Welcome to our coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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How Much Should BP Pay?
BP obviously would love to put the Deepwater Horizon disaster behind it, but the communities of the Gulf do not have that luxury.
Why Do Sea Turtles Need Solar Panels?
Want to help out an octogenarian, deadly-jellyfish-eating sea turtle? Ask the Obama administration to restore the Northeast Ecological Corridor’s status as a nature reserve. And once you’ve done that, look into getting some solar panels.
The State of the Union and the State of American Energy
Besides who is sitting with whom and on which side of the aisle, the three biggest themes of tonight’s State of the Union will likely be jobs, jobs and jobs. And while I’m not expecting the level of focus on clean energy and climate as we’ve seen from President Obama in the past, there will likely be some discussion of energy policy, especially as it pertains to jobs and economic growth.
7 Big Green Moves by the Obama Administration
With approximately two years under Obama’s belt, what has his administration done to help the environment? Here’s a look at 7 big moves.
The Top 10 Stories in Environmental Politics of 2010
Political news in 2010 was dominated by the U.S. midterm elections and the ongoing economic troubles in the U.S. and Europe. But there was no shortage of big stories in environmental politics, including one that most people will remember for the rest of their lives.
Ecopolitology’s 10 Most Popular Posts of 2010
From the BP oil spill to a photo of a bear chasing a bison, 2010 was a banner year at ecopolitology.
Oil Spill Commission: $360-Million Sand Berms Were Not Effective… at Stopping Oil
Remember those $360-million sand berms the federal government ordered BP to build in the Gulf of Mexico to protect coastal Louisiana from the damaging ecological impact of oil from the BP oil spill? It turns out they didn’t really do much, at least not in terms of capturing any significant amount of oil.
Twitter King: Stephen Colbert Celebrates Most Retweeted Tweet of 2010
Stephen Colbert’s June 16 Tweet about the new word for Tweets, thanks to the BP oil spill, has been named the most Retweeted Tweet of 2010
House Global Warming Committee Faces Uncertain Future Under Republicans
House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming to be terminated or led by a climate skeptic.
Furious Growth and Cost Cuts Led To BP Accidents Past and Present
An investigative report by ProPublica uncovers a historical pattern of events leading up to the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig.
Banksy Installs BP Ride at Brighton Pier in UK (Video)
Famed UK street artist and subversive social commentator, Banksy, took aim at BP this summer by installing a coin operated ride depicting a dolphin jumping over a spilled BP barrel of oi lat the Brighton Pier on the south coast of England.
When Good Isn’t Good Enough
When the BP oil disaster was raging this summer, much of the country was engaged in a conversation about how we could prevent something like this from ever happening again. The new drilling regulations announced by the Interior Department last week might make another accident less likely, but they don’t address the fundamental challenge: getting off oil as quickly as possible.
Obama Administration Criticizes Slow Payments by Gulf Spill Claims Czar
The associate U.S. attorney general wrote a strongly worded letter to claims czar Kenneth Feinberg describing the pace of his payments as “unacceptable” and demanding that he improve his operation.
Oil Rig Explosion Fuels Fire of Offshore Drilling Debate
The explosion on a production platform Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico has intensified an already spirited national debate about offshore oil and gas development.
Obama Admin: No More Regulatory Shortcuts for Deepwater Drilling Projects
The Obama administration announced Monday that it is no longer fast-tracking offshore drilling projects in deep water by exempting them from detailed environmental review.
Oil Spill Activists Drop F-Bombs… Lots of Them (Video)
A group called UnF–kTheGulf.com has begun a campaign selling t-shirts to raise money to clean up the Gulf of Mexico — and the campaign is definitely not rated G. [CAUTION: THIS VIDEO USES ADULT LANGUAGE]
After BP Oil Spill, Concern About Environment, Oil Surges in US and Europe; UK, Not so Much
BP’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has led adults in the five largest European countries and the United States to be more concerned than before the spill about many environmental issues and oil dependency, according to a new poll released last week.
Scientists Allege Federal Gov’t Tried to Muffle Plume Findings
Scientists behind some of the plume research have spoken out about what went on behind the scenes with the federal agencies that sponsored their research.
Friday Funnies: BP Is Getting All Cap-Happy
If only BP would put all of this new found cap success to work to stop other toxic gushers…
BP oil spill: Obama administration’s scientists admit alarm over chemicals
Environmental Protection Agency experts expressed concerns to superiors about use of dispersants, says whistleblower group
BP oil spill: safety breaches revealed
Federal hearings are told of alarm systems being switched off, computer crashes and concerns over the blowout preventer
![What Should We Call the Oil Spill? [POLL]](http://ecopolitology.org/files/2010/04/horizon-fire-150x150.jpg)
What Should We Call the Oil Spill? [POLL]
Since calling it the “gushing oil spill and leak caused by the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig owned by Transocean working the Macondo Prospect for BP and Anadarko Petroleum” is kind of a mouthful, what do you think we should call the oil spill?
Crawfisherman Breaks into Song at Oil Spill Hearings
Crawfisherman Drew Landry breaks into song at the first Gulf Oil Spill Commission hearings earlier this week in New Orleans.
Coverage of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf
Welcome to our coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
White House: New Oil Drilling Moratorium Not ‘One Size Fits All’
In a White House press briefing on Tuesday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the new offshore oil and gas drilling moratorium issued by the Obama administration earlier this week would hold up against legal challenges.
Obama Sends Another Bill to BP, Transocean and Others for Oil Spill
The Obama Administration Tuesday sent a bill of $99.6 million to BP and other “responsible parties” including Anadarko Petroleum and Transocean for response and recovery operations relating to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
Crude Awakening: A Photographer’s Take on the Oil Spill, Beaches, Swimming
Photographer Jane Fulton Alt writes: Living on the shores of Lake Michigan, I am acutely aware of the disastrous toll the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has taken on all forms of life, especially as our beaches opened to the 2010 swimming season. This environmental, social and economic catastrophe highlights a much larger [...]
Old BP Ad Highlights Research, Foreshadows Lack Of It
While a diver does play a central role in the ad, unfortunately there are no ROVs or other sub-surface technological advancements in the BP ad.
![Crude Awakening: BP Oil Spill PSA by National Wildlife Federation [VIDEO]](http://ecopolitology.org/files/2010/07/Crude-Awakening-NWF-BP-Oil-Spill-video-150x150.jpg)
Crude Awakening: BP Oil Spill PSA by National Wildlife Federation [VIDEO]
New National Wildlife Federation Video helps us to better imagine the horror of living in oil.
Independence Day: Reflections on an Energy (In)Dependent America
Energy independence is a laudable goal, but it is important to also consider why we need it; what it will look like; and how we will there.
![Obama Gets Advice from Bush on Oil Spill [Cartoon]](http://ecopolitology.org/files/2010/07/bush-cagle-150x150.jpg)
Obama Gets Advice from Bush on Oil Spill [Cartoon]
What would George W. Bush do if the BP oil spill happened on his watch? Cartoonist Daryl Cagle suggests one possible course of action.
Hurricane Alex Forces Suspension of Oil Spill Cleanup
Waves as high as 12 feet in parts of the Gulf of Mexico forced the Coast Guard and BP to suspend virtually all oil spill clean-up and response efforts until it is safer to work in the area.
G20 Declaration Addresses BP Oil Spill, Sort Of
The official declaration of the G-20 summit of major economies, which concluded Sunday in Toronto, directly mentions the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and calls for greater levels of cooperation and sharing of best practices to prevent similar accidents in the future.
PETA Urges States to Charge BP with Animal Cruelty for Oil Spill
As the tally of animals killed by the BP oil spill climbs, environmentalists are asking Gulf Coast states to bring cruelty to animals charges against BP for criminal negligence.
BP Still Spewing… (Cartoon)
This cartoon by David Horsey was too good to pass up. I think millions of people would agree with these two fish. The title of the cartoon is “Creepy BP”. via EcoLocalizer
Obama Says He’ll Find Needed Votes for Climate and Energy Bill (Video)
Speaking directly to Organizing for America supporters, President Obama reiterated his position that as the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico rages on, there is no time like the present to pass climate and energy legislation that will begin to move the U.S. off of fossil fuels and help build a clean [...]
Republicans Flip-Flopping on Government’s Role?
Some Republicans seem to have completely changed their opinion on how much federal government should be involved in private industry matters, but is it just for the purpose of criticizing Obama?
BP Learned of Faulty Blowout Preventer Weeks Before Explosion
Could the BP oil spill have been avoided if BP wasn’t in such a hurry to put the well into production? One Deepwater Horizon worker thinks so.
Did Sarah Palin Top Rush Limbaugh’s Idiotic BP Oil Spill Remarks?
Is Sarah Palin a Zen teacher or is she inadvertently competing with Limbaugh for most ridiculous BP oil spill statement?
BP Won’t Budge on Oil Flow Rate Estimates, Feds Dig in to Find Answer
Official estimates of the size of the oil still leaking remains at 5,000 barrels per day, a figure that has become highly contested over the last few weeks
BP Reports Decline in Amount of Oil Being Siphoned from Broken Riser
The riser insertion tube that had reportedly been siphoning up to 5,000 barrels per day from the broken riser at the site of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and bringing it to surface vessels is reportedly producing declining amounts of oil over the last several days. A BP spokesman said on Sunday [...]
Feds Defend Unprecedented Use of Subsea Dispersants
Ecopolitology asks Rear Admiral Mary Landry, Federal On-Scene Coordinator for Unified Area Command, Deepwater Horizon Response about the unprecedented use of subsea dispersants and what the ongoing testing and monitoring protocol looks like.
Raw Video: Oil Spill Flaring Operations
Flaring operations aboard the drillship Enterprise on May 15.
BP Successfully Capturing Some Leaking Oil with Riser Insertion Tube
There appears to have been a significant breakthrough in controlling the leak from the broken riser at the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, with a device called a “riser insertion tube.”
Industry Officials Dismiss Likelihood of Oil Rig Sabotage
I had the opportunity to ask representatives of the American Petroleum Institute whether it would be difficult for someone to get on an offshore oil rig and sabotage it somehow.
In short, they said it would be difficult. Very difficult.
