into the wild... gene transfer will occur, and there simply is no telling what would happen. Not worth the risk and it's a waste of time, talent and resources that would better go into natural breeding, selection and identification of existing wild strains and better understanding how the organisms interact and evolve in the wild.

I agree that selective breeding would be preferable. To say that it is "sufficient" to deal with this crisis doesn't really make sense, though. I mean, do you know which organism eats Corexit and shits something that isn't poisonous? If you do, you shouldn't be wasting your time on this board. To be clear, I support genetic engineering from a long term human evolution perspective and not as a practical solution to this problem. Still, they might try it in the aftermath. They did just release their genetically engineered fungus in Aghanistan.

Genetic engineering aside, I think that we are going need to develop new technologies to clean this up. Especially now that the oil has been "dispersed". I mean, does anyone here have any clue how to go about cleaning up the gulf? While we're at it maybe we could figure something out for the massive dead zones and garbage islands, too. This is getting into off-topic wishful thinking, so I'll stop. Just wanted to clarify.