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  1. By benson on June 4, 2010 11:14 AM

    Donatella,

    We are only runing out of oil in the shallow water areas of the GOM. There is a ton of oil in the shallow water areas off the Atalntic and Pacific coasts. The oil companies are forbidden from drilling there.

    Yes, I know that, Benson. But it seemed like some thought that more shallow water drilling in the GOM was not happening because it was forbidden.

  2. By daveinbedstuy on June 4, 2010 11:10 AM

    “OMG, that means its MY fault too. (Donatella spanking herself). ”

    Yes, you and your fancy leather handbags!!!!

    I know, dips, I know……(Spanking myself some more,,,you NAUGHTY GIRL, YOU NAUGHTY GIRL) Exploiting the universe’s resources!! The temerity to drive a Camry!! (when I could be navigating the fat asses on the MTA), and NOW ABOVE ALL, exploiting poor innocent cows and stuff to have leather handbag. I was going to buy a cheap plastic one, but that is made from OIL!!!

    I know…..I will take a page from Leche’s book and stop driving, and buying anything. (wasn’t he wanting around scruffy and stringy haired when he adopted that approach in his teenage years?).

    (Spanking self some more…..)

    Getting back to work now.

  3. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    BUT – to add to what I said, I think we have failed in #3 by forcing drilling deep offshore. We are not making decisions that reduce risk, we are making decisions based on nimbyism and misguided environmentalism. Like it or not, Sarah Palin (or whoever gave her the quote) was right about this.

  4. Donatella,

    We are only runing out of oil in the shallow water areas of the GOM. There is a ton of oil in the shallow water areas off the Atalntic and Pacific coasts. The oil companies are forbidden from drilling there.

  5. This whole discussion really does reveal in a pretty interesting way the interplay of consumption, production, risk, and regulation.

    Consider the following.

    1. Consumers are the cause of 100% of industrial accidents. For without consumption there is no production, and without production there are no accidents.

    2. Just because they are the cause doesn’t mean there aren’t actors in the middle whom we should hold more immediately responsible. Thus lawsuits.

    3. And just because they are the cause doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything we can to mitigate risk by moderating the risk-taking behavior of enterprises focused solely on profit. Thus regulation.

  6. What benson says about the whole energy policy IS correct. Deep water drilling is pursued because shallow water is disallowed. yet shallow water drilling is inherently less risky. This issue is above and beyond BP’s culpability.

    There are rigs in the Gulf of Mexico which are not deep water. We are running out of oil in the shallower areas.

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