Giant Plumes of Oil... A way to clean those up?

[Ziroc]

So we all know about the Oil Spill. The cracked pipe is closed as far as we know finally, but they said they found a 22 mile plume of oil under the water.
I know oil is heaver, and since the leak was deep under water, could this oil plume be like a 'bubble' of oil? If so, could they stick some pipes/hoses/whatever into this plume and begin sucking the oil out onto a tanker?

IF it's like over 90% oil, that would be a good way to go, right?
Anyone here know the physics of this, and could it work?

[Hivetyrant]

From what I understand, there are many ways (not necessarily efficient, but workable) to remove oil from the water, however the issue here seems to be the sheer scale of the contamination.

Due to the size, most methods are either too inefficient or potentially more damaging to the environment.

I hope they give an award to whoever comes up with a good way of removing it, because I sure as hell have no idea how they are going to do it!

[John D Harris]

yeah they could suck the bubble up, after the EPA does an eviromental impact statement.... WFT?????? I got their Enviromental impact statement: If we don't do it we're going to have oil on every damn beach on the Gulf coast. HALE"S BELL Z man Kevin Costner's got a company that can clean the oil out of the water, been testing it for nearly 3 weeks waiting on the US Government to give the OK.... 3 freaking weeks!!!!!!! What part of Oil spill don't they understand? It's the foot dragging that has lead directly to the marshes being poluted.

[SpiritWarrior]

Originally Posted by John D Harris yeah they could suck the bubble up, after the EPA does an eviromental impact statement.... WFT?????? I got their Enviromental impact statement: If we don't do it we're going to have oil on every damn beach on the Gulf coast. HALE"S BELL Z man Kevin Costner's got a company that can clean the oil out of the water, been testing it for nearly 3 weeks waiting on the US Government to give the OK.... 3 freaking weeks!!!!!!! What part of Oil spill don't they understand? It's the foot dragging that has lead directly to the marshes being poluted.

Yes Kevin Costners brother has something at least interesting to pursue but they wouldn't even talk to him for a few weeks. Still, you have to understand, they need to make certain this won't make the thing worse, or blow up and kill more people and then critics would say they acted without checking things thoroughly. But yes, it would be funny if an actor came to the rescue of the US government. It shows how little they truly know about oil.

[John D Harris]

Originally Posted by SpiritWarrior Yes Kevin Costners brother has something at least interesting to pursue but they wouldn't even talk to him for a few weeks. Still, you have to understand, they need to make certain this won't make the thing worse, or blow up and kill more people and then critics would say they acted without checking things thoroughly. But yes, it would be funny if an actor came to the rescue of the US government. It shows how little they truly know about oil.

From what I understand the device has been working for several years, designed specifically to seperate oil from water in the case of a spill. They have a factory and have been producing the final product for some time done all the testing to make sure the device works ie: it doesn't blow up, it seperates oil from water, in other words it's been checked out and market ready. From what I understand it is a Centrifuse and seperates liquid based on specific wieght. What kind of enviromental damage can it do? suck up a few fish? or a sea turtle or two? I can sure see how killing a few fish would be worse then letting an entire ecological system get damaged, like the salt marshes of the Mississippi delta where 1,000's if not 10,000's of fish are killed and their breeding grounds distroyed for years.

I'd bet dollars to dougnuts that why it has taken so long is the Administration, in their own words; "didn't want a crisis to go to waste". They thought that BP would have it undercontrol in a few days then they could come in afterwards and Say see we need to stop drilling look at all the damage. Well that thinking has casued a disaster many times worse then it would have been. When the Exxon Valde ran aground, then President Bush (41) after 11 days steped in and the Feds took over. It's now 39 days, president Obama didn't even visit until 37 days had passed, the EPA has drug it's feet for several weeks, thworting the Gov. Jindle (sp?) for nearly 3 weeks now... with this happy horse manure about having to have an enviromental impact statement for dredging and RE-BUILDING the barrer Islands that where destroyied by Hurricane Katrina. Sure nature will re-build the islands but Nature takes it's sweet time, Oil being washed into the marshes is happening NOW. Hales Bells all we have heard about since the Exxon Oil spill was how bad oil is and it will destroy everything!!!!!! Now we got the same people that scream about the evils of oil, saying oh wait we have to take our time cleaning the oil up because there could be something worse then OIL. Spank my rear end and paint it purple if that isn't the stupidest, self serving, political agenda pushing GDBS I've ever hear of.

Accidents happen, but what is inexcusible is the feet dragging! The most furtile fishing grounds in the USA are being damaged beyond what anyone can comprehend because of slow cleanup. All the little fishes, birds, and precious sea turtles that are going to die can be place squarely at the feet of the Obama adminstration's lack of response. all the Jobs lost the damage to the economy. I hope you folks like white fish, you know Mrs. Pauls fish sticks, because you can kiiss the majority of Shrimp, oyster, grouper, red fish, Mackeral good bye for several years. All because we have to study and see if re-building (helping nature) the barrer Islands will cause more damage then the oil destroying the largest WET LAND in the USA.

[SpiritWarrior]

I think your bias is getting in the way again, personally. Don't be so desperate to paint this as "Obama's Katrina" as the talk radio whackos are attempting to do (mind you, they are not succeeding because people actually realize the man cares). This is bigger than that for all of us. BP fuxxed it up and BP need to fix it. In contrast, no company caused hurricane Katrina yet that mess is STILL broken because of Bush. I shook my head in wonder when, years later, poor Obama had to talk to the Katrina victims because Bush ignored them. No, this is apples and oranges.

Also to correct you, the president visited the site twice now. 37 days did not pass until he visited. This is his second visit.

I didn't know the right-wing were concerned about the environment. Last time I checked they didn't believe in evolution - nevermind saving the planet! It seems when it looks bad on their political enemies they are suddenly eco-warriors and tree-huggers. And THAT is self-serving. Using the lives of all those animals for little more than political leverage.

Regardless of what happens here there is one saving grace: The U.S. has begun thinking more than ever about it's dependency on oil and has started the conversation of getting off it. Look at this mess spilling into our oceans.

[John D Harris]

Originally Posted by SpiritWarrior I think your bias is getting in the way again, personally. Don't be so desperate to paint this as "Obama's Katrina" as the talk radio whackos are attempting to do (mind you, they are not succeeding because people actually realize the man cares). This is bigger than that for all of us. BP fuxxed it up and BP need to fix it. In contrast, no company caused hurricane Katrina yet that mess is STILL broken because of Bush. I shook my head in wonder when, years later, poor Obama had to talk to the Katrina victims because Bush ignored them. No, this is apples and oranges. Also to correct you, the president visited the site twice now. 37 days did not pass until he visited. This is his second visit. I didn't know the right-wing were concerned about the environment. Last time I checked they didn't believe in evolution - nevermind saving the planet! It seems when it looks bad on their political enemies they are suddenly eco-warriors and tree-huggers. And THAT is self-serving. Using the lives of all those animals for little more than political leverage. Regardless of what happens here there is one saving grace: The U.S. has begun thinking more than ever about it's dependency on oil and has started the conversation of getting off it. Look at this mess spilling into our oceans.

Want to place a bet on when President Obama visited? His first visit was on day 37 his second visit was on day 38. No where did I write Obama's Katrina, it is your bias that is showing. And for you information President Bush declared LA, MS, and the AL coasts disaster area's BEFORE Katrina made landfall the first time that has ever been done. So the resourses could be started in the pipe line. I live in the South in Hurricane land been living in since '73. The town I currently live in was one of the staging area's for the FEMA resourses. How many Hurricanes have you been through in Ireland? I have been through 15 of the top 25, including Katrina. Katrins had the largest destruction area of any Hurricane. I live 250 miles inland for where it made land fall and we had Hurricane force winds when it passed us by. There was so much damage that a 1 hour trip by car on interstate20/59 to merridain Ms from Tuscaloosa Al. took 8 hours that first day. USCG Helicopters where in the air out of Destin, FL, and USAF Helicopters from Eglin AFB on the very first Day as soon as it was safe to fly. Both where Ordered there By President Bush. The Helicopters out of Mobile USCG had been moved farther inland and it took them longer to get there. You People hav no freaking Idea how much damage was done in Katrina... all you think that was hit was New Orleans... WRONG try the entire State of Mississippi, the western half Of Alabama, the eastern 2/3rds of LA.... get a map and a clue Hale that is larger then your little island.

SW you don't know squat about Hurricanes... why don't you ask Z man about how long it took for him to get his town cleaned up after that LITTLE Hurricane hit him?

Your only comeback to the foolishness of delaying the clean-up is a childish comment about rightwingers? Of course we don't care about the enviroment we want everybody to die, our wives, daughter, mothers, and all our customers that we sell stuff to and make money off of. Use your brain SW. Oh and feel free to cry to the Mods... while your at it be sure to show them where you name call and used lables where I use the correct terms! Now where did I say liderals or lefties or anything like that.... And if you wanted to make sense with your atempted Evolution putdown comment, the correct comment would have been since you believe God made us stewards of this Planet then you Bible thumping rightwingers should be even more enviromentalist to please God... But NO your own selfserving bias is evident for all honest people to see.

Illumina where are you? at least you're Honest and can have an intellectualy honest conversation.

[SpiritWarrior]

Alright John, this is deteriorating already. Honesty? You are wrong. I am right.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20003941-54.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0121519420100502

His visit was on May 2nd. He then visited again, recently. He spent longer recently. But he visited previous to this date. That's how a president rolls, get on top of shit ASAP. To paraphrase you, it is hard to have an honest conversation when you don't know the facts. I will end it on this note, proving you wrong once again. Would you like to apologize now or later?

[SpiritWarrior]

Originally Posted by John D Harris while your at it be sure to show them where you name call and used lables where I use the correct terms! Now where did I say liderals or lefties or anything like that....

Oh Hey I have more ownage for you. Where do you say liberals? In your sig, my friend.

I have no need to cry to mods about you...why would I? I'm doing fine just quoting stuff back to you and handing out the Pwnage.

[machinehead]

JD you should really expand your horizens and watch more than Faux News.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201005280006
On Fox & Friends, guest host Dave Briggs falsely claimed that President Obama "has not been down to the Gulf...[h]e has not had that moment to get down there in the Gulf and tell those people he cares, that he's doing something." In fact, Obama visited the Gulf Coast on May 2.