The Gulf Oil Spill to Increase Seafood Prices

By G Loghl

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is predicted to have a dramatic effect on seafood prices throughout the United States for the remainder of this year. It is evident that the oil spill is devastatingly large, much more so that originally reported. It is clear that it will impact both the coast of Florida, as well as the entire Gulf of Mexico.
It's uncertain at this point how long lasting the effects will be on the water and the environment, but clearly it will be substantial. It will be very difficult for fisherman to approach the areas in question, and even if they do manage to find pockets of traditional fishing grounds without oil on top of the water, it is possible that the underlying vegetation and seabed could be affected throughout the entire region.
Initially, seafood that will be directly affected includes surface fish that feed near the top of the ocean. There are a number of species that fall into this category, probably the most popular being Tilapia and bone fish. However, all species including bottom feeding seafood will eventually come into contact with some form of the spill and will be negatively affected as a food source.
Even if certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico are not directly affected by the pollution, it is possible that government scientists will restrict the use of any seafood from this area for years to come. Carcinogens and various pathogens of related origin could prove harmful for even the smallest human consumption.
As a result, new sources of seafood will have to be found. This will not be cheap, and in some cases the available supply of certain species will be very difficult to acquire. The addition of higher shipping costs, as well as the increased market demand will certainly result in significantly higher seafood costs throughout North America in the months to come.

G Loghl is CEO and executive chef at Sault Ste Marie restaurants. He is also responsible for economic buying patterns for Wacky Wings and all seafood in the region.

The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

By Jerry Greenfield

The Gulf of Mexico has seen some better days. We all know about the huge oil spill caused by the explosion of the oil drilling rig, the Deepwater Horizon, on April 20th, 2010. It took them 3 months to finally cap-off the gusher, but by then, the damage was done. This is, to date, the absolute worst oil spill we have ever experienced.
But to add insult to injury, the Gulf of Mexico has had many other "issues" for years. One of the biggest is the fact that there is a "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico...and it is growing. Now, you're probably asking yourself, "What's a dead zone?" A dead zone is any area in water where the oxygen supply has been depleted. When this happens, the water is said to be hypoxic. If there isn't enough oxygen, then plant-life (such as algae) can't grow. If there's no algae in the area, then much of the marine life has nothing to eat. This marine life will either starve and die, or if they can, they will flee the area and try to find a better place to live.
Water becomes depleted of oxygen when there is too much nitrogen and phosphorus in it. The reason the Gulf of Mexico is so susceptible to this problem is because of the Mississippi River. The mouth of the Mississippi opens up into the Gulf-and boy, is it a big mouth!
Beginning in Minnesota, the Mighty Mississippi flows down to the Gulf of Mexico and carries all of the bi-products of farming right along with it. All of the chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used in the farmland along the Mississippi leach into the ground surrounding the river and begin their journey southward.
Man-made chemicals used in farming are extremely high in nitrogen and phosphorus. In fact, these chemicals have more nitrogen and phosphorus in them than the crops could ever use, so all of the excess is absorbed into the ground and eventually makes its way into streams, creeks, rivers, and lakes...which all end up somehow being connected to the Mississippi River!
Unfortunately, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has only grown over time and shows no signs of halting its growth any time soon. The men and women who live off of the sea have no control over this problem and just have to deal with it. Obviously the marine life has no say! And now, on top of everything else, there are the devastating effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to deal with as well!
We are killing our planet! That's all there is to it! The blatant misuse and overuse of chemicals in farming is causing dead zones where marine life cannot live. Our thirst for energy lends to unsafe circumstances and over-looked precautions when it comes to oil drilling. We need to be held accountable for our action--all of us--not just the people who make a living off the Gulf of Mexico and the marine life who try to make a home there.

For more information, please click here. http://mygardenwalk.com/ My number one focus is growing my own food. I don't think that really counts as a hobby. For some people it is, but for me, growing my own fruits and vegetables and saving my own seed is the key to survival. The only person you can count on is yourself, if you ask me. The government is trying to "help" us all with GMOs and welfare, but it's all a crock. We need to know how to survive on our own. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Greenfield

BP in the Gulf of Mexico - Failure of Leadership and Values - Renewing the Urgency For TBLI

By Stephen Cassidy

The earth is bleeding from it's veins, the oil its bleeding is killing all life in its path.
How much longer before the oceans are irreversibly damaged?
Five weeks after the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig exploded and sank, within estimations of between five to a hundred thousand barrels per day (1 barrel is 42 gallons) leaked out. This was not an oil spill as BP and the media have mentioned, but an oil leak. Ongoing, like an open tap on the bottom of the sea gushing out thick black crude oil that sticks to the sea bed, which cannot be seen from above.
At great depths chemicals are still being used to disperse the oil. Management spent a month trying to measure the amount of oil leaking out of the pipeline. Talks of plugging the leaking pipe with golf balls, cement and even using human hair to mop up the oil are reports we repeatedly hear.
More than 80% of all environmental damage is related to utilizing, finding and making energy, with offshore drilling high on the list. You would think that by now, someone making decisions would see that renewable energy sources and sustainable investments would have been a lot less risky.
Big oil companies are going down to greater depths, and drilling from bigger rigs than ever before.
We seem to be concerned when its on our doorstep, close to home. For the people living and working on and around the Gulf of Mexico this is a nightmare right on their doorstep that will not go away for many many years.
With 50% of the US fish supplies coming from the Gulf of Mexico and 9000 plus square kilometers of oil polluted sea, the future is looking bleak for the fishing industry. It is devastating for tourism, corral reefs and the peoples lives in the whole region. Not to mention the impact it will have on the world and the economy.
The costs for cleaning up the oil pollution will make the gains look irrelevant. Where did BP management and the US government go wrong?
Failure of leadership and values
There are 20 more oil rigs drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. How many of these oil rigs will have incidents in the coming years. If the oil companies do not work according to strict safety regulations with high priority for ecological management, then they should simply not be drilling at these depths or under such circumstances in such a sensitive ecosystem. The Deepwater Horizon disaster is a result of what happens when responsibility for the environment is not high on the priority list.
Oil is one of the most important resources on our planet, and at the moment the world needs oil.
I heard during the week that we are taking twice as much oil as we actually need. If you give out twice as much money as you own, it would not be very long before you deplete your assets.
Oil companies create their own standards, as do most businesses. But when the business affects people or the environment, the companies should be closely monitored so that laws and regulations are followed.
Where does responsibility lie when things go drastically wrong? Regulations need to be changed to protect the people and their livelihood as well as the environment. We should not have to be hearing the BP chairman say ''we where not prepared for something like this''
This is not the first time such a disaster has occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. Forty years ago an oil spill devastated the shores of Santa Barbara. If the US government are contemplating approval for more drill sites, where is the leadership failing.
The US government agency gave BP a one page approval to drill from the Deepwater Horizon. After the 20 April disaster Arnold Schwarzenegger changed his mind about the safety of oil platforms, and president Barack Obama was forced to appoint an independent commission to investigate BP's responsibility, with a 30 day stop on all permits for drilling in the Gulf.
A whole different style of leadership is now necessary to be able to drill for oil in a responsible manner. Investors need to take environmental, social and governance issues into consideration in investment decision making practices.
Renewing the urgency for TBLI
Which lessons can be learned from the 20th April catastrophe. Making a change in vision for BP after such a devastating ecological catastrophe should be a lot easier, now that all eyes are on BP. It might be the right time for a constructive joint operation between the oil industry, governments, shareholders and environmental organizations. There is a real need for upfront sustainable investments with long term social and environmental benefits for everyone.
Shareholders views are probably the biggest obstacle. Shareholders are mainly interested in the bottom line on their P & L. How do you measure the profits of sustainable investments? Getting shareholders to act in a responsible manner and holding them accountable for actions taken by the companies they invest in, will be a challenge.
TBLI GROUP (Triple Bottom Line Investment) is a knowledge broker that specializes in Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) using its global network to link and educate investors for long term environmental gains. TBLI aims to raise awareness in business leaders without loosing focus of finance.
Robert Rubinstein founder and CEO of TBLI said he has always tried to integrate the basic concept of leaving things in a better condition than when he started. Could this be a statement you would like to hear from big oil companies.

TBLI (Triple Bottom Line Investment) is a knowledge broker that specializes in Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) using its global network to link and educate investors for long term environmental gains. TBLI aims to raise awareness in business leaders without loosing focus of finance.

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

What is an Oil Blowout?

By James Witherspoon

Because of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, public interest has recently turned to blowouts. Most people realize that these unwanted and downright dangerous side-effects of oil exploration and production can be incredibly devastating, but many don't realize what causes them or the environmental factors which contribute to them. Below is a brief explanation of how these cataclysmic events occur.
How it Happens
Drilling for oil can be a very difficult process, because the pressures of the fluids coming up the well must be balanced with pressures of fluids being pumped down the well. If these forces are not balanced, a "kick" can develop. Simply put, a kick is an intense amount of hydrostatic pressure that travels up the drill pipe. Mechanical barriers called "Blowout Preventers" or "BOPs" are used to shut down the well and prevent this pressure from making it all the way up to a well; if the kick is allowed to progress upstream, a blowout will occur.
These events can result in powerful explosions and spewing crude oil. If the well is located under water, an oil spill may develop, as it did in the Gulf of Mexico disaster.
Gushers
Before there were expert firefighters and contractors devoted to fighting the fires and other effects of an explosive blowout, gushers would develop from these events. Some of the most famous include:
· The Lucas Gusher, located at the Spindletop field near Beaumont, Texas, is perhaps the single most famous incident. The well blew out in 1901 and gushed about 100,000 barrels a day until it was capped, sparking the Texas boom.
· Masjed Soleiman in Iran in 1908 marked the first large-scale development in the Middle East.
· Daisy Bradford, in 1930, came with the discovery of the East Texas Oil Field, the largest in the continental US.
To learn more about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, please visit the website of the oil spill lawyers of Williams Kherkher.

James Witherspoon