BP's Oil Disaster Causes Mutated Seafood

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I doubt any mainstream/cable U.S. news outlet will have the balls to, ya know, actually break important news that conflicts with their interests (see: money/sponsors).

Huge news by Al-Jazeera. Thanks to chemicals released into the ocean from BP's oil disaster in 2010, fishermen have been reporting that mutated seafood has been surfacing.

News outlets should not care if the U.S. seafood industry takes a hit so long as they do their job—which, call me crazy, is to report actual news.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/04/201241682318260912.html
 
Wow...thanks for the article. I always thought it was a bit odd for all those commercials about the Gulf area to be showing up, but when they're paid for by BP, well, we should all know there's something up.

Btw, those pictures are disgusting. Good thing I only eat local seafood. Being in Boston helps.
 
[quote name='mrx001']And BP still doing business in the US?[/QUOTE]

Was anyone ever held personally responsible for what went down? Boggles the mind that we live in a society where people aren't held responsible as long as they work for a multinational corp. that has a shitload of money.
 
[quote name='mrx001']And BP still doing business in the US?[/QUOTE]
I don't know if you're being cynical or not, but yes. People still franchise through them.

[quote name='CaseyRyback']Was anyone ever held personally responsible for what went down? Boggles the mind that we live in a society where people aren't held responsible as long as they work for a multinational corp. that has a shitload of money.[/QUOTE]
I'd rather see the corporation punished than the individual and it was...although, the US should've gone after them harder.

BP was fined $20 billion excluding civil lawsuits, but that's 4% of their annual net and won't nearly be enough to cover all the damage that was caused.
 
[quote name='CaseyRyback']Was anyone ever held personally responsible for what went down? Boggles the mind that we live in a society where people aren't held responsible as long as they work for a multinational corp. that has a shitload of money.[/QUOTE]
It's pretty rare that an individual within a company is held responsible for something the company did. I don't really care, but like doh I think BP should have been fined much, much more heavily than they were.

I hope this is a wake up call to anyone who thought this was all over though. "Hey I can't see it anymore, it's over, hooray!"

Blinky.gif


Oops....
 
[quote name='dohdough']I don't know if you're being cynical or not, but yes. People still franchise through them.


I'd rather see the corporation punished than the individual and it was...although, the US should've gone after them harder.

BP was fined $20 billion excluding civil lawsuits, but that's 4% of their annual net and won't nearly be enough to cover all the damage that was caused.[/QUOTE]

When the individuals start going to jail and stop hiding behind the corporation we might actually see ethics return in the business world. I am not saying everyone was liable for the actions that happened, but there are certainly individuals within that company that put profits above regulations and they should be punished for that. Look at Wall Street, no one there goes to jail and the problem still remains.
 
[quote name='CaseyRyback']When the individuals start going to jail and stop hiding behind the corporation we might actually see ethics return in the business world. I am not saying everyone was liable for the actions that happened, but there are certainly individuals within that company that put profits above regulations and they should be punished for that. Look at Wall Street, no one there goes to jail and the problem still remains.[/QUOTE]
I don't disagree with you and I'd prefer to see both, but if I had to choose, I'd choose the organization because while individuals are important, they're powerless without institutional backing.

An argument can be made that individuals can influence institutions, but unless you're talking about going after those at the very top of the chain, I don't see how going after even upper management will really change anything.

A prime example is the Murdoch case in the UK. Rupert Murdoch knew exactly what was going on in his news agencies but purposely kept his hands clean of the actual workings of it, whereas his son, James, was balls deep in it and probably won't see any time behind bars. Too bad for Rebekah Brooks because she's one of the fall guys. Sure, Brooks was balls deep in it too, but the Murdochs are gonna walk and the institutions remain as well. Stripping the institutions of their power will go a long way if we're not shooting for the top of the chain.
 
[quote name='dohdough']Wow...thanks for the article. I always thought it was a bit odd for all those commercials about the Gulf area to be showing up, but when they're paid for by BP, well, we should all know there's something up.
[/QUOTE]

I don't think that has anything to do with this story. It was probably just part of their settlement and not a direct reaction to finding mutated seafood.

By the way, fuck BP. I don't buy gas at their stations. I just wish I knew who else they supplied not under the BP brand so I could avoid those too. (seems Arco is one)
 
[quote name='confoosious']I don't think that has anything to do with this story. It was probably part of their settlement.[/quote]
If I remember correctly, there were some shots of fishermen and restaurants serving local seafood, so it's kinda related. Problems like the one in the article were exactly what I thought when I first started seeing the ads on tv.

I'm not sure I get what you're saying about it being part of their settlement though, unless you mean they need to pay for the tourism board's ads?

By the way, fuck BP. I don't buy oil at their stations. I just wish I knew who else they supplied not under the BP brand so I could avoid those too.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I stay away from BP too.
 
I'm saying that their multi-billion dollar settlement agreement for the disaster probably included $x earmarked for tourism ads. Those ads have been in the planning for awhile and isn't directly a result of recent discoveries of mutated seafood.

I'm sure that they wanted to highlight how clean the beaches and oceanfronts are and how fresh and non-mutated the seafood was. But that wouldve been their message regardless of whether or not they found 3 eyed fish.
 
[quote name='dohdough']I don't know if you're being cynical or not, but yes. People still franchise through them.


I'd rather see the corporation punished than the individual and it was...although, the US should've gone after them harder.

BP was fined $20 billion excluding civil lawsuits, but that's 4% of their annual net and won't nearly be enough to cover all the damage that was caused.[/QUOTE]

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. BP, since they've gimped the Fishing Industry for who knows how long, should have to pay Welfare to the fisherman who have lost wages over this. Who knows, they may have to do this a century or more.
The Fishing Industry as I'd argue is far more valuable given that it provides food and seems renewable also.
 
[quote name='confoosious']I'm saying that their multi-billion dollar settlement agreement for the disaster probably included $x earmarked for tourism ads. Those ads have been in the planning for awhile and isn't directly a result of recent discoveries of mutated seafood.

I'm sure that they wanted to highlight how clean the beaches and oceanfronts are and how fresh and non-mutated the seafood was. But that wouldve been their message regardless of whether or not they found 3 eyed fish.[/QUOTE]
Ah ok. Makes sense.
 
[quote name='CaseyRyback']Was anyone ever held personally responsible for what went down? Boggles the mind that we live in a society where people aren't held responsible as long as they work for a multinational corp. that has a shitload of money.[/QUOTE]


It's infuriating. I become irate when I hear/see/read the incredibly wealthy get away with murder. As others have mentioned, BP Global received a slap on the wrist.

Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but today, after Al Jazeera broke the news about seafood mutations, BP reached a settlement with claimants at a total of 7.8 billion dollars (USD).

However, people need to know about this story. I wouldn't want my kids or husband or wife eating this chemical-infected trash.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justic...lement-Justice-for-100-000-Gulf-Coast-victims

(After posting this here and on Facebook, I actually lost my appetite for the day. Something about the photos killed my desire to eat. Lastly, the oil industry needs to die. It's a cancer on our society.)
 
[quote name='Chase']
However, people need to know about this story. I wouldn't want my kids or husband or wife eating this chemical-infected trash. [/QUOTE]

I remember this story from last year....... Nevermind I can quote the part that bothered me the most...

The Food and Drug Administration vehemently denies the findings of the NRDC report. “The seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to consume for all consumers including pregnant women and children,” says Robert Dickey, Director of the FDA’s Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/21/tonight-on-ac360-is-gulf-seafood-safe/
 
[quote name='Chase']However, people need to know about this story. I wouldn't want my kids or husband or wife eating this chemical-infected trash.[/QUOTE]
It's crawfish season here. I don't dare buy any to feed my 19 month old daughter and 8 month pregnant wife. It fucking sucks.
 
[quote name='confoosious']I don't think that has anything to do with this story. It was probably just part of their settlement and not a direct reaction to finding mutated seafood.

By the way, fuck BP. I don't buy gas at their stations. I just wish I knew who else they supplied not under the BP brand so I could avoid those too. (seems Arco is one)[/QUOTE]
If you understood how pipelines and the business worked you'd know that boycotting a specific station brand is pointless. To put it simply, there basically is no BP brand gasoline, it's all the same shit made with the same oil. There's no difference in gasoline until it reaches the owners basically, then they add whatever additives they use. Plus the BP stations you see aren't gonna be owned by BP, so in the end you really aren't going to hurt BP.
 
[quote name='Clak']If you understood how pipelines and the business worked you'd know that boycotting a specific station brand is pointless. To put it simply, there basically is no BP brand gasoline, it's all the same shit made with the same oil. There's no difference in gasoline until it reaches the owners basically, then they add whatever additives they use. Plus the BP stations you see aren't gonna be owned by BP, so in the end you really aren't going to hurt BP.[/QUOTE]

Don't be a dick, Clak.

This is some serious shit. At least link him some further reading so he (and I) can get educated. Please and thankse youse.
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']Don't be a dick, Clak.

This is some serious shit. At least link him some further reading so he (and I) can get educated. Please and thankse youse.[/QUOTE]
What clak said is my understanding as well. confoosius's post originally sad "oil," so I assumed he meant motor oil or something like that and not gas, so I didn't mention it. All those gas stations we see are not company owned, but franchises. Boycotting those only affects the owners of the franchise as BP already got their money from them. The gas that we pump was already paid for by someone else.

And like any other petroleum processor, different grades of oil are used for different things, so in reality, it's almost impossible to tell what products are sourced by BP refineries when there are enough suppliers ot choose from.
 
[quote name='confoosious']By the way, fuck BP. I don't buy gas at their stations. I just wish I knew who else they supplied not under the BP brand so I could avoid those too. (seems Arco is one)[/QUOTE]

Thing of it is, you're not harming BP at all in that instance. You're taking away from some local that owns the franchise. Given that you probably buy other petroleum based products that come from multiple different refineries who get their crude from multiple suppliers, you're likely still supporting BP in some random form completely unbeknownst to yourself.

Looks like I was beaten to the punch here. Oh well. I don't have any links, but when my family owned a gas station that was texaco branded, we certainly weren't getting texaco from point of extraction to our gas wells. Besides, there's next to no profit in gas anyway. It's all about the candy and smokes.

Most of the details have left my memory by now, but the process that the drillers were using was correct and legal at the time. The equipment wasn't up to snuff from what I recall but it was checked previously and given the approval.

Speed - Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't pregnant women not suppoed to eat crustaceans anyway? Could just be an old wive's tale or something but that's in my head as a no-no for some reason.
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']Don't be a dick, Clak.

This is some serious shit. At least link him some further reading so he (and I) can get educated. Please and thankse youse.[/QUOTE]
I wasn't trying to be a dick, sorry if it seemed that way. I don't really have any sources, I just know that's what I've read and heard form those in the industry. Gasoline is gasoline basically, the only difference is what gets added by the various companies so that they can advertise about it, like Shell does. You put a barrel into the pipeline in one area and take a barrel out somewhere else, it's all the same. Part of that is because, thankfully, there are standards for producing gasoline. It all has to conform to a certain standard, from there they can tweak their own recipe so to speak, but it's essentially all the same. Which is why I laugh when someone tries to tell me "so and so has bad gas", unless some contaminants are in it, it's the same stuff as the place down the road.
 
[quote name='nasum']Speed - Correct me if I'm wrong here, but aren't pregnant women not suppoed to eat crustaceans anyway? Could just be an old wive's tale or something but that's in my head as a no-no for some reason.[/QUOTE]
It depends on the doctor's recommendation to be honest. Some doctors will say you can eat a little and some will say none at all. It has to do with mercury levels in trace amounts that can effect the development of the fetus. It's more of a safety precaution than anything else.
 
[quote name='dohdough']It depends on the doctor's recommendation to be honest. Some doctors will say you can eat a little and some will say none at all. It has to do with mercury levels in trace amounts that can effect the development of the fetus. It's more of a safety precaution than anything else.[/QUOTE]

yup. My wife won't eat any of that stuff right now. She can according to her doctor but her philosophy is that if you should only have a little bit then you are better off having none.

This kind of stuff scares the shit out of me.
 
I love it when faceless corps can destroy the world yet we will go ape shit over smaller things. Prison for everyone except those who actually do long term destruction of the planet.
 
[quote name='Soodmeg']I love it when faceless corps can destroy the world yet we will go ape shit over smaller things. Prison for everyone except those who actually do long term destruction of the planet.[/QUOTE]

It's good to be king.
 
I'm going to post a snide remark that's only slightly on subject. So you've been warned.

Remember when certain posters were talking about how the Obama Administration wasn't going easy on BP. Yeah. He gave the appearance while likely making whatever backroom deals that worked to his administration's (or his own, personal) advantage. BP wasn't hit hard enough for this (hopefully some of the private lawsuits get more traction, as they should) - but please, go on pretending that the Democratic Party is so much better than the Republican Party when it comes to saving our planet and protecting the little people.

Now, will follow, the posts deriding the Republican party for their various anti-planet issues. Which is fine, most of it is deserved. But the Democrats will continue to get a free pass for their ability to be more subtle in how they work in the favor of big business.

Also of note, it was a Democratic Congressman that introduced the bill that limited BP's damages to $75 million to private parties. I wonder if the estate of Walter Jones Sr. got a thank-you card from BP.
 
They go easy on them most likely because if they really punished them, it would scare others from drilling for oil because then they know what might happen if they fuck up. They're probably scared it would have a chilling effect on the whole industry, these folks only explore these wells because they feel the risk is worth it, if the risk goes up they might not. Look at it as our government subsidizing the exploration of these wells by lessening the risk that should honestly be there.
 
[quote name='UncleBob']I'm going to post a snide remark that's only slightly on subject. So you've been warned.

Remember when certain posters were talking about how the Obama Administration wasn't going easy on BP. Yeah. He gave the appearance while likely making whatever backroom deals that worked to his administration's (or his own, personal) advantage. BP wasn't hit hard enough for this (hopefully some of the private lawsuits get more traction, as they should) - but please, go on pretending that the Democratic Party is so much better than the Republican Party when it comes to saving our planet and protecting the little people.

Now, will follow, the posts deriding the Republican party for their various anti-planet issues. Which is fine, most of it is deserved. But the Democrats will continue to get a free pass for their ability to be more subtle in how they work in the favor of big business.

Also of note, it was a Democratic Congressman that introduced the bill that limited BP's damages to $75 million to private parties. I wonder if the estate of Walter Jones Sr. got a thank-you card from BP.
[/QUOTE]
Please GTFO if you've got nothing to really contribute to the thread, which you apparently don't. I refuse to let this thread devolve into another us vs. you BS pile.
 
[quote name='Clak']They go easy on them most likely because if they really punished them, it would scare others from drilling for oil because then they know what might happen if they fuck up. They're probably scared it would have a chilling effect on the whole industry, these folks only explore these wells because they feel the risk is worth it, if the risk goes up they might not. Look at it as our government subsidizing the exploration of these wells by lessening the risk that should honestly be there.[/QUOTE]

Isn't government subsidizing big business something that we can all agree is virtually always wrong?

You know, if the rules in play were something along the lines of "If you do everything absolutely right and something beyond your control goes horribly wrong, then we'll look into limiting damages... but if you **** up... we'll **** you up.", then I'd be more okay with it.

Obviously, BP didn't do everything right - and they deserved to be ****ed up.

Please GTFO if you've got nothing to really contribute to the thread, which you apparently don't. I refuse to let this thread devolve into another us vs. you BS pile.
Click to expand...

If you don't want this thread to devolve, then you probably shouldn't post **** like this. Just sayin'.
 
[quote name='Clak']Please GTFO if you've got nothing to really contribute to the thread, which you apparently don't. I refuse to let this thread devolve into another us vs. you BS pile.[/QUOTE]

I blame the mods. Dmaul blames you.
 
[quote name='UncleBob']I'm going to post a snide remark that's only slightly on subject. So you've been warned.

Remember when certain posters were talking about how the Obama Administration wasn't going easy on BP. Yeah. He gave the appearance while likely making whatever backroom deals that worked to his administration's (or his own, personal) advantage. BP wasn't hit hard enough for this (hopefully some of the private lawsuits get more traction, as they should) - but please, go on pretending that the Democratic Party is so much better than the Republican Party when it comes to saving our planet and protecting the little people.

Now, will follow, the posts deriding the Republican party for their various anti-planet issues. Which is fine, most of it is deserved. But the Democrats will continue to get a free pass for their ability to be more subtle in how they work in the favor of big business.

Also of note, it was a Democratic Congressman that introduced the bill that limited BP's damages to $75 million to private parties. I wonder if the estate of Walter Jones Sr. got a thank-you card from BP.
[/QUOTE]
I'd really love it if you could find that/those threads. I went through 3 years worth and might've missed it.
 
You get the same blame as Clak. ;)

There's nothing the mods can do. Being uninformed and opinionated isn't against forum rules. CAG doesn't seem to have rules against trolling and flame baiting etc., just personal attacks and so on.

If you guys don't want every thread to devolve into the same tired arguments with Bob, Knoell at all, put them on ignore and stop engaging them.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']You get the same blame as Clak. ;)

There's nothing the mods can do. Being uninformed and opinionated isn't against forum rules. CAG doesn't seem to have rules against trolling and flame baiting etc., just personal attacks and so on.[/QUOTE]

Passive aggressive trolls get a pass. Personal attacks include accurate descriptions of some ones behavior. Ergo asymmetrical trolling has been given a wink.
 
So discussing politics in this thread is taboo?
Seriously if it has any place this thread is certainly one of the big ones.

But if it is to become a thread of ignorantly blaming JUST Democrats or JUST Republicans then yes it would serve no purpose.
But if we can open it up to how companies like BP and BP themselves have lined the campaigns and politicians pockets of D's and R's alike then that might be more productive. If we keep allowing ourselves to be distracted and kept bickering over political parties all the while companies like BP and a long list of others are having their way in government then no good change will happen. Do you think they care if someone is a D or an R? Give me a break.
Yet we are blindly led to keep our minds and energy fighting each other on some illusion. If we want to create change we have to hold ALL politicians responsible and keep their feet to the fire. We have to see the bigger picture and get involved and ask for, no, demand change.

Alright I will climb off my high horse now and let the flaming begin.

STOP DROP AND ROLL.
 
[quote name='Msut77']Passive aggressive trolls get a pass. Personal attacks include accurate descriptions of some ones behavior. Ergo asymmetrical trolling has been given a wink.[/QUOTE]

Again, the mods aren't going to deal with it--just the way it is here. So either ignore them, or don't complain when every thread goes off on the same tangents as the same few people keep arguing with the trolls and ill-informed.

Or start an invite only politics discussion social group here on CAG and don't invite them.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']put them on ignore and stop engaging them.[/QUOTE]

That's what I did for the singular individual that proved to be too much of a waste of my time. And it's been good ever since.

[quote name='dohdough']I'd really love it if you could find that/those threads. I went through 3 years worth and might've missed it.[/QUOTE]

Might start with the BP thread. There was plenty of Obama lovin' going on in there.

[quote name='IRHari']Nah, cause then I'd also have to argue that Obama is carrying BP's water (b/c of the campaign contributions) but that would be absolute bullshit. Because Obama is not carrying BP's water.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='IRHari']Obama is certainly not carrying BP's water (& oil) for them, despite receiving campaign contributions from them.[/QUOTE]

Every other post seemed to be in defense of Obama and the Obama administration's response (heh) to the spill. His secret, backroom meetings with BP execs. His vacations. His refusal of aid. All was good back then.
 
[quote name='UncleBob']That's what I did for the singular individual that proved to be too much of a waste of my time. And it's been good ever since.[/quote]
Interesting...

Might start with the BP thread. There was plenty of Obama lovin' going on in there.
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I found that one. There should be another. Which leads me to...

Every other post seemed to be in defense of Obama and the Obama administration's response (heh) to the spill. His secret, backroom meetings with BP execs. His vacations. His refusal of aid. All was good back then.
Click to expand...
I don't know what kind of fool you think I am, but I'm the type of fool that will read through a 44 page thread and I already passed those quotes. Your characterization of the thread is more than a little misleading.
 
I guess I don't see the point in bashing Obama for this.

He did alot more then any of the Republicans would have ever done, and it was Dubya's deregulation that led to the disaster in the first place.

If anything you should blame America's idiotic indifference (and even more idiotic support of) deregulation.
 
[quote name='camoor']I guess I don't see the point in bashing Obama for this.

He did alot more then any of the Republicans would have ever done, and it was Dubya's deregulation that led to the disaster in the first place.

If anything you should blame America's idiotic indifference (and even more idiotic support of) deregulation.[/QUOTE]

It was speeds thread Iirc. Some one was bashing Obama and defending the honor of the oil companies but I can't remember who.
 
to be fair the drilling regulations have been in place largely unchanged since the Clinton Admin.
 
[quote name='Msut77']I blame the mods. Dmaul blames you.[/QUOTE]
I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but dammit he pisses me off sometimes with his BS.
 
Thinking back, I remember how Obama was accused of being a big ol' bully to the poor oil companies. What a crock, if anything he should have been harder on them. But what's done is done, now we get to live with it. So, what is a company to do when they've potentially harmed an entire industry?
 
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