Message To Obama: Disaster In the Gulf

THE DOCTOR IS IN
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LAS VEGAS-Hello America, and how is the world treating you?

The politicians and the Obama administration is still catering to big oil even after the worst environmental disaster in history. For weeks now the lawmakers and the administration have been allowing British Petroleum to call the shots on the supposed clean up in the Gulf of Mexico. As a scientist I disagree with these tactics.

It appears the administration and the politicians that have been gorging at the trough and bowing at the feet of the oil companies in exchange for millions of dollars in contributions are still pandering.

The Interior Department's MMS (Minerals Management Service) has been letting big oil write rules and regulations and the provisions offered for safety on oil rigs. The Wall Street Journal found that the safety record of the U.S. is way off when compared to other nations. That's sad.

The MMS told big oil and drilling firms repeatedly that they had to have a backup system on their (BOP) blowout preventers but the orders were ignored by big oil. The MMS and the administration and law makers allowed big oil to set their rules when it related to safety.

Now the result, the devastation below and on the surface of the sea is enormous. The scope of the damage cannot even be calculated to any certainty. This crude oil spill had permanently infected the world environment. The sea life and even the small organisms that sustain the oceans life source have been harmed beyond comprehension. The food chain from the smallest Amoeba and plankton will cause havoc on seafood all over the world. The large sea creature will eat the smaller ones that are polluted with the oil residue and eventually that will affect people eating the seafood. Need I remind everyone of just one pollutant already in fish? One word, "Mercury."

But what does President Obama and the administration do? They continue to rely on the same people that caused this catastrophic situation, BIG OIL! They continue to ask BP to stop the leak and the Administration is relying on BP to have the answers. What a joke!

What does BP do? They "try" to cover the leak with a large box. That didn't work so they decided to "try" a smaller box called a top hat. That didn't work so they inserted a tube into the leak to recover the oil. They say it is working but it has been estimated that this fix can only recover way less than two percent of the 210,000 plus gallons of oil that is being released into the ocean each and every day. British Petroleum's many attempts to stop this leak is something out of a cartoon movie.

British Petroleum has even considered stuffing golf balls into the leak opening. They also seriously considered stuffing garbage and cut up old tires into the leak. This is business? This is how a company worth billions and billions of dollars approach a serious problem? British Petroleum had their chance. Get them out of the way and let someone else do the job.

I would say that even before these oil companies were allowed to drill deep beneath the ocean the administration should have had the oil companies present a definitive plan showing how they would respond to a deep ocean leak. However, the lawmakers turned a blind eye and accepted BP's word and money as gospel.

If I were in charge this is what I would do: (a) I would immediately put a hold on any deep water drilling anywhere off United States shores. (b) I would tell BP to stand down and get out of the way and let them know that their comic book and cartoon solutions to the problem is not appreciated. (c) I would advise BP that the government would step in, clean up "their" mess and send them a bill when the task is completed. (d) I would go outside the oil industry and hire "independent" scientists and business and industry. I submit that there is more than enough individuals and business in the private sector to quickly clean up British Petroleum's fiasco.

There are excellent scientists and organizations that have been dealing with deep water situations for decades. There are a number of private organizations that have taken exploration and research vehicles to the same ocean depths where this oil leak is occurring. There have been a number of deep diving spheres, diving bells and oceanographic submarines in operation for years and some have submerged themselves to explore the ocean floor for such things as large passenger ships, sunken treasure ships, mapping the ocean floor, etc.

There are oceanographic institutes operating around the world that has the expertise and is more than capable of resolving this problem in a prompt, efficient manner. Sure, it will cost money but hire this technology and expertise and send the bill to British Petroleum.

When all else fails we have our military. We have the technology and ability to attack this problem. Our Navy has various classes of submarines up to and including nuclear capability.

Another suggestion: There have been a number of oil rig explosions over the decades around the world and the solution consistently been to use an explosive device to cap and seal the well.

One of the suggestions I would offer is that an explosive charge being inserted into this underwater oil rig would and could possibly seal the well, stopping the leak. We have explosive warheads and explosive devices that can be interjected into this oil rig by the mentioned scientific submersibles and/ or Navy ships. The United States and other nations have the scientific capability of using robotic devices with arms to safely handle and deliver a package of explosives into the oil rig well.

Remember we in the United States have put robots and devices on the moon to rove about and to gather and collect scientific information. Our space program has used robotic devices to operate both in and outside of the space shuttles and space station. The devices have completed their tasks with reliability and accuracy.

I predict that if the administration would call up the independent scientists, institutes and business industry who actually have the experience of working deep under the ocean and with the backup of the Navy and NASA's space program the problem would be solved in a very short time.

For those that doubt my views and opinions in this matter I would say to them that operating in the deep depths of the ocean is not much different than operating in the deep depths of space.Procedures that were used in space can be adapted to work miles below the oceans surface.

Side Note: A few days ago on a television show, on one of the major channels, the host interviewed a person that had worked for over 30 years in the oil industry. That person also gave his opinion on how BP conducted business and how oil spills of such magnitude could possibly be cleaned up. He said that the current British Petroleum solution is years out of date. The skimmers being used to corral the oil is outdated by decades. The man showed the difference between how Canada handles oil clean up vs. the United States. He displayed one of his gloved hands holding large globules of oil and then he held out his other hand (bare, no glove) and showed oil that was in a powdered form. He held both hands up to the camera and asked the program host, something like: "Which method would you prefer?"

My question-if Canada can have a smooth, clean way to handle oil spills, why not the USA? Does big oil have such a stranglehold on our lawmakers who are collecting millions in contribution dollars that they refuse to act in the best interests of the country. Money talks, everything else walks.


My message to President Obama and the administration: Stop relying on British Petroleum and the big oil industry. Big oils sole interest is only the bottom line, Money! The sooner this administration looks to "independent" scientists and industry with backup from the Navy and NASA, this horrendous situation will come to a prompt conclusion.- And, that's my opinion. People, draw your own conclusions. You decide.

Bradley W. Kuhns, Ph.D., O.M.D.
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Dr. Kuhns can be reached by e-mail at:
bradleykuhns@gmail.com