I'm not upset that a mistake happened. I'm not upset that something went wrong. Human error will always be a part of any equation involving just about any business, machinery, or venture.
What upsets me is the complete inability of BP to plan for the worst-case scenario, or to even ponder that a worst-case scenario might even exist. There is some indication that BP knew there might be a problem with the casing and/or the blow-out preventer in the weeks leading up to this disaster.
It's unclear what exactly BP might have done to address the problems, but I can guarantee that there was one solution they probably never even considered....simply shutting the thing down until they knew what the hell was going on.
No. That would probably tick off all of their investors.
BP has repeatedly defended its failures by consistently reminding everyone that trying to work at these depths of water has never been done before and they are in uncharted territory.
Seriously?
Here's an idea:
If you haven't planned beforehand how to solve a catastrophic failure that you know would lead to disastrous results...then maybe you shouldn't move forward into "uncharted territories". And...even if you have planned beforehand what you're going to do in a worst-case scenario, it might be helpful if you actually try working in those depths with some training runs to make sure that your equipment and personnel can actually do what you propose.
I know, I know...totally crazy idea, right?
The military and NASA understand this concept. They spend years and years training and honing skills that they might hopefully never need, but are tested and proven just the same. No one goes into space without having had extensive simulation training. By the time astronauts are shooting through space they have been subjected to just about every possible strain that can be reproduced while still on earth.
Makes a lot of sense to do things that way.
Sickening me even more is BP's notion that if they aren't successful in this latest attempt that we will all have to wait until August for them to drill relief wells.
August?
They're kidding right?
They really believe that they can just decide to give up and wait until August and allow two more months of uncontrolled oil spilling into the Gulf? Two more months of this and there won't be any Gulf of Mexico left to save.
It will have to be renamed the Gulf of Tarry Death and Putrescence.
You know that section in Revelation about one third of the seas being dead is starting to seem all too real to me.
1 comment:
We'd better go visit the beach soon before there's no more beach to visit...
Post a Comment