U.S. Gulf Coast: Oil Spill
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Since the deadly explosion on 20 April 2010, and subsequent sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 22 April 2010, we’ve been monitoring and contributing to coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The story quickly took on international dimensions, BP (formerly British Petroleum), initially labeled the primary party responsible clean up costs and damages, operated the exploratory Deepwater Horizon on lease from Transocean, a Swiss-based company. While the accident remains under investigation, the finger pointing and attempts to fix blame and legal liability immediately began between BP, Transocean, and other companies.
Relying on expert colleagues — ranging from marine biologists to senior engineers with experience, access, and insight into the offshore drilling disaster and the fight to contain the leak at sea — LernerMedia creates, contributes to, and coordinates science-related coverage for a number of media outlets.
News and photos of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico dominated news racks and media broadcasts in Cannes, France, and across Europe. ©2010 LernerMedia
From what we can discern from Europe, the initial coverage in the United States quickly became a political football related to offshore drilling. While that is inevitable, it was hard to find fact-based reporting that did not inevitably spin into political posturing (the spin masters for both pro-drilling and anti-drilling interests were obviously hard at work). In Europe , we hope that in some very small way that our modest efforts have helped better focus initial attention on determining the exact details of the engineering disaster (facts important to creating an effective response) and the globally catastrophic environmental impacts of the spill. The impact of this spill will range far beyond damage to fragile wetlands ecosystems and already beleaguered communities along the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida Gulf Coasts.
Because of the magnitude of the spill (and an unanticipated, exiting, new book project set to start this week) some ongoing projects and developmental production work is being reassigned to trusted colleagues. This will free us over the next few months to focus on continuing to provide fact-based science content and analysis (and, of course, Brenda provides health impact analysis). We have also been asked to shift gears in order to evaluate and/or collaborate on a number production and documentary projects. As always, colleagues can keep up with news and opportunities to contribute to projects at our secure forum site.
At this point, our focus remains on helping our publishing and production clients understand and critically evaluate the vast amounts of scientific data produced by DOI, EPA, NOAA, NASA, BP, and what will soon be a bewildering array of federal, state, and NGO sources. In addition to producing fact-based content. We are also asked to make recommendations about contracting and coordinating coverage of the spill at the local level. We have, quite literally, already received and evaluated hundreds of links to scientist blogs, environmental reporter sites, and citizen journalist’s coverage of the spill. Within days of the rig explosions, an army of talented people were on scene producing blog posts, YouTube videos, Twitter feeds, etc. The usual ephemera exists, but some of these resources offer unique and insightful information that many major media outlets don’t have the time, resources, or inclination to report.
We recommend that colleagues evaluate and balance information obtained from a variety of media sources.
As always, part of our job is to help our professional clients identify genuine signal within the noise. One of our highest priorities remains the accurate translation of sometimes complex science and engineering concepts into content that enhances understanding and critical evaluation of the news by students and lay audiences.
We plan to wrap up work (which yesterday moved into Italy) on the continent as soon as possible and after a set of meetings in London, we hope to be back at the Gulf Coast by mid-month. Alas, it increasingly appears that the most optimistic projections (e.g., lowest-end estimates of the rate of leakage, time projections for engineering alternatives, etc.) combined with most dedicated efforts to mitigate damage will fail to prevent a large scale environmental catastrophe.
If is also inevitable that people, equipment, and plans will fail. One of the first things we checked following the explosion was for the catastrophic spill contingency plans on file with the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the DOI. we expected it to be a game plan by which we could evaluate both government and industry response. We made our initial inquiries on 22 April 2010 but have yet to find documentation of such a contingency plan. If indeed the MMS ruled that, in part, because of the distance from shore no contingency plan was necessary, that would be unconscionable from a scientific and engineering standpoint.
Regardless of how marvelously the engineers perform (and given the challenging environment ANY engineering fix would be a technological marvel) the spill is already significant. Even under the best scenarios where oil stays largly out to sea or is dispersed, there will be both environmental and economic costs. One storm can change things in a matter of hours. As I advised one of our publishing clients on 27 April, “I am very skeptical of the (early) minimal impact assessments. They are self-serving to too many interests as there has been no time to make scientific estimation. I know these ocean models very well. They fix a number if variables to come up with snap models… Besides. I remember Nixon.”
Regardless the outcome, this disaster should result in robust inquiry and debate about the real costs and perils of drilling, and hopefully increase our determination toward development of alternative and clean energy resources. But we also live in an oil dependent world, and that will not change soon. The engineering complexities related to deep water drilling are rivaled only by space exploration. The technological feats are magnificent, the failures deadly and foreboding to contemplate.
As we are under contract to several media outlets, we will not be posting editorial workproduct or related analysis about the spill in this journal. I anticipate, however, that we will eventually offer some personal observation, insights, and opinions.
We currently plan to use our Bellessima B. to provide offshore photos, footage, and as a platform for documentary exploration of both offshore and and onshore impacts of the spill. Bella will allow us to range the Gulf Coast from Texas to the Florida Panhandle. However, although we are experienced blue water sailors, we know not to underestimate the dangers presented by tranquil bays and inland waterways moved to quickly violent by churning winds. In addition to sailing in the Gulf, Mobile Bay, Pensacola Bay, and the Mississippi Sound present unique challenges (including navigational challenges related to changes brought about by Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, Gustav and other recent severe storms. Very few people have real experience with the special hazards presented by operations in fouled water (e.g. clogged intakes that can impair generators needed for shipboard operations and for media and communications equipment. Accordingly, we are seeking and appealing for expert advice regarding “blackwater” operations.
Suddenly, being “stranded” by the Iceland volcano while on a working in Europe is less amusing. Along with Texas, the U.S. Gulf Coast is our home. We raised our children there, the last learning to walk in the sugar white sands of Santa Rosa Island and the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Our daughters have already signed up to help with wildlife rescue and other clean-up efforts as needed.
Another great product from Cincopa We have many friends along the U.S. Gulf Coast, not all of them human (and no, we are not talking about our photographer and cinematographer colleagues). In addition to the human tragedy of lost lives and livelihoods, we fear for the dolphins, birds, and other wildlife who routinely surround and follow the Bellissema B. Although our hands are absent for a few weeks, our thoughts are with them all.
Cheers,
Lee & Brenda
Genoa, Italy.
