Deepwater Horizon: BIG EXPLOSIONS BIG FINES

Picture by: Justin E. Stumberg

It has almost been two years since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP is expected to plead guilty and pay a record fine of $4.5 billion over six years.  The fine that BP faces will exceed the fine that the pharmaceutical drug maker Pfizer was charged ($1 billion).  The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and National Academy of Science (NAS) are expected to be one of the many recipients that will be on the receiving end of this case.  BP will also face 11 criminal charges from the 11 lives that were lost.

During the spill, BP reported a loss of $17 billion, but over the nine quarters BP has reported a profit of $43 billion.  For the amount of oil spilled, lives lost, and a whole lot of conspiracy behind covering each other and themselves will come to justice today.  Having the pressure to contain the spill may be a headache, but had BP not bypass inspections and take shortcuts, maybe there would be no historic oil spill.  The process that BP took clearly lined them up for failure; Swiss cheese, what could go wrong went wrong.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/15/news/bp-oil-spill-settlement/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/11/15/165190956/bp-expected-to-plead-guilty-pay-record-fine-in-gulf-oil-spill-criminal-case

Gas Not Paid At the Pump In California, "AB32"

Picture provided by:  David McNew/Getty Images

For the benefit of the world, California will be implementing and executing a new state climate law known as "AB32" as soon as Jan. 1, 2013.  This new state law will govern how much green house gases can be emitted by businesses by issuing permits; some free, but additional permits will go up for auction if businesses need to cover their emission of green house gases.  The prices of these permits have not been released, but as soon as this law is in effect, businesses will have another expense to cough up if they want their businesses to stay alive.

Some businesses have already put their foot inside by adopting more energy efficient technology into their businesses.  These include using solar panels, energy efficient lights, bigger windows that open, decrease the usage of machinery, and the usage of less water.  The University of California known to have a big power plant to supply power for dorms, labs, and hospitals says that they will need to purchase these permits due to their high output of green house gases.  This means that the state will be able to generate some sort of revenue while limiting green houses gases. 

The uncertainty that will erupt from this law could have businesses leaving the state and relocating to areas where there are less strict law governing carbon emissions.  This could possibly mean that many businesses, if not already, will relocate into countries such as Mexico. 

http://www.npr.org/2012/11/13/165052181/calif-to-begin-rationing-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Sandy! Sandy! Sandy!

Picture by:  Damon Dahlen



The effects of Sandy are pouring in and in the form of snow.  With strong winds, rain, snow, and known flooding to occur, individuals in the north eastern part of the United States were hit again.  Some areas in Massachusetts got up to 8 inches of snow while some area in New Jersey got up to a foot of snow.  As the east coast and the nation are slowly mopping and cleaning the aftermath of the disaster, the end to cleaning it up seems out of reach at the moment. 

The destruction to so many homes has left people in a place of homelessness. Some individuals are still left without power with an estimate that 695,700 homes and businesses in the New York and New Jersey region are without power or lack electricity.  There as also been an estimate that a total of 1700 air flights have been cancelled.  Through this all, Sandy has robbed and affected the American economy even after the footprints that it has left were in the process of forming into a fossil, history of the past.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/noreaster-2012-nj-ny-superstorm-sandy_n_2091371.html?ir=Green