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[Sean Mirrsen]

So, dump gelatine into the gulf until the entire thing is a big wobbly des(s)ert?

Ice-Nine could work too, but it has some small quirks of its own. How about dumping blocks of CO₂ next to the leaks so that the crude comes up in chunks?

[Urist Imiknorris]

We must turn the entire Gulf of Mexico into Jell-o.

[Nonsapient]

A bit more info for everyone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill#Largest_oil_spills

Not to say this isn't a horrid horrid thing and that BP/Anadarko/Transocean/Halliburton aren't bad people.

Just that things are, overall, way worse than you realize.

[Pathos]

Whenever I see the title of this thread, I sing to myself.

"There's a hole in the bottom of the sea, sea, sea, there's a hole in the bottom of the sea, sea, sea!"

[Footkerchief]

^^^ For some reason, it always makes me think of the TMBG song Why Does the Sun Shine?

[Vector]

A bit more info for everyone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill#Largest_oil_spills

Not to say this isn't a horrid horrid thing and that BP/Anadarko/Transocean/Halliburton aren't bad people.

Just that things are, overall, way worse than you realize.

So... that's basically saying we're about to surpass the largest spill ever in terms of barrels... right?

(50,000 barrels/day)(27 days) = 1,350,000 barrels thus far.


Edit: well, if their estimates are correct:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spill flow rate

BP initially estimated that the wellhead was leaking 1,000 barrels (42,000 US gal) a day.[60] On April 28, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the leak was likely 5,000 barrels (210,000 US gal) a day, five times larger than initially estimated by BP.[61][62] John Amos, a geologist who has worked as a consultant with oil companies on measuring oil spills, said that figure is the "extremely low end" of their estimates, putting a more realistic figure at 20,000 barrels (840,000 US gal) a day.[63][64] Other sources using satellite imagery have put that number as high as 25,000 barrels (1,100,000 US gal) a day.[60][65] Ian MacDonald, an oceanography specialist at Florida State University, estimated that oil might be leaking at a rate of 25,000 barrels (1,100,000 US gal) a day and that the oil slick as of May 2, 2010, might already contain more than 210,000 barrels (8,800,000 US gal).[66] He later estimated the spill to be about 290,000 barrels (12,000,000 US gal).[67] Mike Miller of Safety Boss, a fire-fighting company that specializes in oil wells, suggested that the oil spill may become the biggest in history.[62]

According to BP, estimating the flow is very difficult as there is no metering of the flow underwater.[62] In their permit filed with the Minerals Management Service, BP quotes a worst case daily discharge of 3,900 barrels (160,000 US gal) per day.[68] Before Congress, BP revised their figure upwards to 60,000 barrels (2,500,000 US gal) per day if the blowout preventer and other equipment restricting the current flow were removed.[69] Experts contacted by National Public Radio and shown the same footage put the leak rate at 56,000–84,000 barrels (2,400,000–3,500,000 USgal) per day.[70] Steven Wereley, an associate professor at Purdue University used a computer analysis (particle image velocimetry) yielding a rate of 70,000 barrels (2,900,000 US gal) per day.[71][72] Timothy Crone, an associate research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, used another well-accepted method to calculate fluid flows, estimating the flow is "at least 50,000 barrels a day," and Eugene Chaing, a professor of astrophysics at the University of California, Berkeley, got a similar answer just using pencil and paper, stating "I would peg it at around 20,000 to 100,000 barrels per day," and the earlier figure of 5,000 barrels a day is "almost certainly incorrect."[73][74]

[Pathos]

So... that's basically saying we're about to surpass the largest spill ever in terms of barrels... right?

(50,000 barrels/day)(27 days) = 1,350,000 barrels thus far.

And soon even more!

[Nonsapient]

A bit more info for everyone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill#Largest_oil_spills

Not to say this isn't a horrid horrid thing and that BP/Anadarko/Transocean/Halliburton aren't bad people.

Just that things are, overall, way worse than you realize.

So... that's basically saying we're about to surpass the largest spill ever in terms of barrels... right?

(50,000 barrels/day)(27 days) = 1,350,000 barrels thus far.


Edit: well, if their estimates are correct:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spill flow rate

BP initially estimated that the wellhead was leaking 1,000 barrels (42,000 US gal) a day.[60] On April 28, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the leak was likely 5,000 barrels (210,000 US gal) a day, five times larger than initially estimated by BP.[61][62] John Amos, a geologist who has worked as a consultant with oil companies on measuring oil spills, said that figure is the "extremely low end" of their estimates, putting a more realistic figure at 20,000 barrels (840,000 US gal) a day.[63][64] Other sources using satellite imagery have put that number as high as 25,000 barrels (1,100,000 US gal) a day.[60][65] Ian MacDonald, an oceanography specialist at Florida State University, estimated that oil might be leaking at a rate of 25,000 barrels (1,100,000 US gal) a day and that the oil slick as of May 2, 2010, might already contain more than 210,000 barrels (8,800,000 US gal).[66] He later estimated the spill to be about 290,000 barrels (12,000,000 US gal).[67] Mike Miller of Safety Boss, a fire-fighting company that specializes in oil wells, suggested that the oil spill may become the biggest in history.[62]

According to BP, estimating the flow is very difficult as there is no metering of the flow underwater.[62] In their permit filed with the Minerals Management Service, BP quotes a worst case daily discharge of 3,900 barrels (160,000 US gal) per day.[68] Before Congress, BP revised their figure upwards to 60,000 barrels (2,500,000 US gal) per day if the blowout preventer and other equipment restricting the current flow were removed.[69] Experts contacted by National Public Radio and shown the same footage put the leak rate at 56,000–84,000 barrels (2,400,000–3,500,000 USgal) per day.[70] Steven Wereley, an associate professor at Purdue University used a computer analysis (particle image velocimetry) yielding a rate of 70,000 barrels (2,900,000 US gal) per day.[71][72] Timothy Crone, an associate research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, used another well-accepted method to calculate fluid flows, estimating the flow is "at least 50,000 barrels a day," and Eugene Chaing, a professor of astrophysics at the University of California, Berkeley, got a similar answer just using pencil and paper, stating "I would peg it at around 20,000 to 100,000 barrels per day," and the earlier figure of 5,000 barrels a day is "almost certainly incorrect."[73][74]

Personally, I'm leaning more toward the 50,000 barrel per day number.    There's still stuff jammed in the well, there are makeshift patches and wreckage, etc. 

It could become the biggest,  but this is by no means the Tsar Bomba of oil spills.  We've been doing this fairly regularly for the past 50 years.

[Paranatural]

Possibly not the biggest spill, but I suspect it will have one of the largest economic impacts. Seriously, even with the dead zone, the gulf provides HUGE amounts of seafood to the USA, it's a heavily populated coastal region, and it will affect the livelihood of millions.

[Urist Imiknorris]

But Alaskan crab fishermen will make even more monies. And it will give Deadliest Catch a reason for existing - "These are the men who are catching your seafood. They are the only ones outside of New England who can do it. They are our only hope."

[LeoLeonardoIII]

I love that the only thing they've really done so far is to continue drilling for oil and send lawyers in to limit their liability.

Or is there something else?

[Nonsapient]

I love that the only thing they've really done so far is to continue drilling for oil and send lawyers in to limit their liability.

Or is there something else?

Not really.  There isn't much they can do at this point.  Everything they try (other than the relief wells) is pretty much just for PR at this point.  They just want to look busy.  The relief wells are the ONLY permanent fix here.

Possibly not the biggest spill, but I suspect it will have one of the largest economic impacts. Seriously, even with the dead zone, the gulf provides HUGE amounts of seafood to the USA, it's a heavily populated coastal region, and it will affect the livelihood of millions.

At the very least, I'm glad people are at least seeing it this way, even if it were not true.  Here's hoping for some of that CHANGE we were promised.

[PTTG??]

Whenever I see the title of this thread, I sing to myself.

"There's a hole in the bottom of the sea, sea, sea, there's a hole in the bottom of the sea, sea, sea!"

Yar, and 'tis a fine chanty, it be.
*Ahem* [takes off eye patch]

[Duke 2.0]

 You know, we need some good 'ol Bush-era conspiracy theories.

 Obama caused the oil spill.

[RedWarrior0]

No. Alfred Nobel left a message for the Peace Prize Committee to cause an environmental disaster to frame the first black US President with a conspiracy theory.