Oh poor President Ferguson. He is just a pawn, duped by a slick and misleading presentation. I wonder how much he really knows about the inherent dangers of drilling wells in the ocean's floor and the sad history and consequences of oil spills in the oceans around the world. Can someone please enlighten him so that he truly understands the ramifications of what he has given his blessing to? Apparently there were no EIA's done for the months of seismic testing which is known to be brutal and deathly to marine life. This shows to me that everything that is going to be done between the Government of the Bahamas and BPC will be done behind closed doors. Yes, the profits are a joke and BPC is pulling a fast one already. Also, some members of the Government, it seems, are also intricately connected with BPC...something like conflict of interest one would think?? Some will definitely reap more than others. I was hoping for "hope and change" but it appears that it is, business as usual, under the PLP Government of the Bahamas. How disappointing, how sad.
It seems Dynamonum may be a flag bearer for or will profit from BPC as he/she sees only the boon from "fabulous billions" with no thought put to the likely consequences of fossil fuel extraction here. Dynamonum mentions Norway as a country to emulate...Norway?? They still have a whaling industry for god's sake! Somehow, I don't think environmental issues are on their list of priorities. Oh sure one can talk about having tight regulations, rules and accountability...remember the Exxon Valdez spill? I realize that it was different than drilling but after 23 years the beaches still have thousands of gallons of oil on them and just below the surface. Even a pint of oil released onto the water can spread and cover one acre of water surface area and can seriously damage an aquatic habitat. How many animals died outright from the oil spill? Source: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, Questions and Answers. “No one knows. The carcasses of more than 35,000 birds and 1,000 sea otters were found after the spill, but since most carcasses sink, this is considered to be a small fraction of the actual death toll. The best estimates are: 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs.”
That was Alaska...how about closer to home as in the Gulf oil spill two years ago; the greatest environmental disaster to ever effect the United States and to this day, still a mess on every front be it the conditions of the shore and estuary environments, the fisheries, the immediate and long term health issues that keep cropping up etc., etc., etc.. Just go online to read about all of the problems and future problems that are plaguing not only the people of the Gulf states but how BP is still having to shell out millions...it is an on-going disaster. What good did regulations and rules do in those two monumental disasters (the regulations were ignored and the rules "stretched). We well know how, "t'ings can go" with laws and rules in the Bahamas...a little blind eye turned here and there with something slipped under the table...! When a spill happens, it happens and nothing can ever "make it right" but the passing of centuries. No amount of money can ever really clean up such a catastrophe.
Do we really want to take that chance? Do we really want to go down that road? Clean, renewable energy for the Bahamas is the better answer...we just need to have the will to push it forward and forget about this "instant gratification." Bahamians, wake up and get involved before it is truly, too late.
Where are the Town Hall meetings as promised over this oil exploration in our pristine waters? The damage done to marine life (well documented in marine mammals) by the seismic testing alone is horrific. It deafens them and then they die and this is even BEFORE the hideous vista of 36 oil rigs could possibly become a reality on our horizons. Oh, the lure of "easy" money. Never seems to fail until it fails..bringing down our tourist and fishing industries. There are ALWAYS oil spills. Even at Clifton one can often see the sheen of spilled gasoline and diesel fuels and that is but nothing compared to what a spill and leakage of crude would look like. This is madness. Please Mr. Christie, don't be blinded by the prospects of billions flowing into this country; the costs of a disaster would soon outweigh them. Please look at clean and renewable energy technologies; wind mills would look a heck of a lot better in our waters and would create marine habitats at their bases and they don't spill anything; ocean currents generate energy...there ARE other alternatives to filthy oil. Think long and hard before jumping off this cliff.
sherco says...
Oh poor President Ferguson. He is just a pawn, duped by a slick and misleading presentation. I wonder how much he really knows about the inherent dangers of drilling wells in the ocean's floor and the sad history and consequences of oil spills in the oceans around the world. Can someone please enlighten him so that he truly understands the ramifications of what he has given his blessing to? Apparently there were no EIA's done for the months of seismic testing which is known to be brutal and deathly to marine life. This shows to me that everything that is going to be done between the Government of the Bahamas and BPC will be done behind closed doors. Yes, the profits are a joke and BPC is pulling a fast one already. Also, some members of the Government, it seems, are also intricately connected with BPC...something like conflict of interest one would think?? Some will definitely reap more than others. I was hoping for "hope and change" but it appears that it is, business as usual, under the PLP Government of the Bahamas. How disappointing, how sad.
On Union president backs oil driller
Posted 2 August 2012, 6 p.m. Suggest removal
sherco says...
It seems Dynamonum may be a flag bearer for or will profit from BPC as he/she sees only the boon from "fabulous billions" with no thought put to the likely consequences of fossil fuel extraction here. Dynamonum mentions Norway as a country to emulate...Norway?? They still have a whaling industry for god's sake! Somehow, I don't think environmental issues are on their list of priorities.
Oh sure one can talk about having tight regulations, rules and accountability...remember the Exxon Valdez spill? I realize that it was different than drilling but after 23 years the beaches still have thousands of gallons of oil on them and just below the surface. Even a pint of oil released onto the water can spread and cover one acre of water surface area and can seriously damage an aquatic habitat. How many animals died outright from the oil spill? Source: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, Questions and Answers.
“No one knows. The carcasses of more than 35,000 birds and 1,000 sea otters were found after the spill, but since most carcasses sink, this is considered to be a small fraction of the actual death toll. The best estimates are: 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs.”
That was Alaska...how about closer to home as in the Gulf oil spill two years ago; the greatest environmental disaster to ever effect the United States and to this day, still a mess on every front be it the conditions of the shore and estuary environments, the fisheries, the immediate and long term health issues that keep cropping up etc., etc., etc.. Just go online to read about all of the problems and future problems that are plaguing not only the people of the Gulf states but how BP is still having to shell out millions...it is an on-going disaster. What good did regulations and rules do in those two monumental disasters (the regulations were ignored and the rules "stretched). We well know how, "t'ings can go" with laws and rules in the Bahamas...a little blind eye turned here and there with something slipped under the table...! When a spill happens, it happens and nothing can ever "make it right" but the passing of centuries. No amount of money can ever really clean up such a catastrophe.
Do we really want to take that chance? Do we really want to go down that road? Clean, renewable energy for the Bahamas is the better answer...we just need to have the will to push it forward and forget about this "instant gratification." Bahamians, wake up and get involved before it is truly, too late.
On $30bn Government royalty earnings forecast from oil
Posted 2 August 2012, 1:14 p.m. Suggest removal
sherco says...
Where are the Town Hall meetings as promised over this oil exploration in our pristine waters? The damage done to marine life (well documented in marine mammals) by the seismic testing alone is horrific. It deafens them and then they die and this is even BEFORE the hideous vista of 36 oil rigs could possibly become a reality on our horizons. Oh, the lure of "easy" money. Never seems to fail until it fails..bringing down our tourist and fishing industries. There are ALWAYS oil spills. Even at Clifton one can often see the sheen of spilled gasoline and diesel fuels and that is but nothing compared to what a spill and leakage of crude would look like. This is madness. Please Mr. Christie, don't be blinded by the prospects of billions flowing into this country; the costs of a disaster would soon outweigh them. Please look at clean and renewable energy technologies; wind mills would look a heck of a lot better in our waters and would create marine habitats at their bases and they don't spill anything; ocean currents generate energy...there ARE other alternatives to filthy oil. Think long and hard before jumping off this cliff.
On $30bn Government royalty earnings forecast from oil
Posted 1 August 2012, 6:03 p.m. Suggest removal