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11 Reasons the BP Gulf Oil Spill Disaster Should Scare the Sh*t Out of Everyone

Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit on fire 2010
Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling unit on fire 2010

Update: The following post is full of data and topics that I found when researching worst-case scenarios from the BP Oil Spill in the Summer of 2010. I wrote the post itself on June 14, 2010, and I’m pretty sure everything I found and listed below is unfounded and untrue. I should probably take it down. But I’ve decided to leave it up, as it gives us a glimpse into the hysteria that develops around disasters. Happy reading!

I’ve been doing some research on the interwebs, and here is the stuff that is really scaring me. A lot of the information I found is alarming. To be clear: I do not know if any of this information is true. Please give this a read. Please feel free to comment with other resources. Let me know if the information in this post is on target. Hopefully, this entire blog post is completely false.

This is why our entire planet should be concerned about the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico:

1. That’s really deep, dude.
BP was drilling in an area where it is about a mile from the platform to the ocean floor. That means they had to go down 5,000+ ft just to get to the ocean floor. Humans can’t even go down to that depth because of the near-freezing temperature and the pressure.

2. The Russians did it on land. Maybe we should try it in the water.
Once they reached the ocean floor, BP was trying to drill a superdeep well – maybe as deep as the Russian’s Kola SG-3 borehole which reached 40,000ft deep back in 1989. Basically, BP was drilling somewhere in the range of 25,000-30,000ft below the ocean floor. Apparently that is REALLY deep. And from what I can find, drilling to those depths has never been attempted in the Gulf of Mexico.

3. Who needs an anchor anyways?
To make things even more unsafe, the BP Deepwater Horizon platform was a floating platform that was kept in location by a sophisticated GPS system. That means the the BP platform was not even anchored to the ocean floor, and that is not a very stable/safe way to drill for oil in deep waters.

4. Under Pressure
Typical oil pressures (pounds per square inch aka psi) are in the area of 1,000 psi. BP had reached such a depth that they were seeing anywhere from 20,000-70,000 psi from this oil well. Some geologists predict that the psi at such depths would actually be in the range of 80,000-100,000 psi.

5. Epic Fail-Safe Fail
Due to the massive pressures, every one of the fail-safe measures and valves on the BP platform failed. And there is even a rumor that BP was warned beforehand about a warped fail-safe valve by one of their own employees. Regardless, they are fairly certain that nothing could have stopped that oil because the pressures were too high. We simply don’t have anything that can stop that type of pressure.

6. Oil, Volcanoes, and New Theories
Why would BP want to drill so deep? Well, there is a theory that petroleum oil does not come from dinosaur fossils. To the people who subscribe to this theory, they believe oil is actually “abiotic,” which means that it is continually being formed deep within the earth’s crust by some sort of chemical process. (This same theory appears to be a pillar to other theories that say the energy/oil shortage is entirely false. If oil is continually being formed from some chemical reaction involving magma, then all that stuff we hear about oil peaks is completely fabricated. But that is another story altogether, and like most of this post, it could be completely false. BTW, some people think that if they drilled into an area where magma is creating petroleum oil, they could have possibly drilled into a volcano. Oh good.)

7.  Don’t Hold Your Breath
Oil isn’t the only thing coming out of that well. It turns out that other stuff comes out with the oil. Specifically, we are talking about Hydrogen Sulfide, Benzene and Methylene Chloride. (link)

  • The concentration threshold for people to experience physical symptoms from hydrogen sulfide is about 5 to 10 parts per billion. But as recently as last Thursday, the EPA measured levels at 1,000 ppb. The highest levels of airborne hydrogen sulfide measured so far were on May 3, at 1,192 ppb.
  • Testing data also shows levels of volatile organic chemicals that far exceed Louisiana’s own ambient air standards. VOCs cause acute physical health symptoms including eye, skin and respiratory irritation as well as headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion.
  • Louisiana’s ambient air standard for the VOC benzene, for example, is 3.76 ppb, while its standard for methylene chloride is 61.25 ppb. Long-term exposure to airborne benzene has been linked to cancer, while the EPA considers methylene chloride a probable carcinogen.
  • The one we should really worry about is benzene. Acceptable levels of Benzene are 0-4 ppb, but some people are reporting Benzene levels near the Gulf of Mexico in the range of 3,000-4,000 ppb.

8. What “they” are not telling us
According to some people, the levels of those 3 chemicals in particular will cause a massive increase in sicknesses, cancers and deaths for people in the southeastern United States. Of course, the EPA is not reporting on the levels of these chemicals in the air right now. Why would they? It would probably create a panic.

9. Nuclear Bombs Fix Everything
If BP did get to those superdeep depths of 30,000+ ft… Because the pressure is so high down there, humans don’t really have anything that can seal that well. There is talk of using a nuclear device to “fix” the problem, but many people claim that would only make everything worse, as it is a last-ditch effort that is not a certain fix. (That kinda reminds me of the movie Independence Day when the government decides to use a nuclear weapon on the ship over Houston. It didn’t work, and it blew up the entire city.)

10. Years and Years and Years
The publicized estimates (in the media) of how much oil is leaking every day are dramatically conservative. Again, many think this is to avoid a panic. The actual amounts could be in the vicinity of 4 million gallons per day. This superdeep oil well could possess over 1 trillion gallons. If we can’t stop the leak – this oil well could be spewing oil for years and years and years. In that worst case scenario:

  • The oil would eventually kill the entire Gulf of Mexico. And then it would continue spreading to other oceans.
  • The oil would reach Europe in a few years.
  • That amount of oil floating on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean would cause all sorts of massive problems. For example: If lightning struck the ocean’s surface, it could spark an oil fire. That fire would eat up a lot of the oxygen in our atmosphere. Obviously, that scenario is problematic for several reasons.

11. Fissures don’t sound good at all
What else? There are things called “sea floor fissures” (i.e. fountains), where oil often seeps up through the ocean floor into the world’s oceans. According to some news articles, this happens naturally from time to time, and minor amounts of oil can be seen seeping on the ocean floor in certain places around the world. However, right now in the Gulf, they are starting to see fissures that are leaking alarming amounts of oil up to 5 miles away from the BP well (link). This is very problematic, and it could point to something even more devastating than the blownout BP well. If the casing was damaged below the sea floor, “basically, you‘ve got uncontrolled [oil] flow to the sea floor. And that is the doomsday scenario.” (link)

Did I miss anything? Let me know.

PS. The information I listed in this post comes from a variety of websites. A lot of this information fits into a doomsday scenario. And then some of it is textbook conspiracy theory. Regardless, there is something really bad going on down in the Gulf of Mexico. It could be something that we really have no way to stop. I hope and pray that we find a way to get ourselves out of this mess. It’s bigger than BP. It’s bigger than us. If even a few points in this post are true, we are going to need a miracle.

PS2. Here are some other articles and sites that have information about drilling:

UPDATE:

UPDATE FROM LATE 2010:

  • Well, it turns out that this entire post was full of sh*t. Apparently, the oil simply disappeared, probably to the bottom of the ocean floor. That is better than a buzzillion gallons floating over to Europe. But I guess the final question can only be: Have the drillers changed anything to ensure this doesn’t happen again? I hope so.
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Swine Flu Conspiracy: H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine & Neurological Disorders

Personally, I’m not a big believer in conspiracy theories, but I do enjoy reporting on various conspiracy theories. However, I do believe the old adage: “Where there is smoke, there is  fire.” I tend to raise my eyebrows and perk up my ears when I see or hear interesting stories about conspiracies. This week, I’m hearing all about the H1N1 swine flu and the swine flu vaccine shot. I posted about the WHO declaring a pandemic back in June, and I’ve been keeping up with the headlines throughout the summer. I would like to think that I am (more or less) up-to-speed on the whole H1N1 swine flu issue. But there is still one stone left unturned: the swine flu conspiracy, specifically the swine flu vaccine conspiracy. Take a look at this video:

To recap the video:

  • Back in 1976, there was a swine flu scare. Several doctors knew that there were neurological disorders and complications associated with the H1N1 vaccine, but that information was not made available to the public.
  • A healthy, active woman named Judy took the swine flu shot in Nov. 1976, and within a week she was a quadrapalegic. Her paralysis lasted 6 months, and she was confined to a wheelchair for over a year. She had developed Guillain-Barré syndrome. According the Wikipedia Page for Guillain-Barré syndrome:

    There were reports of GBS affecting some people who had received swine flu immunizations in the 1976 U.S. outbreak of swine flu. Overall, there were about 500 cases of GBS—25 of which resulted in death from severe pulmonary complications— which, according to Dr. P. Haber, were probably caused by an immunopathological reaction to the 1976 swine flu vaccine. Other influenza vaccines have not been linked to GBS, though caution is advised for certain individuals, particularly those with a history of GBS.

  • After the 1976 swine flu scare and vaccination program, over 300 claims came in from families of victims who died from GBS related to the swine flu vaccine.
  • Concerns include possibly using chemical additives, or adjuvants, to boost the effectiveness of the vaccine. Adjuvants have never been used in flu vaccines in the United States, but they have safely been used in other vaccines, such as Tetanus.
  • There are also concerns that some forms of the H1N1 vaccines will contain Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative. While Thimerosal has never been associated in any scientific way with any adverse affects to young people or to the fetus, a US Congressional Committee report stated that “Thimerosal…is directly related to the Autism epidemic.” The committee blamed it on “…misplaced protectionism of the pharmaceutical industry.”
  • There is a fear of the Mercury contained in vaccines. A study of vaccinated primates showed increased neurological disorders and nonsocial behaviors similar to autism. There is data that suggests more vaccinations = more autism. And there is circumstantial evidence: In an Amish community that shuns vaccinations, there are only 4 cases of autism in a community of 22,000 people.
  • A bill recently passed in the Massachusetts Senate says that if there is a swine flu pandemic and you don’t get the swine flu vaccine, you could be ordered into quarantine. If you refuse the quarantine, you could face a fine of $1,000 per day that you resist. Many citizens are concerned that the bill’s provision will abuse their Constitutional Rights.

So there. Now you know. But that is not the end of the story. Do some research on your own. Make your own choices regarding the vaccine. But before you decide, check out this 1976 PSA:

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Airbus Conspiracy? Yemenia Airbus A310 Crashes Into Indian Ocean

Yemenia Airbus A310 Plane Crash Route Map Picture
Yemenia Airbus A310 Plane Crash Route Map Picture

June 2009 is turning out to be a terrible month for the Airbus line of planes. Just 30 days after an AirFrance Airbus A330-200 went down in the Atlantic Ocean, a Yemenia Airbus 310 went down in the Indian Ocean. Apparently, there were about 150 passengers on the flight, which went down while trying to land in bad weather at the island nation of Comoros. I’m sure conspiracy theories will be running rampant, as this is the second Airbus plane crash in less than a month.

Here are some breaking news stories for the Yemenia Airbus A310 crash:

  • Breaking news – Yemenia Airbus A310 crashes with 154 passengers on board (Gadling)
  • Boy, 5, rescued after jet crashes in Indian Ocean (MSNBC)
  • Plane with 153 crashes off Comoros, child rescued (Yahoo News)
  • ‘Yemenia Air plane crash: 150 missing as Paris to Comoros islands flight crashes in Indian Ocean (Telegraph)
  • Five-year-old rescued after Yemeni plane crashes in Indian Ocean (Guardian)

Will there be any conspiracy theories about this Yemenia Airbus A310 plane crash? If so, I’ll be covering them.

Update (7/2/2009):

  • Yemeni Airbus jet crash: black box found, teenage girl rescued (Sydney Morning Herald)
  • Airbus could be asked to ground all long-range airliners (TimesOnline)
  • Ashton Kutcher cautions 2 million people about flying Airbus (SeattlePI)
  • YouTube – Teen Survivor of Crash Bruised, Conscious (link):

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Michael Jackson Death Conspiracy Theory

Here we are not even 24 after Michael Jackson’s tragic death, and the Michael Jackson death conspiracy theories are spiraling out of control. In fact, I don’t think we have ever seen a celebrity death as big as MJ’s. With the amount of social media services out there, the commentary, news and conspiracy theories are spreading like wildfire. There is a post over at Mashable, claiming that 22% of all tweets contain the term ‘Michael Jackson’, and nearly 30% of all tweets are about Michael Jackson. I posted several links in yesterday’s Michael Jackson Death Conspiracy post, but here are several more links related to Michael Jackson Death Conspiracy Theories:

Update (6-26-2009):

  • ‘Jackson’s not dead, he’s living in a bunker with Elvis Presley’: Conspiracy theories flood the internet (dailymail.co.uk)
  • Michael Jackson’s Conspiracy Theory (cinemablend.com)

Update (6-29-2009):

  • ‘I’m better off dead. I’m done’: Michael Jackson’s fateful prediction just a week before his death (dailymail.co.uk)
  • No food just pills in his stomach, bald, bruised, his ribs broken by CPR, 4 needle wounds near his heart (thesun.co.uk)
  • Was Michael Jackson Chemically Manipulated for Profit? (naturalnews.com)
  • Russia’s FSB Reports Pop Icon Michael Jackson Assassinated By CIA (fourwinds10.com)
  • Jackson death: Second autopsy amid conspiracy rumours (hindu.com)
  • The morphing face of Michael Jackson (video.google.com)
  • Jackson Conspiracy Theories Swarm Web (news.sky.com)

Update (6-30-2009): Someone posted a picture, claiming Michael Jackson is alive.

The site has published a grainy photo it says is Jacko, above, and claims the man who died on Thursday was a Jacko double with a terminal illness whose family will be looked after in return.

A message reads: “Over the past few days there have been many Michael sightings. People have e-mailed with pictures and amazing stories.

“Michael is alive and well and happier than ever. The plot was 10 years in the making but it had to be done.

“We know he is alive because we have seen pictures. Clear pictures taken June 26, 2009 of Michael Jackson lounging poolside with friends.

  • Eerie pictures show Michael Jackson rehearsing on stage for London comeback gigs just 48 hours before he died (dailymail.co.uk)
  • AP Exclusive: Jackson wrapped video before death (reuters.com)
  • Michael Jackson claimed net worth of $236 million as of March 31, 2007, documents show (breitbart.com)

Update (7-2-2009):

  • Federal Drug Agents Asked to Join Michael Jackson Death Probe (abcnews.go.com)
  • Michael Jackson Funeral Set for July 7 at Staples Center (showbiz411.com)
  • Geller to Jacko: You will die (thesun.co.uk)
  • ‘Endless’ supply of music in Jackson’s vaults (apnews.myway.com)
  • Second Michael Jackson autopsy stuns family (thesun.co.uk)
  • Lawyer for doctor: Jackson had pulse when found (news.yahoo.com)
  • Neverland Ranch Public Viewing CANCELLED (rantrave.com)
  • Jackson’s Death Provokes Memories of Elvis Conspiracy (wired.com)

Update (7-6-2009):

  • Michael Jackson to be buried without his brain (mirror.co.uk)
  • Tickets to Jackson memorial being sold for thousands (breitbart.com)

Update (7-13-2009):

  • LaToya Jackson Claims Michael Jackson Was Murdered (mtv.com)

Michael Jackson sightings in Mexico? He’s alive and lounging poolside with friends? A plot 10 years in the making? This story is fascinating

More as I find it…

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Michael Jackson’s Death: Conspiracy or Cardiac Arrest?

Okay. You know me. I’ll cover a conspiracy theory. Whenever someone as famous as Michael Jackson dies, you can bet your most prized possession that there will be a Michael Jackson Conspiracy Theory. And I’ll be here to find and post as many as I can!

Michael Jackson died today at the age of 50. He had been living just off the Sunset Strip for the past several months in a $100,000 per month rental house. For weeks he has been rehearsing for his 50-show comeback tour in London’s O2 arena. There was a lot of money tied up in those shows. I’ve seen a few people say that Michael’s death is somehow related to money, but I bet that the sponsor (AEG Live) of his 50-show comeback tour will argue that theory because there is a massive financial headache and potential fallout from Michael’s untimely death.

Here is a link to a last picture of Michael Jackson: ET Online

Now, here are some of the ‘Michael Jackson died from’ theories and conspiracy theories circulating around the world right now:

  • Did painkiller addiction and pressure of making a comeback kill Michael Jackson? (dailymail.co.uk)
  • Collapsed after an injection of Demerol (thesun.co.uk)
  • Michael Jackson is dead…Now how long until it becomes a conspiracy? (abovetopsecret.com)
  • Michael Jackson’s death brings conspiracy theory back into spotlight (jacksonnjonline.com)
  • Michael Jackson faked his own death (colbertnation.com)
  • MJ killed by new experimental bio weapon (topix.com)
  • Was Michael Jackson murdered? (selectsmart.com)
  • Tito did it? (wikipedia.org) [some jerk always has to make stupid edits to Wiki after tragedies]
  • Faked his death to pay off debt and make money (denverpost.com)
  • They come in 3’s: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson (penny-arcade.com)

I, for one, believe Michael Jackson has died. I believe he is dead. TMZ, who broke the news of Michael Jackson’s death earlier today, is reporting that MJ’s autopsy has been expidited. It will take place tomorrow. Hopefully we will all find out the exact cause of his death, so everyone out there can have some closure. However, I’m sure that no matter what the coroner says, conspiracy theories will abound. People will claim that Michael Jackson killed himself, was murdered, faked his death, etc… That’s just the nature of humans these days. When anything happens, we have to create a conspiracy theory. But who knows? Maybe they are right – because it’s also true that nothing is what it seems these days.

Regardless, this was definitely a tragedy. No question about it. Our thoughts and prayers are with Michael’s family and friends. May the King of Pop rest in peace.

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Air France Flight 447 Theories: Weather-Related or Conspiracy?

Yesterday, I posted a few of the theories of the crash of Air France Flight AF 447. While everything seems to be pointing to a weather factors, the truth is that we still don’t know. We may never know. Here are some interesting news articles with more on Flight 447:

While AF 447 conspiracy theories abound, it is much more reasonable that violent turbulence and lightning caused multiple system failures on Air France Flight 447. I mean, seriously. It had to be weather related factors that caused the crash. The nypost.com article describing the final 14 minutes gives me the chills. Those people must have been terrified. Good bless them and their families.

One more thing: Why doesn’t the American military send out a nuclear sub to help find the black box. Nuclear subs are equipped with the most sensitive, sophisticated detection systems. It’s like radar on a fighter plane, but in acoustic form. They use these detection systems to locate/track the sound signatures of other submarines. Why can’t they use these systems to find a black box? In all likelihood, the black box from Flight 447 has been crushed and destroyed by water pressure. I read somewhere that water pressure in depths of 15,000-20,000 feet is close to 16,000 lbs per square inch. That would crush pretty much anything. But I’m going to keep a positive outlook. I really hope they find the black box.

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Update: Air France Flight 447 Theories

Much has happened in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, news came out that the Brazilian Air Force had located debris that was likely from Air France Flight AF 447. The military planes spotted an airplane seat, a fuel slick and a pieces of white debris scattered over a 3 mile range in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. The debris was first spotted early Tuesday morning, and it was 35 miles apart. Defense Minister Nelson Jobim confirmed that the debris was that of Flight 447.

Efforts are being made to quickly locate and recover the flight’s black box, which will have further data regarding the plane’s final moments. The black box will continue to emit signals for days, and it will be an incredible challenge to locate it, as the depth of the Atlantic Ocean can extend down to 22,000+ feet. It’s the perverbial needle in a haystack, but in this scenario, robotic divers are looking for the black box in pitch black water. And there is a ton of ocean surface area to cover. I certainly wish them luck. They will need it.

Now, on to the theories as to why Air France Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. While the exact cause of the crash of AF 447 may never be known, here are a few of the theories I have seen so far:

Lightning Strike in a Severe Storm

Flight 447 was flying in the intertropical convergence zone, an area of the Atlantic Ocean where the northeast trade winds meet the southeast trade winds. The convergence of these two wind patterns is known to cause severe storms and extreme weather. The plane was flying at 35,000 feet, and the storms were topping out at 50,000 feet. There was likely no way to avoid the storm. No way to go over or around it. Apparently, pilots often face severe weather, and they typically have to pick their way through the storm. In a case where electrical malfunctions may have caused systems to go out, it could be that the pilots did not have any reliable data as they made their way through the storm. For example, if the pilots had lost use of their weather radar, finding a safe way through a severe storm could have been extremely difficult and ultimately tragic.

Examining many forums and news site, there are tons of interviews with experienced airline pilots, who claim that lightning was most likely not the primary cause for the crash of Flight 447. It appears that lightning could have played a role, but lightning is likely not the primary culprit in this scenario.

Turbulence: It is possible that Flight AF447 hit severe turbulence in the storm. Updrafts and downdrafts of 100mph were likely present in these storms, and those could prove extremely dangerous in the context of an extreme storm like the one they were flying in. Furthermore, the plane may have encountered several instances of turbulence, and it is even a possibility that some of that turbulence caused minor damage to the interior of the plane.

Other possible weather-related theories are icing, hail and precipitation. If you are interested on more detailed information regarding the weather’s impact on Flight 447, I recommend checking out this site here. Tim’s assessment is excellent.

Other Theories

Okay. Now that the weather-related scenarios are out of the way, new information came out today that the an Argentina-to-Paris Air France flight was delayed on May 27, 2009 due to a bomb threat (here):

The airport safety delayed an Air France flight this evening before departring for Paris immediately after the company received a bomb threat over the phone at the airport of Ezeiza.

The Federal Police, along the Firemen’s direction and the Airport’s Safety proceeded to inspect the plane, that arrived this morning from the French city and, after a brief stop, it was preparing to return.

The routine procedure lasted approximately one hour and a half and, as sources of the airport reported all the passengers are ok and they were not evacuated.

Currently there is no evidence to suggest that Flight AF 447 was the target of a bomb, but it is a strange coincidence that another Air France flight was delayed out of South America due to a bomb threat only a few days before Flight AF 447’s tragic crash.

Conspiracy Theories

Any time a plane crashes, there is a conspiracy theory. I found one conspiracy theory related to Flight 447. As we all know, there were 228 people on board the flight. Early reports say that the passengers represented 32 nationalities. It is thought that one of the passengers was Pedro Luiz de Orleans e Braganca. He was actually Prince Pedro Luiz de Orleans e Braganca, heir to the former Brazilian family that has been out of power since 1889. According to Wikipedia:

He was born 12 January 1983 in Rio de Janeiro and was the son of the Brazilian Prince Antonio and his Belgian wife, née Princess Christine de Ligne. The House of Ligne is one of the oldest and most prominent Wallonian noble families still extant in Belgium. Christine is a niece of former Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Through her, Pedro Luís held a remote place in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg.

As his father’s eldest brothers, Luís and Bertrand, are bachelors, it was expected, after his own father, that Pedro would in due time become the head of the Imperial House of Brazil and heir to the defunct Brazilian crown.

In addition to Brazil’s emperors, he was a descendant of Louis Philippe I, King of the French in the male line, and of King John VI of Portugal. He was also related to John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, renowned Dutch governor of the Brazilian northeast during the colonial period.

Apparently, Prince Pedro Luis was in line to become the Emporer, though it should be reiterated that his family has been out of power since 1889. It is highly unlikely that this conspiracy theory holds any water, but I thought it would be worth noting due to the Brazilian royalty possibly on board the plane.

I’ll be updating this blog with any new information related to Flight 447, so check back daily.