BP holding back (data), University of West FL researchers say

[seafan]

Source: Pensacola News Journal

Researchers from universities across Florida claim they are being locked out of Gulf oil spill response efforts by BP and state and federal agencies.
Since the April 20 spill, BP and government agencies have hampered their efforts to secure information about the spill and scientific data, such as water oil samples, collected during response efforts, the academics said.

"We're throwing this open for the scientific discourse, and right now, we're not getting a heck of a lot of information about what's going on out there," said Florida State University Associate Vice President for Research W. Ross Ellington. "If we, the scientists, are not getting much information ... we know the public isn't getting information."

.....

Snyder voiced frustration about the difficulties he's faced while trying to get cooperation from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies monitoring the environmental effects of the spill.
"They won't even tell us where they're sampling, none the less what they're sampling or testing for," Snyder said.

Snyder said he has made multiple attempts to coordinate with official response agencies, including offers to use university equipment and expertise to do water quality samples in the Gulf, but so far, all of his offers have been declined.
Last week, after multiple failed attempts at soliciting information from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, UWF researchers independently set up four water and sand sampling sites on Pensacola Beach.

Read more: http://www.pnj.com/article/20100512/NEWS01/5120328/1006/NEWS01/BP-holding-back--UWF-researchers-say

---

BP's assets should be immediately seized and used for fighting this Gulf War of 2010, yet another version of travesty waged against people and the environment by blood-sucking oil vampires who continue raping the earth.


They must be stopped cold.

[Billy Burnett]

1. Did they try BP's toll free suggestion line? n/t

[RKP5637]

2. LOL

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[madmax]

5. rofl!!

[Igel]

3. So?

Nobody has to give them the information or access to the information.

They want it, I can understand and sympathize with it. They feel like they have something important to add. Their sense of empowerment, however, is mostly just that, taking "knowledge is power" a bit differently from how intended.

[CreekDog]

6. Does your post supersede the Freedom of Information Act?

Just wondering.

[daleo]

8. Why shouldn't this data be public?

After all, it is the public and public lands that are suffering from the blowout. This isn't some "empowerment" issue, its a matter of trying to stem a disaster.

[groundloop]

10. I'd guess this data probably will be public, but the EPD has their hands full right now

I'd be willing to bet the EPD is running on a shoestring budget, is spread very thin, and just doesn't have time to deal with a bunch of people who they don't even know knocking on their door and asking for information.

If these university profs want data maybe they could pool thier resources, charter a boat, and collect samples themselves. Sounds like a heck of an opportunity to put some grad students to work too.

[daleo]

17. The more minds on the job, the better

Sometimes those university profs can be pretty knowledgeable types - their grad students too. Oil companies generally love those university grads and grad students - geologists, geophysicists, engineers, etc.

[barbtries]

21. okay.

Last week, after multiple failed attempts at soliciting information from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, UWF researchers independently set up four water and sand sampling sites on Pensacola Beach.

[northernlights]

11. oh, that's right, we forgot

BP "owns" the Gulf of Mexico. It just allows us little people to use it now and then. :sarcasm:

[liberation]

12. In other words, them scientist are getting a tad too uppity for your tastes.

Your last sentence does not make any sense BTW. It seems you really wanted to say "entitlement"... but figured out that talking about their "empowerment" would give you a better trojan horse for your condescension.

[AlbertCat]

13. Nobody has to give them the information or access to the information.

Indeed! And why should they???

BP is doing a heck of a job!!!! Right?




Jesus! The public is in harm's way. BP can't tell its ass from its elbow. Estimates of the amount of oil have been "adjusted" several time now (adjusted UP!). The blame game is in full swing. These scientific experts may have much to offer.


They are being closed lipped because they are trying to still GET THE OIL.... not just plug the run away leak. They are IMHO worried about not being able to tap the oil more than saving the Gulf of Mexico.

Now why would I think such a thing....hmmmmmm????


Your post is completely asinine.

[5X]

30. +1

[readmoreoften]

20. Corporations shouldn't give independent scientists information in the course of a disaster?

You're insane. You're proof positive that Democrats shouldn't open their tent to every lunatic who claims to vote in their bloc. Anyone who feels that BP's rights trump the public interest in an ongoing disaster is a clear enemy of democracy. In fact--may very well be the enemy of the survival of the species.

What's next Herr Democrat?

[deacon_sephiroth]

22. That's right...

You tell em, those scientists and professors who have probably spent their lives in and around the gulf, studying it's waters, writing papers, publishing findings and sharing it with the world. How DARE they want to know the details of the worst ecological disaster in those waters' history. The shear audacity, that they would offer their unconditional support, aid, equipment, and information with the people in charge in this time of crisis is unbelievable. To think that they would have an interest, nay a DUTY to take every step available to monitor this situation and possibly go some good where others are failing is self-righteous mental masturbation at best.

BP should be giving them the finger. "Screw you geeks! Who cares that when this is all said and done it will irrevocably change your field of study, your environment, the future of life on this coast, maybe the state, what should the universities care? Clearly it's a product of their own trumped up senses of self worth and nothing more, but you.... you see through all that with a voice of reason. Good game.

[defendandprotect]

24. This is a major catastrophe by BP/Halliburton and 23 days later they

still seem more worried about PR than dealing with capping this thing --

There's an emergency situation here -- and not only should everyone be in on

providing solutions -- the government should seize both BP and Halliburton and

the well -- and keep it under government control before and after its sealed!!

If there is any sense of "empowerment" being displayed it is by BP in its ignorance

and presumptions that capitalists are entitled not only to exploit nature but to

exploit nature even to the point of destroying it!!

Information is power -- that's why democracies are built on sharing it rather than

permitting the few to harbor it for their own personal profit.





"Americans are really smart about really stupid things" --

That was the observation of a woman from the Bikini Islands after we had nuked

her homeland in testing nuclear weapons!

[CLANG]

4. Give Sonny Perdue a chance first. If he fails, you'll get your precious data.

:eyes:


:sarcasm:

[CanonRay]

7. They don't want anyone to know how bad it really is

and they don't want info out there that could negatively impace any future lawsuit.

[faceit]

9. Not at all surprising. Self interest at the expense of life on earth is the MO of big oil

[sulphurdunn]

14. Of course they don't want anyone

assessing their data independently. They don't know how much oil is in the reservoir. They haven't a clue how much oil is leaking. They don't know how to plug the leak. They don't know how bad this is now, and they don't want anyone making inferences about how bad it will become because this a very very bad.

[flamingdem]

15. This is the answer: THEY DON'T KNOW ENOUGH idiots nt

[Usrename]

16. I agree with seizing their assets.

In China they'd be dead men. I'm leaning that direction myself.

[Stuart G]

19. Agreed...nt

[RKP5637]

23. Right!!! And in the US we tolerate the BS calling it capitalism and defending it

all the way. The human species will eventually die off in our own garbage. The earth will renew and humans will be a long faded glimmer in history like the rest of extinct species. Why do we think we are special, our ability to think "and" use tools seems to be our own worst supposed advantage over other species.

[defendandprotect]

26. The core of capitalism is exploitation of nature -- and humans . . .

It's a ridiculous "King-of-the-Hill" system intended to move the wealth and

resources of a nation from the many to the few.

Not only does it exploit nature and animal-life, natural resources -- it also

exploits humans according to various myths of inferiority.

As we're killing other species, we are also killing ourselves and the planet.

We are part of nature.

It is suicidal to presume that because we have the power to do something that we have

the right to do it!





"Americans are really smart about really stupid things" --

That was the observation of a woman from the Bikini Islands after we had nuked her

homeland in testing nuclear weapons.

[RKP5637]

28. Very well said, I could not agree more! We have overwhelming

evidence of the failure of capitalism for the majority of citizens yet we march forward with a bought government. And so well stated, "Americans are really smart about really stupid things."

As I often say, never underestimate the ability of Americans to vote in the wrong people for the wrong reasons. We are a gullible nation. And now we are gullible with rapidly growing ignorance. And many Americans damn proud of their ignorance.

[Divine Discontent]

25. SEIZE EM! I agree. They need taken over. They're a corporation that didn't respect the responsib-

ility they asked for, in drilling down there. They cut corners and costs the world's ecosystem untold damage, and costs people hundreds of millions in future damages.

[fascisthunter]

18. guilty as all hell

[w4rma]

27. BP doesn't deserve to be "alive" after this. (nt)

[alp227]

29. Given BP's known history of accidents, they know this data will screw them over.

More damning secrets, just like Sarah Palin's speaking fee to CSU Stanislaus.

BASTARD POLLUTERS!!!!