Where is the logic? Frustrating!

[Ed Grella]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10807595
So, we can't stop the oil gusher which is going to poison the estuaries from Florida to Maine and our Jack-a$$e$ that we vote in are giving permits for more oil wells off LA!
Before we drill more wells, should we, first stop the existing gusher, learn from our tragic mistakes and have a foolproof, safe way to stop this crap in the future ?
All existing wells should be shut down and be retro-fit with at least two additional blow-out valves per well. Obviously, one emergency blow-out preventer is not sufficient!

[Myer Bornstein]

Amen !!!

[Bob Decker]

How many off-shore oil wells are there in the world? Balance that against how many accidents? We're not even sure how destructive this spill will actually be. Did you realize that Mexico had a similar leak several years ago? Spewed oil for 9 months. They still have beaches... and tourism... and wildlife.

I do agree that it's inexcusable that we don't have better ways to deal with these kinds of emergencies in place. It is an obvious case of being ill prepared for potential problem. However, shutting down all oil production probably isn't the best answer for our already struggling economy. Upgrades need to be made in a systematic and resposible way... emergency response techniques and technology need to be put in place, and new wells need to incorporate additional safety measures.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Considering how many off-shore oil rigs exist, sometimes I wonder why there are not more spills like the one off the Louisiana shore.

[Colin Knight]

I'm with Bob here. +1 what he said.

Here's what I find appalling- people want to stop drilling because of this tragedy, which also resulted in 11 people dying. But when a plane crashes and 10 times that many people die, not a single person talks about shutting down the airline industry. Why? Because the oil spill has environmental repercussions that we don't like. If we want to criticize BP, fine. If the government investigates this at the federal level, that's great. But do it foremost because fatalities occurred, not because of environmental hyperbole and contrived "concern" that politicians are using to advance their own "green" agendas.

[Nagesh Mula]

Its really shocking to see one of the greatest oil spill to happen in the US history but what's more shocking as well as funny is people worried about the environmental disaster. Did any of us ever thought, what we are doing with the environment ourselves ? why in the first place there is an urgency for more oil wells ? who is driving the demand ?
Its but obvious with the human nature that it is difficult to accept one's own fault. But this is not the time to blame each other but think sanely and take some steps to change our behavior in the right direction.

How many of we photographers have decided to curb the amount of travelling we do per week just for photographing birds or in that matter control our behavior so as to decrease our footprint on environmental impact.
The difference between BP and us is that BP is just another criminal who has been caught.

[Mike Fuhr]

I agree that we all have to look at ourselves as much as anyone as part of the problem, especially us Americans who use more fuel than anyone else by far. Drilling will not stop until we stop asking for it. However, to assume that there might not be any environmental damage from this spill is both ridiculous and naive. Cleaning beaches of oil is one thing. Cleaning sensitive marshes is another completely.

Yes they may have wildlife still, but do they still have all the pieces, so to speak? And what about all the migratory birds that rely on these marshes each spring and fall? These habitats are already so dramatically impacted by development, etc.; you have to look at the long term consequences too. Will these sensitive species survive further reductions in their habitat?