Monday, April 26, 2010

"Drill, Baby, Drill" = "Spill, Baby, Spill."


As the Deepwater Horizon continues to spew hundreds of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico - and the Obama administration considers opening up new areas of the ocean for exploration and drilling- I thought it might be a good time for me to say publicly what I have been saying only privately for nearly 10 years out of respect for my senior U.S. Senator.

I personally support Cape Wind, because I personally believe that the environmental and economic benefits clearly outweigh any potential adverse impacts.

As for offshore oil exploration and drilling off the U.S. coast - "Drill, Baby, Drill" inevitably leads to "Spill, Baby Spill" - and to the widespread destruction of the deep ocean and the inshore marine environment.

Remember the Ixtoc I, which blew out in the Gulf of Mexico in 1979. At that time I interviewed oil company executives who told me frankly that in a spill of this magnitude, the recovery effort was "window dressing".

And it can - and did - happen here. Remember the Argo Merchant, which broke apart off Masachusetts in 1976. We need to remember the lessons we have learned - or we will repeat the mistakes we have made.

Here's ten more reasons not to expand offshore drilling from the Center for American Progress.


Saturday, April 24, 2010

Attacked by Virtual Snails?

Recently, visitors to my blog at Snails to Whales at blogger have reported that the site seems to have been attacked by virtual snails. Don't panic!

To disable the snails, click the red netdisaster icon
on the lower right of the browser window.


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Progress

"Progress depends on the influence of some energizing and integrative speculation, sound or unsound, which is sufficiently bold and provocative to attract supporters and opponents, eager to investigate its validity. Without such a stimulus the observer is for ever groping in the dark for the switch he cannot reach."

F. J. Cole, 1949 - Recently cited by Aydin Orstan at his great blog Snails Tales

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Up to my ankles in alligators and snakes...




Here is a short video of one of several alligators which we observed on a recent Easter excursion to the Everglades just west of the development boundary off Griffin Road near Fort Lauderdale. He is comfortable with either Rubio or Crist as U.S. Senator, noting that alligators, like Republicans, often eat their young.