"The Photo NObama and BP Don't Want You to See"

[Stookie]

are you saying we're back to good ole' running?

If you can do it barefoot. The soles of your running shoes are petroleum based.

Most of what we make out of petroleum, though, is only done that way opportunistically, because it is currently the cheaper option. There are other ways of generating plenty of the same organic compounds. Many crops produce oils that are suitable for making synthetic materials out of. Hemp oil is good for making clothing. There is also talk of genetically modifying bacteria to mass produce substances like polyethylene.

We don't have the infrastructure in place to do it now, but when there is a need, I don't forsee there being much difficulty in making the changes.

I wouldn't imagine those synthetics would be as cheap as those made from petroleum, but it is better than nothing

Yeah, I'm sure there are other ways. At a starting point, just finding new means of energy, and slowly working our way off of oil. Even if we can cut back little bits at a time. Maybe if we start now, our grandchildren will reap the benefits. I'm not sure if we will. We need to sacrifice convenient living so they can have it good later. Waiting for something better while we continue the same path ain't workin.

[Stillwater]

Yes, but as you recognize, motivating people to sacrafice in the present in the interest of the future is generally going against human nature.

Pretty much every political election here in the states will focus on the events of the last few months as the deciding factor of who is better suited to be at the reins, and at the greatest degree of retrospective insight, each party will compare its candidate to the last president from that party. The Democrats are longing for the prosperity of the Clinton years, and the Republicans are the party of Reagan!

Motivating the population with threats that the future will be abysmal never seem to be good enough. The bottom line, it seems, is that the effects of an issue need to be both immediate and keenly felt for the majority of the population to use that issue as guide in voting; otherwise elections come down to one party using a social issue that has no actual potential for being significantly legislated on as their platform.

[owl]

This oil spill issue for me is the most gut wrenching, horrible, discusting thing I have ever seen in my 45 years of life. I remember the Exxon Valdez spill and all the pictures of the birds soaked in oil. I still cannot watch anything about that because images of those oil soaked birds stay in my head.

This spill is worse, but yet on the news I have yet to see where they show the birds and animals soaked in oil. WHY? people need to need to see the effects of what this is doing. Instead the news talks about what elected officials should or should not do to because it might jeopardise there election possibility's down the road. Absolutely sickening.

Our in sashable need for oil has brought us to this. We are all part of the problem. I believe there is technology for cheap energy. Tessela and HAARP come to mind. Until the need for control, power,and greed are no longer running the world, we probably won't see any thing to replace oil. Even if there was a remote chance that something like could happen we should never have been drilling for oil a mile deep in the ocean.

This strikes me at the core. I dream about it, and think about it all the time. I live in midwest USA, I have only been to the ocean a few times, but I am sick to my stomach to see this happening to our earth. Lets just keep on killing our mother earth so we can keep driving our metal boxes to work to keep the whole system up and running.   

[WASD]

Wow... Thats a lot of oil...

[CFTraveler]

Here in Florida where I live (and where the oil is going to) they are showing what is happening in the swamps of Louisiana.  Maybe we watch different news?

[Naykid]

I blame the Liberal Media.   

[personalreality]

hippie scum

[Naykid]

Hehehehehehe.. 

[CFTraveler]

I watch the Liberal Media, and they are showing it.

[personalreality]

are they bitching about all the poor little ocean creatures yet?

[Yin]

they have been about the fish, yes

[Xanth]

are they bitching about all the poor little ocean creatures yet?

If they're not, then I will!!

POOR FISSIES...

~Ryan

[personalreality]

lol, i may have a rough exterior, but inside i'm weeping for the little ocean creatures.

[Yin]

poor fishies indeed

[Chris J.]

Don't forget the birds.

[The Present Moment]

My speculation is that the oil industry sucks. Bikes rock! Except you have to oil the chain... and tires are petroleum based... dang it. We're stuck.

This site gives a breakdown of oil usage and its impact on the environment.

[Stillwater]

 
        DRILL BABY DRILL!

[Xanth]

 

[personalreality]

I'll second that.   

[Capt. Picard]

Aw those birds have such unique colour, I love the picture of them taking a nap on the box.

[personalreality]

lol

they look so peaceful when they're sleeping don't they?

[Stillwater]

Yeah.... I guess the last one is sorta cute in a strange way...

But give me some credit!

The poor pelican in the first one is in agony!

[Xanth]

Cute in a disgusting sort of way.  O_o

I mean, would you say the same thing had those been humans?
Probably not...

Please remember before crude jokes are made, that it's important to know that all life deserves our respect.

~Ryan

[personalreality]

I would still make that joke if they were humans.

In fact, I would have been much more cruel if they were humans.

You know I don't like humans.  They don't deserve respect.