A couple of days ago, I saw some footage of a group of scientists releasing Kemp's Ridley sea turtles into the waters near Cedar Key, FL.
There were plenty of cheers to go around, and the often cynical news reporters, in full plastic perma-smiles, carried on about how things are finally getting back to normal.
I don't know who's orchestrating this illusion, but they're doing a bang-up job!
First we hear that all this oil magically disappeared thanks to a bunch of hungry microbes. Then we get some photo ops of the President taking a dip in the Gulf, followed up by happy scientists and happy turtles sharing a moment in the Florida Keys.
I'm just waiting for someone in Washington to order a few “Mission Accomplished” signs to display across a fleet of shrimp boats in Louisiana.
Sorry folks, you can smear as much Vaseline on that camera lens as you want. But there's a lot of stuff that still doesn't add up. Especially the claim by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that the “vast majority” of the oil spill is completely gone, and the remaining 25 percent consists of residual oil that's buried in sediments and sand.
I'm not buying it. And neither are a handful of scientists who have been on the front lines of this clean up effort.
No Big Surprises
A group of researchers at the University of George recently reported that about 75 percent of the oil from the blown-out Macondo well is still lurking below the surface. One of the lead researchers, Charles Hopkinson said. . .
“The idea that 75 percent of the oil is gone and is of no further concern to the environment is just absolutely incorrect.”
Another group of researchers from the University of South Florida has noted that their findings show that oil from the BP spill has settled on the sea floor further east than previously suspected, and at levels which are toxic to marine life.
And University of Georgia marine sciences professor Samantha Joye responded to the NOAA's report by saying that she has not seen any data that leads her to conclude that 50 percent of the oil is gone.
There's also an interesting article here where writer Kate Sheppard asks: Where's the Math on Government Oil Spill Report? Apparently there's a lack of actual calculations to back up the numbers the NOAA came up with.
Big surprise there!
And of course, there was the news yesterday that researchers have mapped a 22-mile long underwater plume of oil drifting through the Gulf at a depth of about 900 meters.
I suspect we'll continue to hear reports that challenge the NOAA's analysis for years to come.
In the meantime, here's what you can find today in Prince William Sound, where more than 20 years ago, 11 million gallons of oil (nowhere near the roughly 200 million gallons spilled into the Gulf) spilled out into the water:
Yeah, everything will be just fine. After all, 75% of all that oil in the Gulf is gone, right?
Right?!!
Jeff
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