[Taxacom] Biodiversity and oil drilling on U.S. coasts

[Kenneth Kinman]

On May 19th, I wrote:
       Estimates that the oil spill may be as high as 80,000 barrels a
day seem excessive, while 5,000 barrels a day seems to be wishful
thinking.  Perhaps about 15,000 to 25,000 barrels a day is more
realistic, which means the spill has already well exceed that of the
Exxon-Valdez, and with no realistic expectation that there is any end in
sight.  Siphoning off 3.000 barrels a day (their only significant
success in stemming the flow so far) probably means over 10,000 barrels
a day still escaping.
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Dear All,
       It seems that new estimates of the oil that has been spilling was
more like 12,000 to 19,000 barrels per day, which I obviously find much
more believable.  But I wouldn't be surprised if the estimate ultimately
creeps a bit higher in the final (future) analysis.  
       In any case, EVEN IF they are successful in plugging up this well
in the next few days, the damage has already been done, both on
organisms that live in and along that area of the Gulf, but humans who
depend on harvesting some of those organisms that live along that coast
(not to mention the biodiversity further offshore).  Ultimately it seems
to be just another case of unregulated corporate greed that reminds one
of the Wall Street debacle of 2008, except in this case it is an oil
company and their associates (now pointing fingers at one another).
The larger a corporation gets, the less likely it seems that they pay
much attention to the greater good.  TOO BIG TO FAIL is just a tip of
the iceberg.  Too big to give a damn about people outside of their
company (and often even workers within their own companies) is even more
problematic. 
           -------Ken Kinman