What Do Chronic Back Pain and the BP Oil Spill Have In Common?

Unless you've been hiding under a rock in a secluded part of South American somewhere I'm sure you're well aware of the oil spill in the gulf that was pumping hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of crude, marine killing, environment destroying oil into the Atlantic Ocean. It's affected hundreds and thousands of people, ruined jobs, destroyed industries, and caused economic hardship all over the South Eastern seaboard.
Now let's hold up just a minute and say that there is a point to bring this up and how it affects you and your back pain. Before we go there, let's just say that this subject for some is on the verge of talking about religion and politics as far as the emotions that pop up. Its' a really sad state of events that's unfolded since the catastrophe. I'm sure that the juicy little tidbits of truth, gossip, and behind the scenes mayhem will continue for decades.
There's over 1,874,000,000 Reasons Why I'm Bringing This UP.
Why? That's a "crude" guess as to how many millions of gallons of oil have been pumped into the ocean. Not a small number by any means. 184 million of anything is a lot. When you look back at the good ole Exxon Valdez spill leaking into the Prince Williams Sound over 20 years ago, that was a mere 11,000,000 gallons of disaster that happened. What a nightmare this whole thing is.
The poor sea turtles, whales, dolphins, fish and a million other creatures of the sea - large and small, are paying the price. Not to mention, the ripple of effects on the people touched by it. The issues extend far beyond the wildlife in the underwater habitat. The 11 men that lost their lives, the families of those men, their parents, friends, and co-workers are just a smidgen of the lives that will be affected. Thousands of small business along the coast, thousands of jobs, which then effects tens of thousands of people, is taking it's toll on the economy and it's going to affect you for years to come.
How's It Going To Effect YOU?
There's' really two ways. The first way is probably quite obvious. Let's tackle that one first, then we'll roll right into the second. So the CEO of the good ole USA somehow (and we could probably have a whole other newsletter on this all together) got BP (British Petroleum) to cough up around 22 Billion - yes Billion with a B - to help clean this up. More on that in a few minute. That's not very much if you extrapolate how much it's REALLY going to cost. You see, the 22 billion is for "clean up" not for taking into consideration the loss of jobs, unemployment, failed business loans, bankruptcies and more that are going to come out of it. Hold on...
I'm Changing My Mind!
You can too, just like that. Change happens in an instant. I'm going to say that there are actually three ways. One is the tax money that's going to have to go for all this that the measly 22 billion isn't going to cover. The second way, is that guess where that 22 billion is going to come from? That's right. It's going to come from you and I filling our tanks each and ever day and week for years to come. A few cents difference over the long haul to make up for it. It's you and I that will pay a huge price for that spill. Now you're probably wondering what the third way is and how it's going to effect you. So let's get started and seed if in the next few minutes you can slowly begin to see how this major disaster is so much like your back pain it's scary.
So Exxon Valdez, BP, and Your Back Pain
This maybe a little stretched here, but roll with it for a minute and see if the big picture gently falls into place. So back pain overall is a disaster. It's tough to get rid of and wash your hands of, just like the oil in the ocean. Most people that end up with a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, sciatica, or any type of back pain usually have a bout of back pain previous to the larger disaster. Kind of like the Exxon Valdez oil spill compared to this gulf of Mexico disaster.
So oil is tough to clean up right? Of course it is. Well maybe you've been reading this newsletter for a while and maybe not. If you have been you've probably hear me mention that back pain is the number two reason for doctors visits ever year over almost every other problem that people suffer from other than back pain and it's related conditions.
What Does That Really Mean?
It means that the entire medical community including surgeons, orthopedists, chiropractors, physical therapists, neurologist, physiatrists and especially the family doctors are using methods that aren't providing significant relief to the "large" majority of people that are coming to them to find lasting, long-term relief! If they were then it would drop down the list of reasons people visit the doctors, but it's never does.
No matter what drug, surgery, or exercise they give people it doesn't normally work to truly resolve and eliminate the pain. Kind of like the oil. With all the money and focus on cleaning up the 184 million gallons of oil, is it ever going to go away? Especially when you consider there's only 119 dollars per gallon that been allocated to clean it up. It's never going to go away. Now if back pain is responsible for the majority of doctor visits, and we really were to get rid of it, how many doctors would be out of business? How many drugs would not be prescribed, and how many billions of dollars would be lost by major pharmaceutical companies?
I'm sure that this is all starting to make sense. With that said, this is the real part of our side-by-side comparison that will hit home for most reading this article.
Before we get to that, we've got to make one more small correlation. How many jobs have been lost and how many people are on unemployment and disability because of back pain? I don't know the number, but like you, I can only imagine that a large, probably enormous amount of our tax dollars go to funding the lives of those affected by back pain.
Here's How It Affects Us Right Here In Our Own Back Yard...
The back pain ripple effect. Someone hurts their back. Puts ice on it. It goes away and we forget about it. It comes back but worse. All the stretches, otc meds, ice rest, physical therapy, chiropractic visits and massage in the world don't even touch the severe pain. The boss starts to notice. Performance on the job suffers. Because the pain is there all the time you're short with your wife, spouse, and family.. They start to look and act differently when they're around you. It starts feeling like divorce. So you've got to do something. So you try the shots, then end up in surgery. You're better for a short period, then the pain is back. Same as before. Now you can't work. You're on disability. Your friends don't talk to you anymore because your attitude sucks and it's not fun to hang out with you any more. You've got more doctors visits and more drugs. Dreams are lost. Families are ruined. Tax dollars aren't going to help you and there's no solution in sight.
A Giant Shamwow for The Oil Spill??
Wouldn't that be the cats meow, the crme de la crme, the best thing since sliced bread if someone came up with a way to wipe out 80-90% of the 180,000,000 gallons of oil in the ocean? No suck luck yet for the gulf problem. But there is new hope for anyone with back pain. Even if you've been told you have to live with it, have had a failed surgery, or have been recommended surgery.
Introducing the "Back Pain Shamwow"!
No i'm just kidding. But there is non-surgical spinal decompression that helps, in some studies, up to around 90% of those with "serious and chronic spine pain" resolve the issue to a point where they can enjoy life, take on new activities, and be a contributing member of their families and communities again.
Slowly reversing pressure, rejuvenating discs, healing herniations, which are the cause of most back pain and spinal conditions. Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression is changing the future of back pain, and affecting the lives of millions. Back pain doesn't have to be the apocalypse of your hopes and dreams. You may be able to achieve great things and a great life with Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression.

Dr. Stephen C. Lembo, DC is clinic director of Northeast Spine & Rehab; a multi-specialty clinic utilizing (3) DRX 9000 non-surgical spinal decompression units to better serve back and neck pain sufferers throughout the Long Island area. Discover more at http://www.LongIslandBackPain.com or call to schedule a no-charge consultation at (631) 406-6526.

Consequences Of The Gulf Oil Spill For The Caribbean Islands

The life and the economy of many Caribbean countries depend to a great extent on tourism and fishing. The sea is a main source of food and a vital part of their culture and economy. Without clean, safe waters, Caribbean life is greatly compromised. Today their existence is at stake due to the fast depleting sea life, sea ecology and pollution.
The most recent threat to Caribbean life is the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico back in April of 2010. There was an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 barrels of oil gushing out of the ruptured British Petroleum Gulf well, which was 3 times more than what was estimated initially by the government. An oil spill of this size was something impossible according to British Petroleum. Their own words from 2009 called "an accident leading to a giant crude oil spill and serious damage to beaches, fish and mammals" "... unlikely, or virtually impossible." The lesson oil companies and the rest of us continue to learn the hard way is that no off-shore wells can be considered 100% safe and secure.
To British Petroleum, it was a loss of profits and, to some extent, their reputation. But for the Caribbean islands it continues to be a critical situation. It was reported that the oil slick at one point was the size equivalent to the area of the state of West Virginia and was fast approaching southern USA coast and spreading along Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama & Florida. The Mississippi river was covered over a mile with the oil slick and this was just the start.
The Shell oil spill in Barbados and the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska have shown that life along the coasts which took the brunt of the oil spill suffered for decades as the sea life in these coasts was totally destroyed. A similar catastrophe hovers around the Caribbean today. President Obama's administration declared a national emergency and deployed the military to get into action to do whatever was possible to help the situation. There was nothing more anyone could do. For quite some time to come, the Caribbean islands are sure to feel the repercussions of this disastrous spill.
There will no doubt be both direct and indirect impact of the spill felt by the Caribbean nations as well as the Gulf coast states for quite some time to come. Among the direct impacts of the crude oil that have been observed and documented so far is to the birds in the area. The effects of the crude on their plumage, at the very least, causes a severe reduction in their body insulation. This makes them vulnerable to temperature changes and makes them less buoyant. It also affects the bird's flight abilities and makes them easy food for predators.
The water plants and the inner flora and fauna have been affected badly due to the oil slick because of the screening effect which reduces Sun light and thus photosynthesis ability. The other sea life that depends on these submerged flora and fauna die because of the non-availability of food or the health hazards caused due to the intake of the pollutants.
The devastated coasts, beaches and sea life have a drastically negative effect on the lives of the people of Caribbean. The human error is beyond human repair for the foreseeable future. For the inhabitants of the Caribbean nations, they can only hope that the effects of the spill do not bring about the total destruction of fisheries and tourism along the thousands of miles of their coastlines.

Anjul S. Hazaam is a freelance writer who helps entrepreneurs promote their projects. His latest focus is on a terrific site about finding the best Bed Linens Online. There's great information including an article on Boys Bedding Sets.

Methods of Oil Spill Response

By Andy Clark

The EPA has established several programs to prevent oil spills which have reduced this number to less than 1% of the total volume handled each year. The Oil Spill Program is administered through 10 EPA regions and EPA Headquarters. Part of the program is designed to prepare for and respond to any oil spill affecting the inland waters of the US. The EPA's history of responding to oil spills, including several major incidents and the lessons learned, has helped improve the prevention and response capabilities of the US.
The key to controlling oil spills and minimizing their impact upon human health and the environment lies in:

• The careful selection of equipment which is best suited to the type of oil and spill conditions.
• The proper use of that equipment.

Spill response equipment can be affected by conditions at sea:

• Water currents
• Wind

However, damage to spill contaminated shorelines and threatened areas can be reduced by the timely and proper use of containment and recovery equipment.
Mechanical Containment or Recovery Equipment
This is the primary line of defense against oil spills in this country and some commonly used types of equipment are:

• Booms
• Barriers
• Skimmers
• Natural and synthetic sorbent materials
• Mechanical containment is used to capture and store the spilled oil until it can be properly disposed of.

Chemical and Biological Methods
This can be used in conjunction with mechanical means to contain and clean up spills.

• Dispersing agents and gelling agents help keep oil from reaching shorelines and sensitive habitats.
• Biological agents can assist recovery in sensitive areas like shorelines, marshes, and wetlands. Research into these technologies continues to improve cleanup.
• The EPA's National Contingency Plan (NCP) Subpart J establishes a process for authorizing the use of dispersants and chemical response agents. The NCP Product Schedule is the government's listing of chemical countermeasures that are available for use during or after a spill.

Physical Methods
Natural processes such as evaporation, oxidation, and biodegradation can start the cleanup process but generally they are not sufficient to provide adequate environmental recovery. Some additional methods are:

• Wiping with sorbent materials
• Pressure washing
• Raking
• Bulldozing

Scare Tactics
This is done to scare off birds and animals to keep them out of spill areas. This includes:

• Propane scare cans
• Floating dummies
• Helium filled balloons

These methods are often successful in scaring off birds.

Spill911.com is a wealth of information about safety in the workplace. Visit us to for all your spill containment pallets and spill containment needs. We also carry a large supply of 55 Gallon drums.

Oil Spill Cleanup Jobs

By Ruth Caldon

The Gulf oil spill has affected the local fishing market, the tourism industry and has resulted in a major number of people going out of work. Nearly 423 miles of the shoreline across the Gulf of Mexico is being affected by the 100,000 barrels of petroleum oil that gushes out of broken pipes each day. The petroleum companies that are responsible for this ongoing disaster are hiring people to help in cleaning up the oil mess by providing oil spill cleanup jobs to the masses. Many NGOs and other voluntary organisations have taken up the cleanup drive along the shoreline.
Most people seem to have found a new way to get income and do their bit for the environment by applying for the oil spill cleanup jobs. In coastal Louisiana, this has created a mini job boom with many agencies hiring people to help clean the oil mess. The petroleum company, BP, is also taking in applications for different positions to oil spill cleanup jobs.
When there is an oil spill, the oil is washed ashore and affects the coastline. A quick effort is required to avoid the oil from mixing with the sediment on the shoreline. Different cleanup methods that are undertaken include using barriers to herd the oil spill away from shorelines, pressure washing, manual cleaning efforts, removal of oil debris, sedimentation, and many others. These cleanup jobs are open for all and most of them do not require any dedicated skill sets. Different types of work, like cleaning up the oil spill on the shore, relocating and taking care of wildlife affected by the oil spill, offshore work, etc. are available. Some of the other positions that are being offered are technicians, chemists, engineers, labourers, environmental specialists, health workers, project heads, and general cleanup workers.
There are many websites where you can apply for shore protection and oil spill cleanup jobs. Once you register on these sites, you will be notified on the different jobs that are open in your county by e mail or phone. You may choose the one best suited for you. Most of these jobs are being coordinated by Risk Management Disaster Services, a contractor who specialises in cleanup and recovery services. Other companies also hire people for the same. You may apply as either as an individual or as a contractor.
If you sign up as an individual, you may have to undergo training for the oil spill cleanup jobs. The training may last up to 40 hours wherein you will educated on oil spill basics, what you are required to do and your skills will be analysed before you are placed, to ensure that you are up for the job.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Caldon

The Impact of the BP Oil Spill and What We Can Do About It

By Bill Weissbard

The British Petroleum oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is a disaster by any standard. We are all well aware of the potential damage to the eco-system of the gulf and more critically, the risk to the Mississippi Delta estuaries. Daily news reports of volunteers washing oil from a birds feathers are heart rendering. Reports have been written on the economic impact of this oil spill on the Gulf tourism industry and on the shrimp fishing industry. In this article, we focus on the impact the loss of even one seasons loss of the Gulf shrimp harvest will have on our food supply.
Fact: The Gulf shrimp fishing industry's maximum sustainable annual yield estimates vary from a high value of 200 million pounds to a more conservative value of 86 million pounds (source: NOAA). One pound of shrimp contains approximately 480 consumable calories. The estimated caloric yield of one seasons shrimp crop, using the conservative NOAA number is therefore 41 billion calories.
Consider that the typical American consumes over 2400 calories per day on average throughout his or her lifetime (more as child, less as we age). Assuming a typical lifespan of 70 years times 365 day times 1500+ calories, the typical American will consume, on average, 60 million calories in their lifetime. Admittedly, a persons caloric consumption is from a variety of sources and man cannot live on shrimp alone. Although shrimp consumption is spread over many people, it is useful to calculate how many equivalent lifespans one years Gulf shrimp harvest could support and what the impact will be if only one seasons shrimp harvest is lost or inedible due to toxicity.
To get the number of equivalent people fed by this single food source, divide 40 billion calories per annual harvest by 60 million calories per human life consumption. That calculates to greater than 600 equivalent human lifetime food supplies. In a more immediate sense, that means that 42,000 people would go hungry in a year, for every year that the Gulf shrimp cannot be eaten.
As the demands of the world population approach the available world food supply and the impacts of global climate change on crop prediction begin to be felt, unnecessary loss of existing food sources will become more critical and less tolerable!
So what can we do about it?
One small part of the answer is to reduce our dependence on oil. Not just foreign oil because of the political ramifications but also domestic oil production because of the environmental impact i.e. oil spills, eco-system and food supply.
Much has been written on the subject of what we can do with current technology, the trend to alternative electric and Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, for example will certainly make a big impact but it will take a generation till these alternatives have replaced the existing population of gas powered cars and trucks. Solar and wind fields are also in the plan but just now being seeded across America.
As individuals level we can make small changes to reduce our oil consumption; by insulating our homes, converting to CFL light bulbs and even installing solar panels. By "Living Green" we can and must make our own contributions!

Bill Weissbard, has been a long time advocate of LivingGreen and has contributed to the development of a number of NASA atmospheric monitoring instruments. Bill is Director of "From This Century" a retail website dedicated to providing the best in Eco friendly products to the consumer marketplace. Our motto: "From This Century: Searching the World (wide web) for products to help YOU make the world a Greener Place". For more information please visit: http://www.from-this-century.com

Gulf Oil Spill

By Celeste Maxine Yates

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. Louisiana State University Professor Ed Overton leaned out of a fishing boat and dunked a small jar just beneath the surface. "God what a mess," he said under his breath.
On the 20th of April an explosion erupted on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf, killing 11 people and injuring 17. The real damage was yet to come as gallons of oil started pouring out of the well. Since then, estimates of over 200, 000 gallons of oil are leaking every day. The oil slick is now the size of Delaware and Maryland combined. On shorelines the damage stretches 241 km, from Dauphin Island, Alabama to Grand Isle, Louisiana. It is now affecting the marshland that stretches along the coastland.
These marshlands or wetlands are home to about 34, 000 Brown pelicans and seagulls, which are right now, trying to dive through the oil-soaked ocean to get to their food supply. Thousands of migratory birds travelling from South America making their way north, traditionally stop off at the Gulf Coast for two to three weeks are now in danger. Sea turtles, manatees and dolphins are attempting to come up for air through the slick.
There are three species that have been highlighted as most endangered by the slick, the Brown pelican who recently was just taken off the endangered list, the Bluefin tuna and the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle. The explosion could not have happened at a worse time as all these species are now returning to the Gulf area for breeding, expecting their home to be the way it was when they left it.
One third of the endangered Bluefin tuna population use the Gulf as their breeding ground. Other fish who use the area for breeding also include the marlin and the swordfish. All of these creatures use the coral reefs as their food supply; a coral reef that is now being destroyed not by the oil, but by the chemical dispersants that BP is using to break-up the oil.
"Dolphins have washed up dead. Endangered sea turtles have been found with oil stuck on their corneas. Lifeless brown pelicans, classified as endangered until recently, have been carried away in plastic bags. Beaches in Grand Isle, Louisiana are splatter with globs of sticky crude. And when the moon rises over the coast there, the oil-soaked ocean sparkles like cellophane under a spotlight" reported John D. Sutter from CNN.
BP has released more than 700, 000 gallons of chemicals on the ocean to attempt to break up the slick and minimize the impact on the environment. Such a large amount of dispersants have never before been released deep into the ocean before. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and independent researchers are questioning whether the chemicals are not making matters worse.
"The goal here is to keep large slicks of oil from reaching shallow waters and destroying our estuaries, our wetlands and our way of life," EPA Official said. "It's a trade-off, but an informed one."
The dispersants are made up of a concoction of chemicals, which about one-third are proprietary - which means that even BP does not know exactly what they are spraying. The surfactants - a lipoprotein used in soaps, is the main purpose of the spraying, as it reduces the surface tension of the liquids, breaking the oil slick into droplets. The concept is the finer the breakdown, the easier it becomes for both large creatures like the Bluefin tuna and tiny creatures like krill to ingest the oil and surfactants themselves.
What the chemicals are also causing are oil plumes, big clouds of oil that are levitated about 1km below the surface, not quiet sinking but not floating either. These plumes have been reported as large as 9.6 km wide and 35.4 km long; millions of oil beads being carried with the current. To date at least 2 of the plumes have been discovered, one of which is making a slow movement towards the DeSota Canyon. The DeSoto is to the Gulf what a rainforest is to a land-based ecosystem. It is a deep erosional valley south of Florida, with nutrient-rich waters, making it the home to fish, coral and other organisms.
There are 2 substantial reefs in the gulf that are under threat. Originally scientists were concerned about what the oil would do to these reefs, but now the concern has shifted to what the dispersants and the plume would do, as they are significantly more toxic to the coral than the crude oil.
The oil plume could also choke off and kill coastal marshes in the productive Mississippi Delta and barrier islands. The other concern is the oil could create a massive oxygen-free 'dead-zone.' The bacteria that eat the oil also chew oxygen out of the ocean. Due to such large quantities of oil, the bacteria might deplete oxygen reserves until deep-water fish essentially suffocate.
At the time of this article (10th of June) the numbers of wildlife deaths have been minimum. However, environmentalists are expecting the worst to happen as the oil spreads. As the oil rig was in deep water, it will take time to reach shore and for the full damage to be seen. The other aspect is what will happen to the oil that stays in the deep water. It will also be difficult to give a true count of wildlife deaths as a lot of the deep-sea creatures will be carried in to the open ocean and not wash ashore. The other factor is that they might not die from oil directly but indirectly. The oil would only have to kill one link in the food chain for the whole system to be affected.
BP have tried numerous ways of fixing the leak, including putting a lid on it, injecting the hole with golf balls, tyres and junk and their latest attempt which is to siphon it. But in the end, only a relief well, expected to be finished by early August, would be able to plug the well. Drilled from an angle, the relief well has reached 12, 900 feet from the ocean surface and may reach a depth of 18, 000 feet.
"Clearly we are going to have to require that drilling rigs and production platforms have reliable back-systems. Right now, they are sorely lacking. Why else would BP be scrambling for any solutions to rein in or stop the gushing crude? I wouldn't call injecting junk into the blowout preventer to be a reliable system," Senator Nelson said.
As part of a coordinated response that combines tactics deployed above water, below water, offshore and close to coastal areas, controlled burns have been taken place to try and efficiently remove oil from open water in an effort to protect shoreline and wildlife. In total, more than 100 burns have been conducted to remove a total of 2.8 million gallons of oil from the water a report said on the 31st of May 2010
BP has declared they will pay for all damages. On the first of June, they announced they had spent $990 million so far on fighting and cleaning the spill. Their deep pockets might reach an end however, as BP's stock has already dropped over 15%. The company has lost over $75 billion in worth since the oilrig exploded. Other companies that were involved in the spill have also felt the heat. Transocean, Halliburton and Cameron have all lost at least 30% in value.
But financially that's the least of their concerns. According to federal law, BP also faces a minimum fine of $1, 000 per barrel of oil spilled. On the 1st of June it was estimated that at least 20 million to 42 million gallons of crude oil have gushed into the Gulf. If the spill were to be contained today, that a total of between $480 million and $1 billion.
Bloomber News - 1st of June - reported that BP declared in its permit application for rights to drill in the gulf that it could handle a spill 10 times larger than the current one. Famous last words.
BP has announced they will pay for all damages caused by the spill, but the International Bird Rescue organisation responsible for cleaning up the oil on the surrounding wildlife, is taking in donations.

Celeste works for South African Biodiversity Media. To find more articles, news and information about biodiversity and environmental issues in South African, go to http://www.southafricanbiodiversity.co.za

Oil Spill Absorbents - Indispensable Tools for Cleaning Up Oil Spills and Leaks

By Travis Zdrazil

When oil spills occur, fast clean-up is crucial. But depending on the size and where it has happened, clean-up can be a challenge. Fortunately, a wide range of oil spill absorbents make the job easier -- and even possible.
But before you reach for the absorbents, a quick assessment of the spill is important:
Is it a tiny little spill that can be wiped up quickly with an oil only pad, or will it have to be contained first.
The truth is that oil spreads quickly, and in most situations, the first step is not cleaning up but containing the oil so it won't be able to spread further.
If the oil spill happens on water, this must be your first step, no matter what. That's because oil on water spreads rapidly, and can quickly turn into a huge oil slick.
So how can you contain the oil? If the spill is on water, reach for oil containment booms. They float on water and close off the area so the oil stays inside.
If the spill happened on land, oil berms or spill dikes are the solution of choice. They too are designed to keep the oil from spreading.
Once the oil is safely contained, it's time to break out your oil spill absorbents. There are many of those available. You can get them in oil spill kits that contain a range of different absorbents suitable for cleaning up oil. Or you can buy them a la carte.
For oil spills on water, you may want to pick oil absorbent booms as your absorbent of choice -- especially because of their large capacity. If the spill is smaller, you may be able to use pads and rolls to skim the oil off the surface.
For oil spills on land, you have even more options. Those pads and rolls work great, and in addition, you can also use oil absorbent socks, pillows, and, yes, booms. It all depends on where the spill happened and how bit it is.
Most importantly, be sure to have those oil spill absorbents handy before you need them so you'll be able to deploy them at a moment's notice. If you need help deciding on which ones to get, you may want to consult with a knowledgeable specialist, such as your industrial safety supplies dealer. That way, you can be sure you'll get high quality absorbents that meet all legal requirements.

Want to know more about oil spill absorbents? Get valuable tips and the latest news about absorbents and other environmental safety products on Travis Zdrazil's Safety Maintenance News blog and get his free newsletter too. Travis is an expert on environmental safety products and has supplied businesses with products to aid in meeting EPA and OSHA requirements for more than 10 years.
You may publish this article, but must keep the resource box ©2009 PCI Products Company. All rights reserved.

The Best Ways to Clean Up an Oil Spill

By B Hayes

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has brought oil spill prevention and cleanup to the forefront of public attention. When considering the amount of environmental and economic damage a spill of this nature can have, there is no way to overstate the importance of cleaning up the mess as quickly and as effectively as possible.
This article will explore some of the many concepts floating around that might be able to assist in removing and cleaning up the oil. Some of the options are environmentally friendly, others are not. This article leaves it to the reader to judge which might be best implemented or focused on.
Physical Removal
The following tactics can be used to physically remove the oil or stop it from spreading.
Booms - Booms are flotation devices that can form a barrier to stop the spread of oil. They are readily accessible and often used to try to create a containment area. Oil has been known to slosh both under and over booms.
Skimming - Skimming is the physical act of taking nets or other such devices to strain the top of the ocean, catching the oil but allowing the clean water to sluice through.
Vacuums - Large suction devices just as you might imagine that are used to suck up oil, which can then be loaded into a tanker and hauled away to a storage facility.
Sorbents - Sorbents are large sponges designed to retain oil but allow water to be filtered back out.
Shovels and Hand Tools - Once the oil reaches shoreline, shovels and other traditional devices are used to collect and transport the oil.
Absorbents
Another tactic for handling massive amounts of oil is to put it in contact with an absorbent. Absorbents are materials that suck up the oil but leave clean water behind. The absorbent can then be collected much more easily through physical removal methods.
Hay - Hay has been known to very effectively absorb oil and separate it from water. Hay is a readily available resource and is low cost.
Pine Shavings - Pine shavings, much like hay, are an available commodity that can be used during oil spills. Shavings are a cheap and effective byproduct of many industries.
Hair - Although it sounds a bit unusual, hair (especially human hair) turns out to be an extremely effective absorbent material. It is sometimes used in a patty form for beach cleanup.
Chemical / Biological Agents
Sometimes for large spills chemical and biological agents need to be deployed. These help change the composition of the oil and help it break down into more manageable compounds.
Dispersants - Dispersants are chemical agents that mix with oil. The goal of a dispersant is to loosen the chemical makeup of the oil so that it can more quickly absorb into water. The trouble with dispersants is that there are often negative environmental side effects to their mass usage.
Oyster Mushrooms - This special fungus can break oil down and convert it into environmentally friendly waste products. They are used to help clean up oil that has made its way to the beach, and is sometimes combined with hair patties in order to create a culture that can become valuable mulch.
Bioremediation - Utilizing microbes that naturally eat oil particles, bioremediation offers a unique opportunity to clean up oil in a natural way. Current bioremediation microorganisms feed on the oil, break them up into byproducts that are edible to marine life, and then die when their food source (oil) is depleted.
Alternate Methods
The following are methods that don't particularly fit into other categories.
Burning - Controlled burns offer a quick solution to patches of oil, but offer environmental risks when used near land or in large doses.
Inaction - Allowing the oil to naturally and slowly blend with the water. Harmful if wildlife is abundant.

Bill Hayes is owner and founder of The Hayes Firm. Bill has created a resource designed to assist victims of the recent Gulf Coast oil spill. Visit his website if you would like to learn more about Louisiana oil spill lawsuits.

Oil Spill Containment - A Challenge Made Easier By Using the Right Equipment in the Right Sequence

By Travis Zdrazil

Oil spills are serious business. And depending on where they happen and how much oil is involved, they can also be a huge challenge. No matter what, though, oil spill containment is a lot easier with the right equipment on hand to keep the oil from spreading and facilitate clean-up. And you need to use it in the right sequence too.
The first thing you need to realize that managing any kind of spill, no matter what the liquid involved, really requires a two-step process. The thing is that our first impulse is to clean things up as fast as possible. But if we give in to that temptation, we might actually make things worse.
And you're probably wondering why starting with clean-up would be a problem. Here's the answer.
Imagine you have a barrel of oil in your facility and suddenly, it tips over and the oil is spreading all over the place. What do you do?
If you're trying to get control of the situation by mopping up the oil, you're going to find after a while that not only have you not made much of a difference, but that the oil has spread -- and continues to spread, making your problem worse by the minute.
If the oil spill should happen on water, this kind of dynamic is magnified since oil spreads even more rapidly on water.
So what do you do instead? Resist the temptation to start mopping up frantically and in a haphazard way and instead focus on containing the oil so it cannot spread any further. And how do you do that?
You use equipment designed for oil spill containment and arrange it around the spill. What kind of equipment? Primarily spill berms or spill dikes if the spill happened on land, and oil booms if the spill happened on water.
By arranging this equipment around the perimeter of the spill, the oil will be contained where it is and you can start with mopping it up -- without having to worry about it spreading any further.
Preventive oil spill containment
Now here's a revolutionary concept! Why wait until the spill before securing the area? Because you're an optimist? Prevention is always better than the cure. So if you handle large amounts of oil, why not put some kind of containment barriers in place before there's a spill.
That way, you can keep the secured area fairly small, which means this kind of containment is far cheaper than the after-the-fact crisis management kind. And if there's a spill, the damage will be comparatively minor and the oil can be cleaned up quickly.

Want to know more about oil spill containment? Get valuable tips and the latest news about absorbents and other environmental safety products on Travis Zdrazil's Safety Maintenance News blog and get his free newsletter too. Travis is an expert on environmental safety products and has supplied businesses with products to aid in meeting EPA and OSHA requirements for more than 10 years.
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What Could Be Worse Than the Gulf Oil Spill?

By Walter Wilson

I have been hearing practically non stop about the Gulf oil spill, as I'm sure we all have. After all it's a devastating event for the environment, the wildlife, the vegetation, not to mention the people living and making a living in those areas. It's terrible as it is sad. My heart goes out to anything and anybody effected.
But it got me thinking. And after doing some reading and a little research. I found something as bad and probably much worse than the Gulf oil spill. That's hard to believe huh? Well, what I found out is that the bigger problem is right under our noses. It's around us day and night, 24/7/365. Any ideas what this invisible demon might be? It's more obvious than you might think. It used to be "in the news" a lot more.
Okay, enough suspense.
The ongoing disaster that's worse than the oil spill is....air pollution. That's right. Air pollution causes more damage, effects more of the environment and devastate more lives than the oil spill ever will.So far the estimated amount of oil spilled over the past 110 days is about 126 million gallons, but this is not the first devastating oil spill in history and it won't be the last. Remember the Exxon Valdez that dumped 11 million gallons of heavy crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989? Or when the rig over the Ixtoc 1 well in Mexico's Bay of Campeche exploded and sank; 140 million gallons of oil poured into the Gulf over the next 10 months.
The present spill and those that occurred over the last 30 years have been the worst peacetime oil spill, but they are dwarfed by the 460 million gallons spilled into the Persian Gulf when Saddam Hussein's retreating troops sabotaged wells, tankers, and storage facilities in 1991.
The reason I point all this out is to point this out. Remember I said that the BP spill is at 126 million gallons in over 2 months? The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimates that "the country disgorges that much hydrocarbon pollution to the air in 10 days." By burning fossil fuels in cars, power plants and factories, we fill the air with dangerous poisons. Poisons like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, volatile organic compounds and microscopic grit. This in turn causes multiple ailments such as heart desease and defects effecting everyone from babies to the elderly.
So, when we hear about the oil spill in the Gulf and we get angry with BP, the Government or whoever. Remember what we are doing to ourselves everyday without nearly as much concern. I guess seeing it and hearing about it makes all the difference.
Walter Wilson

Walter Wilson
Walter is an online business owner and a network marketer. He works closely with some of the top online earners out there. He has a blog where he posts most of his material before dispersing it to the web. His blog URL is: http://www.workwithwalterwilson.com Walter also is interested in working with anyone who wants to take their business to the next level. His business URL is: http://www.mlmfinancialfreedomformula.info

Truck Spill Kits - Information at Your Fingertips

By Travis Zdrazil

Spill kits are used for clean up of spills but often for spill control or containment. These are emergency packages that allow an immediate response to any spill that may cause health hazards in the workplace. One of the common spills that happen almost everyday is truck spills in the road. The usual truck spills are garbage, sand, dirt, diesel fuel, milk, and lumber. It may be caused by swerving in the road, improper loading of the things inside the truck, or simply there is leak for liquefied contents. Among these spills, the most difficult to clean is the diesel spill. Moreover, it scatters in the ground immediately and it needs to be removed right at the moment. The effects to the sewage system if occurred in land and to the animals in sea water are irreversible. And to be prepared in these kinds of situation, there should be truck spill kits readily available for use.
Truck spill kits usually contain pads, socks, nitrile gloves, goggles, clear disposal bag, bag tie, and zippered bag. This absorbs oil, water, and solvents. These spill kits can be used for universal spill applications, hazmat spills, or for oils only. Hazmat spill kits for response to hazardous material spills and oil-only spill kits for oil only spills. Truck spill kits must be easy to use and must fit behind the seat in cabs of the truck for quick spill response at the time they are needed. They are small enough to fit behind the driver's seat so there is really no need allocating a bigger space. Most of the spills that will happen in the road can be solved by this kit may it be oil spills, hazmat, or universal.
In the service and truck industry, one of the companies' nightmares is the liability of the truck itself. There might be gasoline, motor oil, transmission oil, anti freeze and battery acid that will be thrown out in the road when traveling. Usually, under the law, the truck company is responsible in cleaning up the mess. Also, some companies are required to have their kits to comply with the laws. Owning a truck spill kit reduces the risk of paying a large amount in hiring a contractor to remove whenever there are spills. Further, while there is a growing concern for the environment and the damage of causing any spill is greater than the price that a company will pay in having it. Bad publicity for the company affecting the sales and profits may be the effects for causing pollution. Having a spill kit in hand is better than buying it after the damage has been done.
Truck Spill kits are recommended to be in placed ahead of time to react immediately to emergency. Also, truck spill kits contents that are used must be complete. It is appropriate to have a Waste Management Plan to guide the process of collecting, storing, and disposing of special waste. The manual with instructions and the dos and don'ts must be written so as to guide the user must be provided. Technical knowledge from transportation to actual cleaning to disposal is required to avoid hazards to the people that will do the clean up and to the people within the vicinity. Since the response time is crucial in cleaning the spill in land and especially in the water, the people employed must have the proper training and expertise if possible.. The people must be properly clothed too.

Need more information about truck spill kits? We have the most competitive prices, up-to-date articles, information, and tips available at www.absorbentsonline.com

BP Oil Spill Could Cost Florida Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs

 Tricia Mills

The Gulf Coast oil spill is a disaster in Florida, possibly costing nearly 200,000 jobs and completely eliminating some ten billion dollars in spending. This from research conducted by the University of Central Florida. This data assumes that the coastal counties affected by the spill area will lose around half of their normal tourism and jobs associated with visitors and tourists, from the University of Central Florida's Institute for Economic Competitiveness. This has a huge impact on the entire state of Florida says Nationally Recognized Attorney, Emery Ledger.
If the number of half of the tourism lost seems high, its not. Many communities are already experiencing a significant drop in tourism and that could be just the beginning depending upon the effects of the oil spill long term. However, even with a conservative estimate of only about ten percent of tourism monies lost, which include leisure jobs and spending, Florida would still be out nearly 40,000 jobs and lose around $2.2 billion dollars in spending, which some companies rely on. In fact some businesses in Florida rely on the tourist season for their whole year of profits. The lawyers at Law Offices of Ledger & Associates is investigating BP's liability and offer a free detailed evaluation of your injury claim.
One concern that some experts have is that the economy in Florida is already on shaky ground, as the economy has not particularly good to businesses that rely on tourists to make their money, as more and more people decide to vacation at home or skip their trips to other areas of the country altogether. Some believe that this is devastating for the economy, as it was predicted that it would take the Florida tourist areas one or two years to recover from the recession, but now they have to deal with an oil spill keeping tourists away on top of that. Those most affected should contact an attorney who will assist them in making a claim. A claim does not necessarily mean that a lawsuit is going to filed by an Accident Attorney rather the threat of litigation will often result in a settlement out of court. Your attorney will take care of the entire claim so you can focus on your life's recovery.
Normally the tourism industry in the Gulf of Mexico communities creates about 269,000 jobs and annual spending is about $12.4 billion dollars. But now thousands of stores, restaurants, tourist shops and other companies are closing which puts tens of thousands out of work and costs the business owners large amounts of money. This is a problem for these people, who were simply unlucky enough to be living in the Gulf Coast when the BP oil spill hit, and the Florida economy may take years to recover now that the oil spill problems are added to the already difficult economy.
The BP oil spill does not just affect those at the forefront of the disaster, but has a far reaching affect to nearly everyone in the Gulf Coast communities. As town are no longer able to attract tourism and business close, BP is costing tens of thousands of people their livelihoods and their businesses.

Tricia Mills is an online writer. She write articles of any topics. She treats her work very special as something that inspires her. It is the best way that she could express her emotions. Moreover, she really likes to write articles about the importance of a Lawyer and an Attorney to the lives of an injured victims in an accident cases and personal injuries as a result of others negligence.

Everything You Need to Know About Oil Spill Containment Booms

By Travis Zdrazil

Shopping for oil spill containment booms should not be taken lightly. You could be saving thousands of dollars on fines, cleanup costs, and damage payments in the event of an oil spill accident. Your oil spill containment booms are your investment for contingencies. Find out everything you need to know before choosing oil spill containment booms.
You need a durable oil spill containment booms. Make sure that you can rely on the performance of your boom when you need it the most. Don't make cost as your main basis for determining a product. Aside from the cost, also weigh different factors such as durability, materials used, and overall performance. Durable booms have a tough outer mesh to protect the filter inside it. Make sure that the polypropylene filter will not shred into pieces.
Oil spill containment booms come in 10 foot to 20 foot fragments. These are connected using a carbon wire. Attaching fragments are needed when the oil spill consumes a large area. The good news is that you can easily attach and detach fragments easily with the connectors. It also makes retrieval of the boom effortless. You just have to pull the end of the link in order to retract the boom.
Containment is the main purpose of these booms. However, it is also designed to absorb oil spills or hydrocarbons spills such as gasoline, diesel, motor oil, jet fuel, hydraulic oils, kerosene, and fuel oils. There is a disclaimer on its limitations. It is not built to handle acid, aggressive fluids, or water based chemicals. Make sure you use it according to its purpose.
These booms are also known as sorbent booms, marine booms, marina booms, sea booms, ocean booms, or spill booms. It can be used both in land and in water. In sea, it has the ability to repel water allowing it to float. The booms are usually dropped in the oil spill and surround the spill by hauling the booms near the vessels to create an enclosure. In land, where spreading is much slower, it prevents contaminating the objects surrounding it. These objects can be assets of the company that may be damaged by the oil spill. It also prevents the possibility of spreading fire in case of ignition. With all the combusting materials around, you don't want to turn your oil spill into a fire crisis in the area.
Disposal of oil spill containment booms in an accident should follow a certain procedure. Since oil spill are toxic to the health of people and the environment, proper disposal should be part of any safety procedure in handling oil spills. Don't forget to bring plastic bags and drums on the oil spill area. Once the booms are heavily saturated with oil, place it inside a plastic bag. Wipe off any residue outside the plastic bag or you can double bag it. Carefully label the plastic bags on the type of contaminant it contains. Don't just let it sit on a dumpster for a long time. Either contact a waste disposal company or directly haul it to your local land fill.

Need more information about oil spill containment booms?  We have the most competitive prices, up-to-date articles, information, and tips available at www.absorbentsonline.com

Oil Spill Booms - The Perfect Solution for Containing and Cleaning Up Oil Spills On Water

How do you clean up an oil spill on water? You use a two-step process, both of which involve oil spill booms. Read on to discover how it works.
When you're in charge of cleaning up an oil spill on water, be it big or small, there are always two steps you have to take. You can't just dump an absorbent in the middle of the spill and hope that this will take care of the situation.
The problem is that while the absorbent, whether it's an oil boom or another form of absorbent, will start absorbing some of that oil, the rest of it will spread and spread. And that's exactly what needs to be avoided.
And so, in order to minimize the spreading of the oil, we need to take another step first, before we even think about clean-up: We need to contain the spill.
And for this purpose, absorbent oil booms are ideal. They're 10 or 20 feet long, and you can string as many of them together as you need in order to encircle the spill. And only then, once the spill is safely contained, you go about the task of cleaning the spill up.
After all, once the spill is surrounded by oil booms, it cannot go anywhere and you can drop a series of oil booms into the water and let them absorb the oil. Once they're saturated, you pull them back out and drop in fresh booms. Then simply repeat this sequence until all the oil is absorbed.
It's interesting that you can get this dual use out of your oil booms. While they all absorb oil, the primary purpose of the ones that surround the spill is to keep the spill in one place and prevent it from spreading into the open water.
Yet at the same time, oil absorbent booms can also absorb oil -- and they're highly effective at cleaning up the spill.
And here's the thing -- they work just find on land as well. Of course, you do have more options on land -- you can use spill berms for containment, and you can use all sorts of other absorbents to clean the spill up, but booms are the absorbents with the highest capacity so if the spill is big, they may just be the ticket.
Imagine the capacity of one single boom. How many pads, socks, or pillows would you need to absorb an equivalent amount of oil? Of course it's always a good idea to have a range of different options handy, especially on land. When it comes to big spills on water, though, you need to think big, and oil booms are just the ticket.

Want to know more about oil booms? Get valuable tips and the latest news about absorbents and other environmental safety products on Travis Zdrazil's Safety Maintenance News blog and get his free newsletter too. Travis is an expert on environmental safety products and has supplied businesses with products to aid in meeting EPA and OSHA requirements for more than 10 years.
You may publish this article, but must keep the resource box ©2009 PCI Products Company. All rights reserved.

s There Tribal Wisdom on How to Clean Up the Oil Spill?

By Sandra Noble

When we discovered America, we discovered that there were already Americans here. American Indians to be exact. The term came about because Christopher Columbus stumbled upon what later became the United States while looking for a route to India. The initial settlers treated the Indians with respect. But as we expanded westward, things got ugly. Lots of massacres by both sides. Of course Hollywood capitalized on and glamorized the conflicts. The cowboys were the good guys and the Indians, also known as savages, were the bad guys.
What is politically correct?
Now that we have subdued the Indians and confined them to reservations, there was a debate about what to call them. I seem to remember Indians, then American Indians and then Native Americans. Also there was some controversy about sports teams using Native American icons as team names and mascots.
It seems that either Native American or American Indian are now acceptable terms. Better yet, references to the particular Indian Nation or tribes. Let's leave the cowboys & Indians to Hollywood. In fact, one friend felt that the modern movie Avatar, was just an expansion on the cowboys and Indians theme, but with a twist. It was quite clear that these "cowboys" were the bad guys. I greatly enjoyed Avatar and the TV show westerns of old. But I've learned to respect and value people from various cultures.
Can Native Americans help with the Oil Spill?
I reflect on my trip to West Africa. The most impactful tour was of the botanical gardens in the Ivory Coast. It wasn't just about flowers. The guide talked about how the plants and vegetation was used for everything from building homes to curing diseases. How did they figure all that out? It struck me how spiritual the Africans were and how in tune they were to nature. How could anyone call them heathens? The missionaries, armed with the religious beliefs and convictions of the more developed and civilized nations, strove to enlighten the Africans. And many Africans have embraced Christianity and other religions. But most, if not all Africans still embrace their tribal traditions, cultures and religions which are nature based. I think we would have been well served to tap into the enlightenment and wisdom from the continent of Africa. George Washington Carver, who was of black African descent, invented many things. And what was his secret? He believed that God speaks to us through nature. Anything in nature would talk to us if we loved it enough. Ask any pet owner what they learn from their pets.
The American Indians are another group that embraced and honored the earth. I think of them as wise and spiritual. So when we consider the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, perhaps the Native Americans can lend some valuable insight. The president of the Sioux Tribe is organizing a meeting of the National Congress of American Indians. They plan to discuss how the BP oil spill has affected Native Americans in the area. This is good news. We are all one. What they discover may be helpful to all Americans.

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Sandra Noble provides green products and consulting services for individuals and businesses who embrace and support the concept of preserving and protecting yourself, your family, your business and the planet. And it does not have to cost you. Save energy, save electricity, save the environment and save money. Be healthier, be green, live a green life with our environmentally friendly green products. Go Green!

Oil Skimming - An Excellent Solution For Environmental Cleanup

By Bret Mundt

Oil Skimming is the most popular, effective and inexpensive way to recover spilled petroleum products.
There is one problem with oil skimming...it only collects liquids that float on the surface. It won't collect any liquid that is floating below the surface or mixed with the water as is the case with the crude oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oil skimming is not a fast way to collect petroleum based liquids because once you get moving over 3 feet per minute, they will not separate from the wastewater completely, so the effectiveness of the oil skimmers is lessened.
Recovering petroleum based products is a slow, methodical process that just takes time to complete. And in order to get great results, it needs to be done continuously until all of the spilled liquids are removed.
Oil skimming itself will normally not remove enough of the oil from wastewater to meet government discharge regulations so it is best to include an oil water separator downstream from the oil skimmer process to get as much of the contaminants out as possible before it is released back into the environment.
There are several oil skimmers that do the job, but just do it different ways.
One of the most common machines for cleaning up spills is the tube oil skimmer. It has the least number of moving parts, uses the least amount of energy and is virtually maintenance free.
It does not require any consumables so it does not require ongoing attention to make sure its running properly and effectively. It uses an electric motor that drives a pulley which circulates the tube out across the water and back into the unit where the recovered liquid is placed into the catch basin.
The next piece of equipment that is commonly used for oil skimming is the belt skimmer. Instead of a tube that rotates through the wastewater collecting contaminants, a wide belt is moved through the water, back up into the skimmer and then returned to the wastewater after the contaminants have been removed.
Roller skimmers are another common piece of equipment used for oil skimming that you've probably seen in the Gulf Oil Spill Clean up news coverage.
They work on the same principles of tube and belt skimmers, but are typically used for large oil spills and are powered by compressed air instead of electric motors to minimize any spark that may cause the spilled crude to catch on fire.
If you've decided that oil skimming is the way to go to get your retention ponds or tanks cleaned, you need to have the following information on hand before contacting a vendor about which is the right oil skimmer for you:

1. The type of products you're trying to recover
2. The approximate amount of the products you're trying to recover
3. The flow of the water you want to recover the contaminants from

Bret Mundt has been an industrial contractor for more than 20 years. He knows what works and what doesn't. He explains how oil skimming works and describes the equipment available to clean up spilled petroleum products in wastewater, streams, ponds.

How Will the BP Oil Spill Affect the Economy in Months to Come? - What it Means to the "Average Joe"

By Mike George
How will the BP oil disaster impact the economic climate now and in the near future? And what does it mean to the "Average Joe." You might be surprised by the impact this disaster could produce in your life.
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How Long Will it Take For Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill to Stop?

By Kevin Huffman

Frankly, it's hard to reflect on when oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would stop. Just look at the amount of oil spilling out.
When the spill began on the fateful day of April 20th 2010, it was mere 5,000 barrels a day. However, nobody knows the truth, a little later; statements started flowing out, that probably, more than 40,000 barrels a day is being lost on the high seas.
Still further, scientists claim, the oil spill at the Gulf of Mexico might touch somewhere around 70,000 barrels a day.
The truth is that oil spill is touching huge figures, and if concrete measures are not taken immediately, things could go out of hand.
BP claims that oil spill could be stopped by the end of August, but nothing could be said as of now. Earlier efforts of plugging oil leak had failed miserably.
From sending a Robot down to the seabed to lift the 450 tonne valve, and put the blocks on the leak, to plugging the valve with mud, debris and chemicals. They have all failed and repeated attempts of plugging the oil well at the gulf have done no good, yet.
Now, BP is on the run to construct two relief wells on the sea bed, which would perhaps, be the ideal method to stop the oil spill. One of the wells is likely to be at 12,000 feet deep below, while the other well would take some time to get completed.
This could be the moment, BP and the whole of United States had been waiting for.

http://www.headlinesnews.net

Oil Pollution and Home Damage

By David S Caldwell

The Gulf Coast oil spill is responsible for leaking millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Beaches and marshes from Louisiana to Florida have been negatively affected by the spill, both environmentally and economically. There is a high probability that many home owners will experience some form of home damage as a result of the spill, which can be costly to repair or clean up.
Types of Damage
Since the explosion on April 20th, 2010, oil has leaked from the spill site and drifted throughout the Gulf of Mexico and towards shore. Residents along the Gulf Coast have reported spotting oil sheen and tar balls along the beaches. Property owners have found their land blemished by unsightly oil, and some have had property such as boats, docks, and even parts of homes damaged by pollution from the spill.
Pollution along the coast has made it more difficult for some individuals to rent out their property. With the usually idyllic beach landscape marred by oil, many visitors have decided against renting beachfront property. Another possible threat to home owners is the risk of having property drop in value. Even if a home is not directly affected by the oil spill, pollution in the area may cause a home's property value to drop.
Taking Action
If you are a home owner and have been negatively affected by the oil spill, you may have legal grounds to initiate a lawsuit for compensation. Home owners should not have to bear the cost of pollution caused by someone else's negligence. Consider consulting with an experienced oil spill attorney to determine how you can take action to recover financial compensation for your home damage and economic losses.

For More Information
To learn more about oil spill damages and taking legal action, visit the website of the oil spill damage attorneys of Williams Kherkher today.

What's Next in Dealing With the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf

By George Chan

With the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil well on April 20, 2010, the BP oil spill became the worst ecological disaster in the history of the United States. Oil started gushing out in unprecedented amounts and continued doing so, unchecked, for weeks. An estimated 40,000 barrels a day were leaking into the sea, from an uncontrollable well lying nearly 5,000 feet below the water's surface.
Finally, by June 4, a temporary cap was fitted which slowed down the gushing oil and also made it possible to funnel off some of the leaking petroleum into awaiting ships. BP was still trying to figure out a permanent fix and went to bid on a cap that could be fitted to stop the flow completely. The plan was to drill a new, relief well and then 'kill' the first well by filling it with mud and concrete.
With the first cap in place BP announced it was collecting nearly 16,000 barrels of oil per day. The BP oil spill was still spewing most of its product into the sea, but at a somewhat slower rate. It's not until July 15 that a new cap is placed and seems to be successful in stemming the flow. Now, with the oil temporarily shut off, BP says it will take the opportunity to test the well's integrity. In the meantime, the relief well is drilled about five feet away from the original.
President Obama tapped Admiral Thad Allen, who is the top man in the U.S. Coast Guard and was only weeks away from retirement when the BP oil spill occurred, to head up the relief efforts. Allen had been instrumental in handling the problems caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and was credited with turning around the Bush administrations woeful response to that disaster.
Seemingly apolitical and displaying what has been called 'non-corporate competence', Allen is known for telling it like it is in unvarnished fashion. While BP news conferences tended toward optimism without justification, Allen's almost daily news briefs have been much more factual and accurate. When the second cap was placed Allen voiced his concern for a "detected seep" coming from the sea floor near the well. If methane gas was still escaping, there was a good chance oil was still being released also.
Now that Tropical Storm Bonnie has come and gone, they're back to work trying to permanently plug the well and clean up the BP oil spill. The damage has been done and it's not over yet.

What are your feelings on how BP is handling the situation? Share your opinion here and take the survey. Your input counts. Click Here to voice your opinion on the BP oil spill. Vote and enter for the chance to win a FREE $500 VISA gift card.

Bait, Slick & Switch - An Oil Spill Symposium

By Sara Aye

The Gulf Oil Spill Community Forum in St. Petersburg met to discuss solutions to the impending doom of the spill on the Tampa Bay Area. We discovered the spill is 200 miles away and not expected to come here. Our beaches are beautiful and empty. We have no oil here. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful vacation in the Tampa Bay area this summer at really reduces rates.
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How to Use an Oil Absorbent Boom - A Highly Effective Tool for Oil Spill Clean-Up

By Travis Zdrazil

Do you have to clean up oil spills, especially on water, as part of your job? Or do need to be prepared for any number of reasons? Read on for the scoop on the oil absorbent boom, one of the most effective tools to clean up oil spills fast (and on what else you need to do).
How do oil spills on water happen?
There are a number of possibilities, from leaky engines, to toppled gas canisters to a variety of accidents. And accidents don't have to involve just boats or ships, but they can also be air planes that have crash-landed on water and are now contaminating the water. And, of course, oil drilling facilities -- though if there is a big problem with oil wells, you will need a lot more than just a few oil absorbent booms.
So let's stick to the more manageable oil spills and how to handle them
As you know, oil floats on water -- where it will spread very quickly. So before you even deploy your oil absorbent booms, you may want to get the other kind of oil booms -- the non-absorbent kind, to keep the oil spill contained.
Use those to surround the entire oil-spill area to hold in the oil. Then throw in your oil absorbent booms that will absorb the oil. Once they have soaked up their fill, you can remove them and replace them with more booms.
It's a messy affair, and not cheap, but the damage that oil inflicts on the environment calls for whatever effort is needed to clean things up.
What you need to know about the oil absorbent boom
You should also know that these booms are sometimes referred to as marine booms, sea booms, ocean booms, sorbent booms, or oil spill booms.
Obviously they're designed for use in water. High quality booms will float on water even if they're saturated, and they also indicate clearly when that is the case so you can replace them with fresh booms -- without wasting capacity of the original booms.
But that's not all they're good for. You can also use them on land. The one thing you need to know is that they only work for oil-based and hydrocarbon-based chemicals, including fuel, oil, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel and more. This means that they will repel water, which is why they work as well as they do.
How to select the right oil absorbent boom
When you're shopping for your booms, be sure that they comply with Federal regulations. They do come in several sizes, so you'll be able to get just the right oil absorbent boom (or booms) for your needs.

Want to know more about choosing the right oil absorbent boom? Find more information and all the latest absorbents and other environmental and industrial safety products on Travis Zdrazil's Absorbents Online website and get his FREE newsletter too. Travis is an expert on environmental safety products and has supplied businesses with products to aid in meeting EPA and OSHA requirements for more than 10 years.
You may publish this article, but must keep the resource box ©2010 PCI Products Company. All rights reserved.

The Reason For the Oil Spill

By M. R. Anderson

We are entering the Age of Aquarius. What is the Age of Aquarius? I believe it is a new beginning. The 6000 year rule of evil, selfishness, hatred, fear, sorrow and especially greed is coming to an end. The elite rulers know this and they will do any and everything possible to prolong their grip on the masses.
These evil people have secret knowledge that most are unaware of. They know how to use the law of attraction to get what they want and they also know the consciousness of water. The oil spill disaster was not an accident.
This world is governed by universal law and divine order. Water has a conscious just like everything else in the universe. The earth is 75% water, so when the collective consciousness of the people slowly shift to vibrations on love, peace and harmony, the water of the earth carries out this consciousness to all living things faster.
Have you ever heard of the Japanese word Hado? Hado is the intrinsic vibrational pattern at the atomic level in all matter, the smallest unit of energy. Its basis is the energy of human consciousness.
Dr. Emoto found out that water has a conscious when he took pure clean water and spoke to the water and showed gratitude to the water. Dr. Emoto observed that when the water was frozen, beautiful crystal patterns appeared. When words and symbols of gratitude were placed on containers holding the water, the beautiful crystal patterns appeared again. Distance did not affect the water also. The opposite was also true. When negative words were spoken or negative symbols were shown to the water, distorted and deformed crystal patterns appeared. Water that was prayed over also formed beautiful patterns. According to Dr. Emoto's work, words and symbols of gratitude formed the most beautiful crystal patterns.
I believe that the earth and the universe is entering an era that will be filled with peace and love. You can see this happening now. People are noticing the negativity on the television and are not interested in watching it any longer. Children do not want to hear the negative music or see negative movies any longer. There are more and more public speakers out there who are getting the word out about how lovely life is. People are walking in the park, having cookouts, and speaking to their neighbors and complete strangers more than ever. People are more concerned about their health. People are also getting away from the warlike and fear based mentality. Physical life is much too short and people are realizing this fact.
The disaster in the gulf with the oil spill is a desperate attempt to change the consciousness of the water and to change the consciousness of the masses. Whatever "they" try to do will not work. "Their" time is coming to an end. The kingdom of heaven is within and the devil is a collection of evil men, deeds and thought currents that are not in harmony with The Great Creator or God. There is no man in the center of the earth with horns on his head. Think good thoughts and thank your water and be thankful for everything that you have. Pray for a solution to the oil spill in the gulf.

An Effective Oil Spill Clean Up Procedure

By Travis Zdrazil

Oil spills are dangerous to the health of people and to the environment. The hazards include fumes, ignitions, asphyxiation, burns, water contamination, soil contamination and fire. In case of an oil spill make sure you know what to do.

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What Can We Learn From the BP Oil Spill?

By Walter Jacobson

Although it's not clear to me what the cause or causes are of the catastrophic BP oil spill, there have been several explanations for it which would suggest that it wasn't simply an accident, but rather an event that might have been avoided.
One article I read suggested that some sort of oil leak cut-off system could have been put into place but wasn't because it would have required time and money, two commodities the oil executives were not interested in expending.
Another article suggested that more research was necessary in regard to oil drilling at the depths involved, but this, too, would have cost more time and money, with decreased profits in the process.
Neither of these scenarios may be true. Nonetheless, the overall impression I've gotten from the articles I've read is that BP was more interested in profits than safety, and that this "accident" was more a function of corporate convenience, corporate greed, corporate irresponsibility, and corporate shortsightedness more than anything else.
If this is true, then there is a clear take-home message for all of us: Whether we are developing a career or a product, it behooves us, before putting the career and product out there, to pay close attention and make wise choices.
We don't cut corners. We do our homework. We do the research. We explore all options. We do our due diligence to make sure that what we are doing will benefit and not harm. We spend the time and money necessary to do it safely and to do it right, so that we've put our best foot forward and we don't end up with a catastrophe or crisis that is damaging to ourselves or to others.
It is wise to do these things even if it pushes back our launch dates and reduces our profit margin, because we may discover flaws and inconsistencies which we may be able to correct and adjust for, saving ourselves a lot of money and aggravation in the future which could cripple our goals and profits in the long run.
WHAT ABOUT OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS?
The same advice applies: We need to take our time. We need to pay attention. We need to do the research. We need to look before we leap.
The divorce rate is so high and many relationships are so unsatisfying because we don't do these things. When we meet someone "special" for the first time, there is an infatuation, there is chemistry, there is exhilaration, there are hormones jumping every which way. We feel energized and vitalized, overwhelmed with joy, excitement and sexuality.
When we look into the eyes and face of someone who is as excited about us as we are about them, it makes us feel excited about ourselves. We see our idealized self in the smiling face looking back at us, and all of this contributes to our jumping into bed and jumping into relationships prematurely.
So caught up in the immediate gratification of the moment, we don't consider the long-term consequences. We don't take the time to do our due diligence. We don't take the time to discover the real fabric of the person we have become intimately involved with.
Oftentimes, we see the red flags and warning signs that suggest to us that maybe we shouldn't go down that road, but because we are so enamored, so exhilarated, so charged up with infatuation, chemistry and lust, and having, perhaps, been lonely for a very long time prior to meeting this person, we look the other way, our common sense and intuition go out the window and we sweep the red flags under the rug.
Eventually, sooner or later, the chickens come home to roost. When the chemistry settles down and the infatuation goes away, we are left with a lot of unanswered questions.
Who are these people? What do they really stand for? Do they really care about us? Do they care more about themselves? Are they loyal and trustworthy companions?
All the questions that should have been asked at the beginning are asked after we have committed a great deal of time, money and energy to the relationship.
THE SOLUTION IS DELAYED GRATIFICATION
Taking the time to see what's actually going on before making a commitment is the critical component. We tend not to do this because we are afraid to confront those red flags, to challenge our newly-found partners to explain themselves, to define their ideologies, to detail their backgrounds and previous relationships, for fear that they may get defensive or angry, that they may go away, or that they may tell us something that will be so obvious we will not be able to ignore it and it will force us to go away.
Bottom line: it's best we have the courage to ask these questions before getting involved in a relationship, even if it means our loneliness will linger longer, because it will serve us well in the long run and provide us with the opportunity of finding someone who is worthy of our love and capable of providing us with a stable relationship based on mutual respect and consideration which will sustain us until our end of days.

Walter E Jacobson, MD Psychiatrist, Speaker & Author http://walterjacobsonmd.wordpress.com Spiritual Solutions & Cognitive Tools for Well-Being & Material Success Check out my blog at the above website for practical ways to achieve happiness and success. Article Source:

How to File a BP Oil Spill Claim?

By Solomon Tomy
The Deepwater horizon oil spill (also referred as BP oil spill) in the Gulf of Mexico is a massive continuing oil spill. It is regarded as the largest offshore spill in U.S. history. Many businesses in that area were affected by this disaster.
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When Oil and Water Don't Mix - Why Oil Absorbents Should Be Part of Your Spill Response Plan

By Robert MacLaren

Oil spills can be very dangerous, especially if they happen on water where they have the potential to spread more quickly and cause irreversible damage to the environment. If you are working with oils on a daily basis it is important to have the correct spill kits and absorbents to be able to deal with any potential spillages. Your spill response plan should incorporate different types of oil absorbents to contain and absorb dangerous oils spills whether on land or water.
Oil Spills on land & water.
Oil spillage kits and absorbents soak up and retain oils and oil-based liquids without absorbing a drop of water. If you have a spill on water, the oil will not mix with the water, it will simply float on the surface. Whilst damage to the environment is unavoidable, using oil only absorbents on the water surface means that the oil spill can be contained and removed much quicker and easier to minimise the overall environmental impact. The spill can be effectively contained and removed with oil-only absorbents such as socks, booms, mats and pillows which will absorb the oil but not any water and prevent the spill from becoming a disaster.
If you are working with oils in an outdoor oil storage area, you should also use oil-only absorbents if any spills occur due to the potential for wet and rainy weather conditions whilst working outdoors.
Containing spills that come from oil
To prevent an oil spill from causing damage to the environment and becoming a slip and fall hazard to employees the first step is containment. Socks and Booms that only absorb oil can be used to do this effectively as they are flexible and mouldable enough to surround any type of spill and absorb as well as contain oil spills. Multiple socks and booms can be overlapped or linked together to encircle larger oil spills using sturdy clips and connecting rings which feature on some socks and booms on the market. Oil-only socks and booms are easily identifiable in a spill response situation as they are typically white in colour to make absorbed oil easier to see, although some booms are also available in dark grey to hide the absorbed oil and blend in with the surroundings. Containing and absorbing oil spills becomes quick and easy when absorbent socks and booms are part of your spill response plan.
Cleaning up
Once an oil spill has been contained it then needs to be cleaned up. This stage in your spill response plan should also include oil-only absorbents because although absorbent socks and booms absorb as well as contain other absorbents may be needed to clean up any excess oil. Absorbent mats and pillows that are water repellent are designed for this type of outdoor spill application. Both mats and pillows float on water so they are easy to retrieve when the oil has been completely absorbed and are white in colour which makes it easier for you to monitor saturation. Mats and pillows that repel water should be used in conjunction with each other to achieve complete clean up of oil spills so that damage to the environment, stock and employees is prevented.

More information on oil spill kits can be found at New Pig's website or by calling their UK operation on 0800 919 900.
In 1985, New Pig invented the Original PIG® Absorbent Sock, the first contained absorbent product on the market. Today, New Pig offers more than 2,600 leak and spill equipment solutions into industrial, institutional and government facilities in more than 70 countries. Visit their website at http://www.newpig.co.uk.

7 Important Relationship Lessons We Can Learn From the BP Oil Spill

By Lori Rubenstein

Here are some fabulous lessons we can all learn from the BP oil spill...
1. No matter how well things are going, it's good to have a back-up plan
Pre-nuptials are NOT romantic and often lead to feelings of hurt and anger between new couples. However, with 50% of all couples getting divorced, isn't it best to create a plan when you are still in love with each other?
There are also plans, marriage contracts, which you can write that do not plan for divorce, but plan for how you will act as a team, a business team, in your marriage. There's a wonderful book I recommend, Mastering Marriage, that leads you through hundreds of questions, helping you to learn about yourself and your partner in very intimate and important ways. For example, how will you handle things if one person wants to purchase a new car and the other one doesn't? How about animals? Have you discussed how you will feel when one of you gains 20 or 30 pounds?
If you need help with a plan, hire a coach, counselor or mediator to facilitate the process with you.
2. If you think you should take action but you wait too long, you lose out
Many are furious at Obama for waiting 2 months before forcing BP to come up with a financial plan for dealing with the largest environmental disaster of our era. Suddenly, everyone is blaming the government rather than the corporation. Similarly, in a problematic relationship, one person often wants counseling, the other thinks things are fine or just doesn't want to deal with counseling and bam, it's over!
When there is a major problem in a relationship, everyone has a different way of dealing with it. While some may become angry and yell and scream, others become quiet, ignoring the problem, hoping it goes away. There are dozens of ways people deal with difficult issues, yet, I think it's fair to say for everyone, that if an issue is ignored, it grows, and becomes bigger and bigger. As difficult and complicated as things may seem at the beginning, handling things as they come up is always a better course of action.
3. Not taking Responsibility for your part leads to frustration and unforgiveness
BP has finally agreed to give $20 billion in a reparation fund at the rate of 5 billion per year over 4 years. Yet, for 2 full months, there have been few apologies and not enough money coming in to help those affected by their negligence. Even 2 months later, we still don't know, and won't know for perhaps decades, all the ramifications of the spill. For now, we know that the spill affects untold numbers of people, fisherman, dock workers, hotel workers, restaurants, resorts, rig workers, etc. Hum...sort of like a divorce. A divorce doesn't destroy kids; it's how the parents handle the divorce that affects the children, perhaps for years to come.
I remember when we had the Exxon Valdez problem over 20 years ago, I walked around with a t-shirt that said "We don't care, we don't have to care, at Exxon, we're part of the problem." Are you going to be part of the problem or part of the solution?
As an attorney, I can't tell you how many lawsuits could be avoided with two simple words, "I'm sorry." Admitting to your faults, apologizing, and taking action to avoid re-harming is mandatory in relationships. It's clear to see that often big companies believe that they are beyond having to act as though their actions affect other people. Our actions always affect others, especially those we love. By realizing your piece and taking responsibility, you can avoid creating larger, seemingly unsolvable problems.
4. Biggering is not always better
Do you remember the Dr. Suess book, The Lorax? There was a wonderful lesson in that about using up all your resources and then having nothing left over... "I am the Lorax who speaks for the trees, which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please...." The last few pages of the book show all the trees have disappeared, the air is destroyed, the animals had to flee to find food and new homes, the corporation that cut all the trees is now closed, and all the people lost their jobs. How many people have gotten in trouble the past few years by using and spending all their resources, on biggering and biggering their lifestyles, simply to find themselves broke, frustrated and unhappy? How have these behaviors destroyed couples? We can see this not only in corporations and banks, but in many parts of our own lives.
Recently on Oprah, she sponsored a series called the Debt Diet. There are couples fighting and destroying their lives, keeping up with the Jones and being addicted to feeling good through STUFF. BP is not alone in this; they are just representative of over-filling and stuffing their stockholder's stomachs, while not building a solid foundation of safety and trust.
5. It's all about integrity
There is something grand when you can take someone at their word. Remember when the proverbial handshake was enough? Unfortunately, it's not enough anymore. It's so important in relationships to do what you say you will do and do it in a timely manner. It's all about trust. Trust is the foundation to a great relationship. When you can't follow through, then don't promise or say you will, just be honest in admitting you can not. When you mean NO, don't say YES.
Doesn't it seem like the US a teeter-tottering country these days? Many would rather appease each other than speak the truth. I don't know anyone who actually believes what politicians say. We EXPECT to be lied to. Do we EXPECT that in our marriages too?
Here's the truth, we can't control what the government, or big corporations do. Sure, we have the ability to vote and invest in certain corporations rather than others, but where we can make a difference, where it really counts, is in our home life; in ourselves. Are you honest? Do you have integrity? Is your handshake enough? Can you wake up everyday and look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of who is looking back?
6. Use a Mediator...ask for help when you come to an impasse
I was glad to see Obama using his best skills, as a Mediator, to help resolve, to some extent anyway, this crisis. BP needed to take some action, the government and localities needed to take some action and also needed assistance. Frankly, everyone in relationships needs help at one time or another. Many people have friends and family members they turn to for advice, or even just to vent. For those who don't have that assistance readily available, going to a great counselor or relationship coach is very helpful!
John F. Kennedy said "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." As I mentioned earlier, small hurts become large, difficult to forgive hurts, when they are not dealt with. If you need help, swallow your pride and ask. It only hurts for a second.
7. What comes out of a crisis is opportunity
There is no crisis without opportunity. Obama is using this environmental disaster to ask for a new energy bill that will alleviate America's addiction to oil. That is called using a crisis to create opportunity. The Chinese symbol for crisis combines the symbols for danger and opportunity. I guess you can always use a crisis as a cross-road, and as an opportunity to make a choice, in other words, to make lemonade from lemons.
Similarly, in relationships, problems such as adultery, bankruptcy and divorce can lead to personal growth and making decisions about whether or not this is the relationship you want to be in. Are there changes that need to be made? What is your part in the issue/difficulty? These are the times when many find new spiritual paths, friends, and re-connect with and learn the importance of family and most importantly, self-love and forgiveness.
In conclusion, we are living in scary times, to be sure. The changes all of us are being asked to make are not unlike those forced upon governments or large corporations. While much of the decision making is about money issues, many are also about relationship issues, especially about the relationship we have with ourselves. Are our actions consistent and in alignment with our values? Do we also have public images we like to portray? Remembering that we are all truly inter-connected, it is my hope that we all use these times of change and crisis as an opportunity to look at our options and take the high road, with ourselves, our relationship to spirit, and our relationship to family, friends, business associates, clients, neighbors and the community at large. When we look at the world through the lenses of love, wisdom and forgiveness, there is plenty of room for opposing views, and for our own personal growth through times of crisis.

Lori Rubenstein is your Love Advice Coach. After 18 years as a divorce attorney, Lori's passion is to help people find their way back to LOVE! Lori's clients are very well cared for, and they love her gentle but firm (Dr. Phil here's the deal!) way of helping them make the changes they need to make in their life to GET the life they truly desire.
You are invited to pick up your copy of the 10 lessons you need to know to have a Fabulous Relationship, at http://www.LoveAdviceCoach.com as well as free audios to help you start stepping up into the life you were meant to lead.
Lori's newest product, "I am Petrified to Date Again" helps people who have been hurt and are scared to go out there in the dating world again, get the education and self confidence they need to take the leap from being single to being in partnership.