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Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (75521)	5/21/2010 2:40:36 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

Could the Gulf Oil Spill Be a Game-Changer? huffingtonpost.com By Alexia Parks May 21, 2010 In the aftermath of 9/11, the Bush Administration used the fear of terrorism on American soil to mobilize the country for war against Iraq. All policies, all actions, all media sound-bytes focused on unleashing an endless war against those who threatened us and our American way of life. By contrast, could the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico be a game-changer for President Barack Obama? Could he unleash a whole new set of environmentally sound, green policies that would demand that sustainability be moved to the front of the bus, in every decision affecting business and consumers. Could this be Obama's watershed moment? Could America -- and the world -- turn a deeper shade of green overnight with his leadership? Could climate change and global warming do a u-turn with the wave of a pen from his hand? As I listened to the oil executives from BP, Halliburton, Deepwater Horizon, and its owner Transocean talking to members of Congress, all blaming each other, I realized that we're all involved in this blame game. We're all trying to toss this hot potato to someone else, anyone but us. Thursday's unsettling news from Venezuela about the sinking of an offshore natural gas rig, simply underscores the growing risk of an unlimited demand for resources, and our growing human dilemma. Yes, the corporations that make billions of dollars a year from oil will attempt to clean up the BP catastrophic spill. They will most likely litigate its long-term human and environmental impacts over generations. At the same time, they will continue to look elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico for drilling sites for oil and natural gas. Mexico, China and India will be willing partners. For the reality is that the true cost of this mistake, our mistake in demanding unlimited fuel -- oil, coal, and natural gas -- to support our current lifestyle: for our electricity and heat, our automobiles, our airplanes, our travel, our trains, trucks, and cargo ships that bring us cheap foods and consumer goods from anywhere but here...could take a long time to acknowledge. How big is the public demand for oil? Today, nearly one-third of every U.S. dollar goes to support our military and the Pentagon. Petroleum fuels wars for dwindling resources, it fuels military actions on behalf of national security. It fuels the delivery of food for life, as well as weapons for mass destruction. Right now, only two cents out of every U.S. taxpayer dollar goes to support and protect the environment. It funds government oversight to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the wild and tame lands that refresh our spirit. Is this enough? Not by a long shot. Do we look at nature's bounty as if through the eyes of looters? Do we really need to drill for oil and natural gas in the ocean? Or trawl the seas until the last fish is caught? Is "Looters" too strong a word to use? The poet e.e. cummings says it differently: "down with the human soul and anything else uncanned for everyone carries canopeners in Ever-Ever Land" Where does our appetite end, and nature begin? What are our human boundaries? How do we fit in to the planetary scheme of things? Can we live in harmony in a world where every action honors life? The first action, perhaps, might be one of forgiveness. Can we first forgive ourselves for making the choices in our own lives that demand that someone else supply us with an unlimited supply of food, clothing, shelter, resources, and security? With Obama's strong leadership, can we then take actions toward a sustainable path to the future that enables us to make changes in our own lives so that over time, communities around the globe, and the environment that surrounds them, become as valued and as well funded as our national security? Can we shift priorities here? Can we envision a world where all are fed, where peace prevails, and beauty surrounds us? Yes, our thoughts can change, and our actions and visions of the future can change. Will the world change as we change? The easy answer is yes. *Follow Alexia Parks on Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexiaparks

To: ChinuSFO who wrote (75521)	5/21/2010 2:40:37 PM
From: Mac Con Ulaidh	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

The Gulf already has a dead zone. the oil not spilling would not change that. though there are ways to help if it could get the support and activity of more people: The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Created by Monica Bruckner, Montana State University The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is an area of hypoxic (link to USGS definition) (less than 2 ppm dissolved oxygen) waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Its area varies in size, but can cover up to 6,000-7,000 square miles. The zone occurs between the inner and mid-continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico, beginning at the Mississippi River delta and extending westward to the upper Texas coast. The Gulf of Mexico dead zone varies in size annually, but may extend from the Louisiana/Alabama coast to the westernmost Texas coast. Photo courtesy of NOAA. Where Are the Dead Zones? Dead zones can be found worldwide(link to NASA dead zone page). The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is one of the largest in the world. Marine dead zones can be found in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, off the coast of Oregon, and in the Chesapeake Bay. Dead zones may also be found in lakes, such as Lake Erie. What Causes the Dead Zone? The dead zone is caused by nutrient enrichment from the Mississippi River, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous. Watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin drain much of the United States, from Montana to Pennsylvania and extending southward along the Mississippi River. Most of the nitrogen input comes from major farming states in the Mississippi River Valley, including Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Nitrogen and phosphorous enter the river through upstream runoff of fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and sewage. In a natural system, these nutrients aren't significant factors in algae growth because they are depleted in the soil by plants. However, with anthropogenically increased nitrogen and phosphorus input, algae growth is no longer limited. Consequently, algal blooms develop, the food chain is altered, and dissolved oxygen in the area is depleted. The size of the dead zone fluctuates seasonally, as it is exacerbated by farming practices. It is also affected by weather events such as flooding (more info) and hurricanes. Nutrient overloading and algal blooms lead to eutrophication (link to USGS definition), which has been shown to reduce benthic (link to definition) biomass and biodiversity. Hypoxic water supports fewer organisms and has been linked to massive fish kills in the Black Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is a major source area for the seafood industry. The Gulf supplies 72% of U.S. harvested shrimp, 66% of harvested oysters, and 16% of commercial fish (Potash and Phosphate Institutes of the U.S. and Canada, 1999). Consequently, if the hypoxic zone continues or worsens, fishermen and coastal state economies will be greatly impacted. When production increases in an ecosystem, organic matter, such as algal cells and fecal pellets, increases. This situation can lead to hypoxia when decaying bottom organic matter depletes oxygen and water stratification blocks oxygen replenishment. Upwelling oxygen-rich water or destruction of the stratification can alleviate this problem. Diagram courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. What Can be Done to Remediate the Problem? The key to minimizing the Gulf dead zone is to address it at the source. Solutions include: Using fewer fertilizers and adjusting the timing of fertilizer applications to limit runoff of excess nutrients from farmland Control of animal wastes so that they are not allowed to enter into waterways Monitoring of septic systems and sewage treatment facilities to reduce discharge of nutrients to surface water and groundwater Careful industrial practices such as limiting the discharge of nutrients, organic matter, and chemicals from manufacturing facilities These solutions are relatively simple to implement and would significantly reduce the input of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Gulf of Mexico. A similar approach has been used successfully in the Great Lakes' recovery from eutrophication. The government is also funding efforts to restore wetlands along the Gulf coast to naturally filter the water before it enters the Gulf. serc.carleton.edu