"Woods Hole scientists acknowledged NOAA’s findings are quite possible"
Related: US scientist retracts assurances over success of cleanup
So what's up with that, Woods Hole -- and why should I ever believe you are independent of government pressure again?
Or was it the agenda-pushing Globe putting words in your mouth?
Also see: Globe Coming Clean on Gulf Gusher
I didn't check behind their ears.
"Woods Hole says oil trapped deep, degrading very slowly; Study’s findings contrast with government’s" by Beth Daley, Globe Staff | August 20, 2010
The plume the scientists examined is just one of several that have been identified. They appear to be continuously changing shape and location but remain at roughly the same depth....
It’s long been conventional wisdom that oil, which is lighter than water, would quickly rise. But the unprecedented use of underwater dispersants designed to break down some of the 4.9 million barrels of oil worked so well, many scientists say, that large amounts of oil remain submerged.
These are not thick rivers of oil. Rather, they are diffuse mixtures of microscopic oil and gas droplets, akin more to smoke or clouds — a glass of the seawater would be clear and odorless.
Even so, some scientists are worried that these tiny oil and gas droplets and the chemical dispersants could be toxic to marine life that serves as the foundation of the ocean food web, as well as other species.
Earlier this month, Jane Lubchenco, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief, declared that “at least 50 percent of the oil that was released is now completely gone from the system, and most of the remainder is degrading rapidly or is being removed from the beaches.’’
Her comments were based on a NOAA report that said about 74 percent of the oil was accounted for: 25 percent was burned, skimmed or sucked from the wellhead; 25 percent naturally evaporated or dissolved; and 24 percent was dispersed, either naturally or with chemicals. The remainder was considered “residual’’ and probably became sheens on the surface or tar balls.
While Lubchenco said the dispersed oil could possibly harm marine life, some scientists criticized the report as being too rosy, because the dispersed and dissolved oil was probably still present in the gulf. This week, a group of independent scientists from the University of Georgia and Georgia Sea Grant estimated that up to 80 percent of the leaked oil remains in the ocean or on marshes and beaches.
But NOAA officials told the Globe they had data showing that the remaining underwater oil was rapidly degrading and that microbes are consuming much more oil since the Woods Hole cruise.
“Part of it is [the Woods Hole] observations were early on . . . it takes a while to crank up that bacterial action,’’ said Steve Murawski, chief scientist for the NOAA’s Fisheries Service.
Woods Hole scientists acknowledged NOAA’s findings are quite possible.
The differing findings are understandable, said John Kessler, a Texas A&M University oceanographer who is studying methane releases from the gulf spill — and who has also found evidence of oil being digested by microbes....
Related: Scientists starting to voice concerns about methane being at levels that will kill millions
Kessler, who was not involved in the Woods Hole study and praised it as good science. “Thus, possibly everyone’s data are correct.’’
Yeah, JUST BELIEVE WHATEVER WE TELL YOU!!
Other scientists previously found evidence of plumes, but the Woods Hole study, which included researchers from the University of Sydney and Monitor Instruments Co. in Cheswick, Pa., is the most scientifically robust....
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Wow, does the Globe ever look bad!!
I guess there is only ONE ENTITY we can believe in, huh?
"BP accused of holding back spill evidence" by Dina Cappiello and Harry R. Weber, Associated Press | August 20, 2010
WASHINGTON — The company that owned the oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico is accusing
Obtained means someone gave it to them; it just makes it look like AP worked for it.
The complaint by
BP and Transocean appear likely to face off in court over how much each should pay out for the tragedy.
Transocean owned the Deepwater Horizon, the rig that exploded and sank, killing 11 workers and unleashing millions of gallons of oil. BP was the operator and majority owner of the well.
Yeah, people seem to forget it is a MURDER SCENE!
BP spokeswoman Elizabeth Ashford said Transocean’s accusations were misleading and misguided.
Now you are talking my newspaper.
“We have been at the forefront of cooperating with various investigations commissioned by the US government and others into the causes of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy,’’ Ashford said. “Our commitment to cooperate with these investigations has been and remains unequivocal and steadfast.’’
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