Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog US Zionists Saudi Petrodollar

US Zionists Saudi Petrodollar

Petrodollar

US, Zionists use Saudi petrodollar to further war agenda

By Mike Stathis

In a previous article I made the case that China does not hold the position of power over the U.S. economy that many have come to believe. A portion of my argument was focused on disproving baseless claims that China is selling off its U.S. Treasury holdings. As I discussed, China has actually been stockpiling U.S. Treasury securities over the past several years.

This fear-mongering over the fate of the U.S. dollar and dollar-denominated assets has been orchestrated by a barrage of charlatans. As a part of their “doomsday” scenario, they claim that hyperinflation in the U.S. is imminent. Truth be told, as long as the petrodollar remains intact, hyperinflation in the U.S. is not possible. This is a statement of fact. Anyone who claims otherwise has absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

Rather than China, Saudi Arabia ultimately fuels the U.S. economy. Let’s take a look how the Saudi’s have been positioned as the venerable engine of the U.S. economy. In 1971, the final phase of the gold standard was eliminated after Washington refused to honor France’s demand for payment in gold in exchange for dollars.

Prior to that, the U.S. dollar was pegged to the price of gold. Moreover, virtually all other currencies were pegged to the U.S. dollar. Thus, once the U.S. severed the gold standard a global fiat currency system was established, as no currency was backed by gold.

Shortly thereafter in a deal brokered by Henry Kissinger under the Nixon administration, the Saudis agreed to settle all crude oil sales with U.S. dollars. Due to the clout held by the Saudis, the rest of OPEC followed suit. This relationship between the dollar and oil is often referred to as the petrodollar.

The petrodollar serves as America’s most valuable economic lever. It empowers the U.S. economy by means of extortion because one must have dollars in order to buy and sell commodities on the major international exchanges, from oil, gas, gold and steel, to apples, oranges, coffee and cattle. This is the main reason why the U.S. dollar serves as the world’s reserve currency.

Based on its relationship with oil and other commodities, one could argue that the dollar is not exactly a fiat currency since it is backed by the demand for raw materials. Raw materials are in limited quantity. They are also in high demand because they are required for economic growth. They are required for basic sustenance.

Although the petrodollar remains the primary centerpiece controlling global macroeconomics and geopolitical strategy, it’s never mentioned in the U.S. media. In fact, you will be blacklisted if you publicly discuss the significance of the petrodollar. This is precisely what happened to me.

American consumers serve as the superficial driving force of the U.S. economy, but there are a few significant enablers worthy of mention. Certainly, China enhances the economic power of American consumers by providing inexpensive imports. As I discussed in a previous article, China is able to gain numerous competitive advantages over domestic manufacturers by exploiting differences in trade policy with the United States. But this is not the primary force that fuels American consumers.

Inherently one might assume that a strong consumer would be the by-product of higher living standards or higher personal incomes. Enigmatically, the powerful consumer demand seen in the U.S. has not come from a commensurate increase in living standards or personal incomes. On the contrary, as domestic demand has soared over the past three decades, U.S. living standards have trended downward. So what has been the source of this demand?

The ultimate source of fuel for the American consumer comes from the Federal Reserve Bank in the form of credit. Instead of spending more on consumer items as incomes rise, most Americans use credit in order to improve their living standards. As you can imagine, this is not a sustainable path to prosperity.

The majority of the credit created by the Federal Reserve comes by way of fractional reserve lending. Some liken this mechanism to creating money out of thin air. But this money is backed by the petrodollar trade. That is, the demand for dollars increases every time oil is bought.

Thus, when the Federal Reserve wants to print excessive amounts of dollars, the global demand created for dollars through the purchase of oil and other commodities will diminish the inflationary effect that would have been otherwise created within the United States.

While other nations use fractional reserve lending, they face the possibility of hyperinflation at some point because their currency is backed by nothing other than the underlying economy and strength of the government.

Because the United States has been transformed into a consumption-based economy, it must create asset bubbles during periods of weak domestic demand. The Federal Reserve’s ability to create these asset bubbles is enhanced by the petrodollar. Thus, the petrodollar enables the Federal Reserve to form asset bubbles, while exporting inflation throughout the globe.

As discussed in America’s Financial Apocalypse, petrodollar-based inflation is the manner by which the United States taxes the globe. Without the petrodollar the U.S. economy would face very dire consequences. With it, the U.S. can print its way out of messes and force the rest of the world to subsidize its mistakes and finance its asset bubbles via exporting inflation.

Now that you understand how the dollar is linked to oil and other commodities, hopefully you can appreciate that hyperinflation in the U.S. is not possible as long as the petrodollar exists. For instance, hyperinflation would render the dollar as worthless. As a result, no one on earth would be able to afford oil or other commodities.

In a previous article where I discussed China’s role in the U.S. economy, I pointed out that China remains as the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities because this keeps U.S. interest rates low. And low interest rates means consumers can buy more imports from China.

Unlike China’s export-based economy which depends on low interest rates in the U.S., oil-rich nations could care less about keeping rates low in the U.S. because inflation (which increases when rates are low) causes the price of oil to rise. Thus, Middle Eastern nations spend much more of their petrodollar surplus buying up hard assets such as hotels, restaurants, resorts and other businesses as opposed to investing in U.S. Treasury securities. But of course they do own a decent amount of U.S. Treasuries due to their trade surplus with the United States, and as a symbol of loyalty to the petrodollar arrangement.

How did the Saudis benefit from agreeing to accept only dollar payments for oil?

In return for establishing the petrodollar, the Saudi Royal Family was granted unconditional military support by the U.S. government against all uprisings, both foreign and domestic. As well, they were guaranteed protection against Israel. Finally, the Saudis were assured they could govern their people in any way they chose without the threat of economic sanctions from the United States. This is specifically why Saudi Arabia has not faced sanctions despite its long history of religious and human rights violations.

The one flaw in the petrodollar trade is that despite the fact that a good deal of inflation is exported out of the U.S., eventually some of it will return like a boomerang in a variety of ways. But as far as Washington is concerned, the benefits outweigh the risks because excessive inflation can serve as a means by which to more easily pay off its mounting federal debt. In this way, Washington can have its cake and eat it too because petrodollar economics guarantees that the U.S. will never face a hyperinflation scenario. The petrodollar always creates a win-win situation for the United States.  Meanwhile, other nations get shafted.

Despite the obvious importance of the petrodollar, countless individuals continue to warn of hyperinflation in the U.S. Their motive is to get their audience to buy gold so as to raise the price so they can sell it before it collapses. Others don’t care where the price of gold goes so long as they convince people to buy it from them as they slice off 3 or 4 percent of the total in fees.

If you want know whether it’s a good time to buy a house, the last person you should ask is a real estate agent. The same applies to gold. Gold dealers are the absolute worst source of information and insight on gold because everything is spun to manipulate their already biased and largely unsophisticated audience. Even if hyperinflation were to hit the U.S., gold isn’t going to help you one bit. Your best investment would be food, water, guns and bullets.

Iran understands the true significance of the petrodollar, which is why it has been selling its oil for other currencies. Iran’s attempt to disrupt or weaken the petrodollar arrangement serves as the primary reason why Washington initiated economic sanctions against this peaceful nation.

The illegal sanctions imposed on Iran by the Zionist-controlled international community have forced Iran to barter its crude oil for agricultural goods. Iraq, once under the leadership of Saddam Hussein began selling its oil for euros in 2000. Soon after, Washington created lies about WMDs in order to justify invading Iraq. I think you get the point.

Although other nations such as India, China and Germany are now accepting currencies other than the dollar in exchange for their oil, this should not be interpreted as a serious threat to the petrodollar. OPEC dictates the fate of the petrodollar, and Saudi Arabia controls OPEC. However, unified OPEC opposition to the petrodollar could pose as a very challenging dilemma. This has obvious implications for Iran and other OPEC members that are exploring alternative forms of payment other than the dollar.

Similar to other nations considered as “hostile” and “dangerous” by Washington and other Zionist-run establishments throughout the globe, I would imagine that Iran has no intention of allowing itself to go along with globalization mandates. My guess is that Iran’s leaders understand that the real objective of this criminal conspiracy is to abolish sovereignty and transform all complicit nations into slaves of the international bankers, as has already happened to much of the globe.

Iran, North Korea and Venezuela refuse to take part in the globalization agenda engineered by the international bankers. For this, they have been put on a “hit list” by the terrorists in Washington and their foreign associates, as instructed by the Banking Cartel. This is the reality you never hear about. But it is a critical point worth revisiting whenever you come across negative press about these nations.

It is indeed ironic that the manipulation of the global economic system by a Zionist crime syndicate requires the indirect participation of an Islamic nation. This relationship should tell you where the Saudi Royal Family stands when it comes to America’s Zionist agendas.

Muslims of the world, especially those residing in the Middle East should take note of the relevance of the petrodollar. Not only does it function as the economic engine of the United States and the Jewish Banking Cartel, it also serves as the enabler of wars against Islamic nations. Thus, as several key nations continue to explore non-dollar payments for oil transactions, Islamic leaders have a far greater bargaining tool to be used to combat Zionist terrorism and international extortion at the hands of the Banking Cartel.
MS/JR

source: PressTV –  US, Zionists use Saudi petrodollar to further war agenda

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog BP Criminal Charges Largest Fine In History

BP Criminal Charges Largest Fine In History

BP Criminal Charges Largest Fine In History

BP to get record US criminal fine over Deepwater disaster

BP is set to receive a record fine of between $3bn and $5bn (£1.9bn-£3.2bn) to settle criminal charges related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, the BBC has learnt.

It will be the biggest criminal penalty in US history, BBC business editor Robert Peston says.

The settlement with the Department of Justice involves BP pleading guilty to criminal charges.

It is thought that up to four BP staff may be arrested, Robert Peston says.

Details of the settlement are expected to be confirmed by the Washington-based Department of Justice later.

Earlier, BP said it was in “advanced discussions” with US agencies about settling criminal and other claims.

BP said that any deal would not include a range of other claims including individual and federal claims for damages under the Clean Water Act, and state claims for economic loss.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster killed 11 workers and released millions of barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days.

The settlement is much bigger than the largest previous corporate criminal penalty assessed by the Department of Justice, the $1.2bn fine imposed on drug maker Pfizer in 2009.

The oil giant has been selling assets worth billions of pounds to raise money to settle all claims. The company is expected to make a final payment of $860m into the $20bn Gulf of Mexico compensation fund by the end of the year.

BP has booked provisions of $38.1bn to cover its liabilities from the incident, but the company has said the final cost remained highly uncertain.

source:  BBC News – BP to get record US criminal fine over Deepwater disaster

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog Guatemala Análisis de Agua

Guatemala Análisis de Agua

Guatemala análisis de agua

Haga clic en la foto para la presentación del vídeo de Youtube – Click on Photo for Youtube Video Presentation

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Guatemala análisis de agua – Guatemala Water Analysis

ISO 17025 Accredited Laboratory Industrial offering microbiological, chemical and genetic. Official methodologies used and internationally accepted standard. Lab management-recognized Guatemalan and international market for its quality analytical service, and counseling has accreditation by the Guatemalan Accreditation Office OGA

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Source: Contro-Lab

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog Class Action Economic and Property Damages Settlement

Class Action Economic & Property Damages SettlementClass Action Economic and Property Damages Settlement

Legal Notice -Administrator for U.S. District Court

If you had economic loss or property damage because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, you could get money from a class action settlement.

Para obtener una notificación en español, póngase en contacto con nosotros o visite nuestro sitio web DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com. Để được thông báo bằng tiếng Việt, xin gọi điện thoại hoặc vào trang mạng DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com.

If you have economic loss or property damage because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, you could get money from a class action settlement with BP Exploration & Production Inc. and BP America Production Company (“BP”). Go to DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com for more information, including information on how to file a claim.

Who is Included in the Economic & Property Damages Settlement? You have received this notice because you have been identified as a potential Economic and Property Damages Settlement Class Member. The Economic and Property Damages (“E&PD”) Settlement Class includes people, businesses, and other entities, in the states of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and certain counties in Texas and Florida, that were harmed by the oil spill. The website has detailed descriptions and maps to help you determine whether a geographic location may be included in the E&PD Settlement. Additionally, you can call 1-866-992-6174  or e-mail questions@DeepwaterHorizonEconomicSettlement.com to find out if a geographic location is included. The Detailed Notice has more information on who is included.

What does the Economic & Property Damages Settlement Provide? The E&PD Settlement makes payments for the following types of claims: (1) Seafood Compensation, (2) Economic Damage, (3) Loss of Subsistence, (4) Vessel Physical Damage, (5) Vessels of Opportunity Charter Payment, (6) Coastal Real Property Damage, (7) Wetlands Real Property Damage, and (8) Real Property Sales Damage. There is no limit on the total dollar amount of the E&PD Settlement; all qualified claims will be paid. The Detailed Notice has more information on E&PD Settlement benefits.

How to Get Benefits from the Economic & Property Damages Settlement You need to submit a Claim Form to request a payment. You can get a copy of the various Claim Forms by visiting the website or by calling 1-866-992-6174 . Claims can be submitted online or by mail. If you have questions about how to file your claim, you should call the toll-free number for assistance.

The deadline to submit most E&PD claims will be April 22, 2014 or six months after the E&PD Settlement becomes effective (that is, after the Court grants “final approval” and any appeals are resolved), whichever is later. There will be an earlier deadline to submit E&PD Seafood Compensation claims. The earlier deadline to submit Seafood Compensation claims will be 30 days after final approval of the Settlement by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (regardless of appeals). Actual claim filing deadlines will be posted on the website as they become available. Valid claims will be paid as they are approved, beginning shortly after the Court-Supervised Settlement Program commences. It is highly recommended that E&PD Settlement Class Members complete and submit their Claim Forms promptly. Please read the Medical Benefits Settlement Notice because you may also be eligible for benefits from that settlement.

Your Other Options If you do not want to be legally bound by the E&PD Settlement, you must Opt Out or exclude yourself by October 1, 2012 or you won’t be able to sue BP over certain economic and property damages claims. If you stay in the E&PD Settlement, you may object to it by August 31, 2012. The Detailed Notice explains how to exclude yourself or object.

The Court will hold a hearing on November 8, 2012 to consider whether to approve the E&PD Settlement. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing at your own cost. The Court will also consider Class Counsel fees, costs, and expenses including an interim payment of $75 million and additional awards equal to 6% of class claims and benefits paid. Class Counsel fees, costs and expenses under the Economic and Property Damages Settlement Agreement and the Medical Benefits Settlement Agreement jointly cannot exceed $600 million. Class members’ payments will not be reduced if the Court approves the payment of Class Counsel fees, costs, and expenses because BP will separately pay these attorney fees, costs, and expenses.

For more information and a Claim Form, visit DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com or call toll-free: 1-866-992-6174

This notice does not provide any information related to the separate Medical Benefits Settlement also reached related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. For more information about the Medical Benefits Settlement, and to determine whether your rights are affected by that settlement, or whether you are eligible for benefits under that settlement, visit DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com or call 1-866-992-6174

SOURCE: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog One Shrimp At A Time

One Shrimp At A TimeOne Shrimp At A Time

Craig Giesecke: Do I trust Gulf seafood? One shrimp at a time

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One of the several usual questions I get from tourists at our shop (aside from, “did it flood here?”) is about the quality of Gulf seafood these days. It should be an assumption that I would not bring out anything I’m not comfortable serving. But maybe they just like to hear it from the guy who actually prepares it, I dunno. Here’s how I feel about it.

I’ve been very pleased with the Gulf shrimp we’ve gotten into the shop lately. They’re plump, tasty and wonderful. I look at them carefully every time I open up a new box. I trust our purveyors to not send us anything that doesn’t look and smell right and, so far, they’ve been true. The state hasn’t put out anything that raises an alarm, and consumer protection is what they’re all about, right? Of course, the seafood industry says everything is Just. Fine. Really. Seriously.

On the other hand, Alabama has closed some of its waters to shrimping (“shrimp size” is the issue, they say — pollution has nothing to do with it). Professional fishing guides on our coast say the oil is still visible in the marshes, even after two years. Seafood folks in Barataria Bay say they’re catching loads of shrimp with no eyes or even eye sockets. Fish are being caught with unexplained black lesions. From all I can gather, things are seriously weird and wrong out there. At least in some places.

Seafood has always been an iffy industry, similar to farming dryland cotton in its vulnerability to all sorts of pests, diseases, weather events and whatnot. I love the Gulf and I love that my kids were raised as beach rats. I love swimming in the Gulf, when I get the rare chance to do so anymore, and I hated having to give up my sailboat in Panama City, but I just didn’t get the chance to go sail anymore. When I die, dump my ashes in the Mississippi so they can flow into the Gulf. Please.

But my youngest son, who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., says they now get tarballs on their beaches, just as they do in the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and in Mississippi. Entire several-generation families on our own coast can’t make a living from the Gulf anymore, even if they’d only take people fishing from time to time. As my dad used to say, “ain’t right.”

Part of my menu is made up of Gulf seafood. Do I trust it? So far, yes — based on personal observation. Do I trust those who tell me it’s safe? Not on your freaking life. There’s too much money and spin involved. I have to assume I’m being lied to on several levels. Maybe that’s not the case. But the world is what it is and I have to be honest with myself and, more importantly, my customers.

When I left the shop this evening, things were good. Hopefully, they will be tomorrow. But tomorrow ain’t here yet.

Things are seriously weird and wrong out there in the Gulf of Mexico — at least in parts of it. I wouldn’t get so worked up if I thought there was some kind of honest monitoring going on. Maybe there is, but I can guarantee you a highly-paid someone is going to try to shout down anything negative. I wouldn’t mind if those responsible would admit they screwed up and they really don’t know what’s going on out there and they really, really want to fix it. But no — instead we get Olympic sponsorships and PR shills telling us about BP’s wind farms.

My opinions can sometimes run me afoul of good friends I have in the seafood, restaurant, grocery and tourism promotion industries. But I cannot in good conscience simply jump into the “c’mon down, things are just fine” pool anymore when it comes to Gulf seafood. The only one I trust is me. I need to open each box to look at it and sift it with my own hands and smell it with my own nose. Reputable places do this. Particularly now.

As a consumer, you should ask questions and, if need be, be a pain in the ass. Any chef worth his/her apron won’t mind this kind of scrutiny if they’re serious about any sort of quality in their operation.

…but it’s a shame you’d even have to consider it. Things are not OK. At all.

Craig Giesecke has been a broadcaster and journalist for over 30 years, including nearly two decades at the AP and UPI covering news, sports, politics, food and travel. He has been the owner of J’anita’s for five years, serving well-reviewed upscale bar food and other dishes, and is now in charge of the kitchen at The Blind Pelican on St. Charles Avenue. Comments are encouraged and welcomed.

source : Craig Giesecke: Do I trust Gulf seafood? One shrimp at a time Uptown Messenger

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog Gypsy Gina Bp Stroke

Bp Stroke

Gypsy Gina

by Gypsy Gina

 

 

I will take this as far as it could reach, if need be.

My husband had invested much of his life to commercial fishing, always investing our hard earnings back into our business to have a nice home, to send our children to better schools, and school functions is a must with my husband, and I. We owe our lives to the Gulf of Mexico with its plentiful oysters, shrimp, and crabs to live upon, and to sell to our community consumers. My husband served our country as a Marine for four years, but that was years ago.

I just want to let you know what a great husband and father he is, as well as a great person he his to our community, and state. He was on the water about to go fish for craps, but with so much stress that came with the Bp oil spill he had a stroke on his sons birthdate Aaron DeRouen 3/16/1990.

Bp has to know how they are making the commercial fishermen starve to take the $25,000.00. Bp has our paper work, and the information needed to at least give us an intern payment, but Bp never helped us at all. Bp must know with a 50ft oyster vessel, crab vessel with 400 traps are just for there looks. Why would Bp ever have a question about the payment if our family has these vessels in our own back yard? Our family are now on food stamps, and getting little help from the church. We own a 50 foot oyster vessel, crab vessel with about 400 trips that we live on to pay our bills, but the spill has made the waters baron with no seafood to support our families living.

Can you see now how my husband had his stroke?

I will call it a Bp stroke!

We never called an attorney yet, because we thought that would hold up any payment we might have received, but this is my husband! How can you do this to a family? Oh, and never mind about the main issue of people working at Popeye’s that receive money.

Where are their vessels? Tosure5@att.net or 504-682-0379. A very upset wife of a fishermen.

UPDATE:  I have spoken to an assistant at BP claims.org.  He gave me the information about getting blood test looking for VOC.  I have made my husband go to our Doctor here in St. Bernard parish to do the test.  I will email this site when the results come back.  I thought it was stress, but now I see that this is the outcome of the oil spill.

Thank you for this blog.

Gina

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog Time for the Oil Business to Do the Right Thing

“Time for the Oil Business to “Do the Right Thing”

"Time for the Oil Business to “Do the Right Thing”

by Imogen Reed

Is it really two years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster began?  For those in the region who saw their livelihoods in the fishing industry, tourism and as oil workers; those who saw their coastline, the pristine waters and the wildlife they had taken for granted, threatened with utter destruction; and mostly for those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy, it must seem much, much less.  However, for the global oil business motivated by an insatiable appetite for profits, time passes much more quickly, and the drive for deep water exploration and exploitation is now going forward at an even faster pace than it was prior to the Gulf disaster.

Worrying in Any Language

It happened, they said sorry, helped clean up, reluctantly paid up, and now the message from the oil companies appears to be that everyone needs to move on. In the aftermath of the disaster, local people unaccustomed to using scientific jargon, soon learned what bio-diversity, eco-systems and sustainability actually meant.  It meant less fish and marine wildlife, damaged feeding grounds, worries about important food sources, dead zones on the sea bed and on beaches, less opportunities for tourism, and a disruption of the lives they had previously enjoyed.  Even in March this year, they have learned that scientists are worried the deteriorating health of coral beds and anomalous results from examination of immune system, lung and liver facts and functions in the Gulf’s dolphin population.  For the people of the Gulf, the continuing impact of the spill, and worries that it could happen again, mean that it is far more difficult for them to move on in the same way.

Deeper & Deeper

Their concern is justified.  French owned energy company Total are currently dealing with a massive gas leak at their Elgin platform in the North Sea.  It has resulted in the imposition of a two mile exclusion zone for shipping in the area, extended to three miles for aircraft, and the company is estimating that resolving the issue may take several months.  Only days before, BP was given the go ahead for its North Uist deep water operation off the Shetland Islands, and plans for the exploitation of huge deep water gas deposits, are in advanced development in the eastern Mediterranean and off the east African coast.

Closer to home, drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is now even more widespread, and production will soon exceed levels before the Deep Horizon explosion.  In May the state owned Mexican oil company Pemex is for the first time to put two platforms into deep water close to the maritime boundary with the US.  Carlos A. Morales, chief of the Pemex exploration and production has said that “Pemex is ready to undertake the challenge and to do it safely,” and that the rigs will both be “sixth generation, which means they are the most modern. They have all the safety devices that rigs should have.”  Gulf residents must feel that they have heard such assurances before, but Pemex are not alone.  All the major oil companies are expanding their Gulf operations in not only American but also Cuban waters, and are seizing opportunities elsewhere.

Price & Security – Politics & Spin

Part of the reason the for the oil business to feel confident in expanding it deep drilling program, is that they are aware that there is growing concern about energy security and the price of oil.  Newt Gingrich probably expressed that concern most succinctly when he said that, “The price of gasoline is becoming a genuine crisis for many American families”; but he is not alone in recognizing the political sensitivity of the issue with the electorate, with even President Obama boasting that “We’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and approved more than 400 drilling permits since we put in place new safety standards in the wake of the gulf oil spill.”  It is a political climate that the industry is happy to exploit and encourage, and are lobbying hard not only for further concessions, but also to blur the facts around recent history.

Doc Hastings, Republican Chairman of the controlled House Natural Resources Committee recently issued a subpoena to the Interior department, for documents relating to professional input into their report that recommended the initial deep water drilling moratorium.  The aim is to show that support for the moratorium was not quite as universal as the report implied.  Those who question the veracity of the DOI argue that their actions are motivated by the economic hardship the moratorium had on the Gulf region.  However, the subtext is that undermining the report would label the moratorium as an overreaction to events, and infer that there is no inherent problem with practice of deep water drilling. According to the pen Secrets Organization the top four contributors to Doc Hastings’ Campaign Committee in 2011-12 were Edison Chouest Offshore, Exxon Mobil, Puget Holding Co and Chevron, and energy and natural resources companies contributed in excess of $100,000 to his PAC.

Realities, Risk & Honesty

In a recent article in the New York Times, Amy Myers Jaffe, associate director of the Rice University energy program, was quoted as saying that, “We need the oil…The industry will have to improve and regulators will have to adjust, but the public will have to deal with the risk of drilling in deep waters or get out of their cars.”  Gulf residents are as aware as every other American of the need for oil and gas, and indeed many of them make their living from involvement in the industry.  They know that life is never risk free, but they also know that the Gulf region would not easily survive another environmental and economic disaster on the scale of Deepwater Horizon, and want the highest standards of safety to be imposed and maintained.  If the oil business wants to build trust with those who live in proximity to their operations, they must re-establish a substantive record of competence in acting safely, responsibly, and transparently. Perhaps they would do better to devote their energies to that task rather than to spin, lobbying and politicking, because for those still living with consequences of the Gulf disaster, warm words, smoke and mirrors don’t wash any more.

Sources: Kansas City Star 04/03/12, New York Times 03/04/12, Voice of America  03/28/12, newsmax.com 04/03/12, bbc.co.uk 03/22/12, opensecrets.org, The Guardian 03/31/12, politic.com 04/03/12, sky.com 03/27/12, Daily Record 03/30/12

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog Health risks of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

Health risks of the Gulf of Mexico Oil SpillHealth risks of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

by  Imogen Reed

The worry is the potential long-term health effects on public health of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill which only time will tell. It’s like playing a waiting game to see what health problems appear in the future, it can’t be pleasant. Scientists fear that prolonged exposure to the oil as well as to the more than 3,640,000 litres of chemical dispersants sprayed on the slick will cause health problems to the workers and volunteers who helped clean up the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill.

Prolonged exposure to the oil in the form of tiny airborne particles as well as dispersants could have wreaked devastating damage on health of those thousands of people. The worry is that at the moment they could be ‘silent’, not causing any symptoms, but heath problems may appear in the future.

Not much research into the long-term health effects of oil spills has been carried out in the passed and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the largest. The question is whether the workers should have been given protective respirators to protect their health just in case. Why should their health have been put at risk? At the time locals were reported to be falling ill after exposure to tiny airborne particles of crude which included severe headaches, nausea and respiratory problems. The long-term effects could be far more serious and even life threatening but only time will tell. Long-term effects could be neurological ailments and cancers, which can take years to appear. For those who helped out it can be like living with a time bomb believing that a serious health problem will occur.

A health study has already been launched for workers and volunteers who helped clean up the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill. The GuLF STUDY (or Gulf Long Term Follow-Up Study) says it is a health study for individuals who helped with the oil spill clean up, took training, signed up to work, or were sent to the Gulf to help in some way after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is leading this research which is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and part of the U.S. Government.

The NIH is sponsoring the study

It aims to enroll 55,000 workers who helped clean up the oil spill to learn how different aspects of oil clean up may affect health, says the study. The GuLF STUDY it says is designed to learn about potential health effects and potentially health hazards from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and perhaps answer some of the questions that matter to oil spill clean-up workers and their community.

The only comfort to those workers is that they can prevent people suffering in the future, as the study should provide answers as to what are the health risks and how future generations can take protective precautions against them. The study it says will compare the health of clean-up workers and others who did not take part to learn if health problems are more common in workers.

All participants who live in the GuLF will be invited to have a clinical home visit which will include a health interview, collection of blood and other samples, and clinical measurements like blood pressure and lung function testing.

“We will give people in the study the results of these screening tests and help them find a doctor or clinic if they don’t have one,” it promises.

Participants have been promised a $50 gift card and those who have the home visit will also be asked to complete short questionnaires every 2 years. The questionnaires will ask about changes in health over time and some people in the GuLF STUDY will be invited to be in a part of the study that includes additional medical tests.

Who is taking part?

Those who are at least 21 years old will be able to take part and “who did oil spill clean-up work for at least 1 day; or who were not directly involved in oil spill cleanup but who worked near the oil spill or completed some oil spill worker training.”

What are they being asked to do?

They are being asked or will be asked if they haven’t already volunteered, to complete a telephone interview about your oil spill clean-up activities, health, and lifestyle. They will also be followed up with medical tests over time.

It is hoped the study will provide workers and communities with information on how oil spills affect physical and mental health. It will also create a resource for future research.

Lets hope the study looks after these brave people who did their best to minimize the damage of the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill, they weren’t taking part in their hobbies at the time such as American real money poker.

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog Wealthy People are Unethical

Rich People Are Unethical
Created by: Accounting Degree Online

source:  Wealthy People are Unethical

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Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Blog BP Bad Deal

BP Bad DealBP Bad Deal

BP to Pay $7.8B to Settle Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Lawsuit. Is it a Bad Deal For Gulf Residents?

On Democracy Now!, investigative journalists Greg Palast and Antonia Juhasz examine who wins and who loses in BP’s settlement. “[BP’s] basically being told, like a bank robber — you put the money back and everything will be forgiven,” says Palast, who also investigated the Exxon Valdez settlement. Meanwhile, state and federal governments are still pursuing separate civil claims against BP for environmental damage. “That’s when we’re going to hopefully uncover those 72 millions pages of investigation that will include wrong doing not just by BP, not just by Transocean, not just by Halliburton, but by every major oil company involved offshore, and very likely based on my research, wrongdoing by the Obama administration,” says Juhasz. “It is a desire to keep that out of the public that has pushed the settlement process forward.” We also speak with Florida State University Oceanography Professor Ian MacDonald about what it means to restore the Gulf of Mexico. In the wake of the oil spill, BP pledged up to $500 million over a decade to conduct independent scientific research on the environmental effects. But MacDonald notes that, “When the oil was gushing, there were literally hundreds of ships … studying this disaster. Now as we try to learn what happened, and prepare ourselves for the next catastrophe, we have nothing like those kinds of resources present.”

www.democracynow.org

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