Gulf Oil Spill & Continuous Outpour

[Ya Mu]

How many have stopped to think of the far reaching implications of the USA gulf coast oil situation? At the very minimum, a possible devastation of a multi-billion dollar industry. At the maximum, a possible change of economics that could put the nation over the edge economically and possible endangerment to world's food supply? What do you think? Do you think the actual amount of oil coming out is reported or censored? Why can't the officials be told the ingredients in the "dispersant"? Is it going to prove to be extremely harmful? Is BP done for economically or do they make enough money that a weeks operation will pay for everything so far? How will that effect the world? No more deep well drilling? Effect on nation due to peak oil production has already come & gone? Why will they (BP & coast guard) not allow alternative means of cleanup to be used?

And what about economic refugees from the gulf states - where are they going to go?

[Encephalon]

How many have stopped to think of the far reaching implications of the USA gulf coast oil situation? At the very minimum, a possible devastation of a multi-billion dollar industry. At the maximum, a possible change of economics that could put the nation over the edge economically and possible endangerment to world's food supply? What do you think? Do you think the actual amount of oil coming out is reported or censored? Why can't the officials be told the ingredients in the "dispersant"? Is it going to prove to be extremely harmful? Is BP done for economically or do they make enough money that a weeks operation will pay for everything so far? How will that effect the world? No more deep well drilling? Effect on nation due to peak oil production has already come & gone? Why will they (BP & coast guard) not allow alternative means of cleanup to be used?

And what about economic refugees from the gulf states - where are they going to go?

 

I was wondering when this subject was going to get covered here. The gusher is currently spewing 70,000 barrels a day, or the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez incident every four days.

 

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0513/gulf-oil-gusher-ten-times-worse-prior-estimates/

 

 

I posted Taoism/ecology themes more than a few times in here but they remained uninspired, which disappointed me deeply as there is really no other formal academic subject in our western paradigm that more closely mirrors Taoism. Anyone who is not grieving deeply over this tragedy has either become numb and inured to global calamity or is mired in that state of spiritual infancy where Indra's Web remains undetected.

 

Yamu's speculations are correct; insofar as the nation is already bankrupt, the economic impact could accelerate the post-oil descent in some unpleasant ways. The fact that the CEO of BP suggests that this gusher is "relatively small in relation to the size of the world's oceans" is proof that unfathomable delusion reigns supreme amongst some of the world's most powerful individuals.

 

I post again Deng Ming-Dao's thoughts on healing. It is perhaps the most powerful source of solace from a Taoist perspective I've ever discovered.

 

B.

 

 

Healing

 

 

 

Fire cools.

Water seeks its own level.

 

 

No matter how extreme a situation is, it will change. It cannot continue forever. Thus, a great forest fire is always destined to burn itself out; a turbulent sea will become calmer. Natural events balance themselves out by seeking their opposites, and this process of balance is at the heart of all healing.

 

This process takes time. If an event is not great, the balancing required is slight. If it is momentous, then it may take days, years, even lifetimes for things to return to an even keel. Actually, without these slight imbalances, there could be no movement in life. It is being off balance that keeps life changing. Total centering, total balance would only be stasis. All life is continual destruction and healing, over and over again.

 

That is why, even in the midst of an extreme situation, the wise are patient. Whether the situation is illness, calamity, or their own anger, they know that healing will follow upheaval.

[Ya Mu]

I was wondering when this subject was going to get covered here. The gusher is currently spewing 70,000 barrels a day, or the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez incident every four days.

 

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0513/gulf-oil-gusher-ten-times-worse-prior-estimates/

 

 

I posted Taoism/ecology themes more than a few times in here but they remained uninspired, which disappointed me deeply as there is really no other formal academic subject in our western paradigm that more closely mirrors Taoism. Anyone who is not grieving deeply over this tragedy has either become numb and inured to global calamity or is mired in that state of spiritual infancy where Indra's Web remains undetected.

 

Yamu's speculations are correct; insofar as the nation is already bankrupt, the economic impact could accelerate the post-oil descent in some unpleasant ways. The fact that the CEO of BP suggests that this gusher is "relatively small in relation to the size of the world's oceans" is proof that unfathomable delusion reigns supreme amongst some of the world's most powerful individuals.

 

I post again Deng Ming-Dao's thoughts on healing. It is perhaps the most powerful source of solace from a Taoist perspective I've ever discovered.

 

B.

 

 

Healing

 

 

 

Fire cools.

Water seeks its own level.

 

 

No matter how extreme a situation is, it will change. It cannot continue forever. Thus, a great forest fire is always destined to burn itself out; a turbulent sea will become calmer. Natural events balance themselves out by seeking their opposites, and this process of balance is at the heart of all healing.

 

This process takes time. If an event is not great, the balancing required is slight. If it is momentous, then it may take days, years, even lifetimes for things to return to an even keel. Actually, without these slight imbalances, there could be no movement in life. It is being off balance that keeps life changing. Total centering, total balance would only be stasis. All life is continual destruction and healing, over and over again.

 

That is why, even in the midst of an extreme situation, the wise are patient. Whether the situation is illness, calamity, or their own anger, they know that healing will follow upheaval.

I was hoping you would come around and contribute to this thread. I have been waiting for a thread on this to pop up but finally decided it wasn't going to.

I like what you post, but I do think the time scale of balance is going to be a long time on our scale.

[That Guy]

Been following it, its just terrible. Worst part is that we probably have all the knowledge we need to satisfy our energy needs without deep sea drilling, just have to be willing to go through a little hardship to make a big change. Maybe if they finally get the zero point energy going we'll stop doing such risky things.

[Aetherous]

Edited May 15, 2010 by Scotty

[de_paradise]

Big Oil is not to blame, they are the reprentatives of our own addiction to oil.

Any of you junkies gotten rid of your cars? I thought not.

[sifusufi]

I've seen posts here where people move clouds and such.

 

Now lets

A. Stop the leak in the Gulf

B. Heal Stephen Hawking

 

This will be a unified 24/7 Tao Bums community effort

 

cue up Beatles... All together now!...all together now!

 

...the rest is up to you

Edited May 15, 2010 by sifusufi

[idquest]

I'm pretty sure that if the spill moved to the ocean (rather than shoreline) nobody in BP or government would even scratch their heads. They are forced to do something now, fortunately.

 

But I'd like to ask what we can do on a personal level to reduce the oil addiction. How many people are willing to drive 50 miles/gallon cars rather than 20 miles/gallon? Not because gas is expensive but because they don't want to shit environment? Not many in my area. People organize 'go green' committees and then go home in their huge jeeps/suv's/trucks.

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

Big Oil is not to blame, they are the reprentatives of our own addiction to oil.

Any of you junkies gotten rid of your cars? I thought not.

 

Like we're offered an alternative in public transportation? Biking is not safe amongst traffic, either. So our "addiction to oil" is being maintained by the powers that be, not the individuals, so don't hassle me about my car and feel smug that we're all to blame.

[That Guy]

Like we're offered an alternative in public transportation? Biking is not safe amongst traffic, either. So our "addiction to oil" is being maintained by the powers that be, not the individuals, so don't hassle me about my car and feel smug that we're all to blame.

You are right, but not directly saying this to you, but in general how many people have really gone after an alternative? were willing to walk that extra mile to get it?

 

In the USA (in some parts) they now have alcohol powered cars which are better for the environment. If everyone started getting these gas stations would change too so they carry alcohol, since they want your money.

This is entirely possible, Brazil which is still "3rd world" in some parts can do this, I'm sure the USA can too.

 

ANd in your picture, whats happening? has she fallen over and he manage to catch her just in time?

[Encephalon]

You are right, but not directly saying this to you, but in general how many people have really gone after an alternative? were willing to walk that extra mile to get it?

 

In the USA (in some parts) they now have alcohol powered cars which are better for the environment. If everyone started getting these gas stations would change too so they carry alcohol, since they want your money.

This is entirely possible, Brazil which is still "3rd world" in some parts can do this, I'm sure the USA can too.

 

ANd in your picture, whats happening? has she fallen over and he manage to catch her just in time?

 

I would heartily encourage everyone to watch the movie "Collapse" where and when they can.http://www.collapsemovie.com/ The dvd release date is June 15, 2010. Many questions will be answered.

 

There are NO fossil fuel replacements on the horizon. Alcohol and shale development consume the same calories of energy that they provide. It's comforting to believe that energy technology will continue to evolve, but comforting thoughts go only so far. There is only so much agar in the petri dish, and it will not be replenished.

 

I still maintain that cooperative ventures modeled on traditional Taoist communities would offer the surest path to a post-oil future, but fierce independence and self-sufficiency are vastly more demanding than daily chi kung practice. But that's where we start, right?

[ralis]

Like we're offered an alternative in public transportation? Biking is not safe amongst traffic, either. So our "addiction to oil" is being maintained by the powers that be, not the individuals, so don't hassle me about my car and feel smug that we're all to blame.

 

You are right! We are being manipulated by corporations for their own greed and power! For now we have no choice but to continue driving vehicles with internal combustion engines.

 

I live in NM and some of my clients are 35 miles away. I can just see me riding a bike with all my power tools.

 

 

ralis

[That Guy]

There are NO fossil fuel replacements on the horizon. Alcohol and shale development consume the same calories of energy that they provide.

I thought the plants got energy from the sun which is then transformed into ethanol which we burn.

 

If Alcohol and shale development consume the same calories of energy that they provide. Whats the point in making them? how do you even get a surplus of energy you can sell?

[buddhasbellybuttonfluff]

I thought the plants got energy from the sun which is then transformed into ethanol which we burn.

 

If Alcohol and shale development consume the same calories of energy that they provide. Whats the point in making them? how do you even get a surplus of energy you can sell?

The corporations are only selling a green image; anyone who thinks that alternative fuels can save the day has made a grave misjudgement. First of all, the amount of energy that mankind may derive from the Sun is limited, and when we include the implicit costs of agriculture management and fertilization, not to mention their environmental impact, we will spend more energy in converting oil to alcohol than genuinely shift to a sustainable energy source. Second, the acquisition of "free energy" would instantly cause an unprecented exploitation of Earth: We would use that limitless energy to transform more of the Earth into our image and procreate even more in the absence of growth limitations. That would completely ruin the Earth, as mankind does not have the integrity and balance to wield such power. Thirdly, all the environmental issues only echo overpopulation, vanishing of ethnic traditions and sustainable lifestyles for the sake of "progression and tolerance," and a paramount of fear. Rootless people lead a rootless life, and through the proliferation of our numbers the worth of average human has undergone a major inflation. The atmosphere of alienation and fear becomes a palpable transmitted disease, when on daily basis a handful of our sweet children find out through the conflicting interests that they have no place nor room in the society. "Mind the gap" could as well encapsule how we transform interdependence into codependence: Intimate living goes down into the drain with the quality of life, while population numbers bulge through artificially iniated schemes of unsatisfactory desires. As we cannot live in balance, we will fall.

 

When you understand the signifigance of mathematics and physics, you have one foot in balance.

 

To recap this represantion of misanthropy, allow me to throw in some quotes from the venerable Jacques-Yves Cousteau:

 

If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed and if we are not willing to change, we will disappear from the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect.

 

This is a terrible thing to say. In order to stabilize the world population, we must eliminate 350,000 people per day. It is a horrible thing to say, but it's just as bad not to say it.

 

The biggest obstacle was mixing abortion with overpopulation. These are two things that have nothing to do with each other.

 

The real cure for our environmental problems is to understand that our job is to salvage Mother Nature. We are facing a formidable enemy in this field. It is the hunters... and to convince them to leave their guns on the wall is going to be very difficult.

 

The sea is the universal sewer.

 

People protect what they love.

Forget about the green movement, it has long since hijacked by pretentious hipsters and profiteers. We do not need better and bigger technology to solve the problems of extreme codependence we currently have; we need to simplify, scale down, and take responsibility in the local level. Central governance will never solve these issues, but only lull people into the sense that they should not think and act for their continued welfare due to an invisible mechanism handing them "free" welfare checks. If we don't let things to settle without interference and desire to help, the cup will keep storming and boiling until we get a bunch of tyrants and murderers who will make the past totalitarians look like sissies.

 

Blessings

Edited May 15, 2010 by buddhasbellybuttonfluff

[reddragon]

It's going to push the Harp and blue ray program forward.

 

The SARS "virus" was actually a microbe and one of the main reasons for the

 

aerosoling of the atmosphere. The diazanone in the aerosol is for the microbs.

 

They have been getting more and more populous in the environment with each spill.

 

This one may push it over the edge. It's not a flue they're worried about.

 

The aluminum in the aerosol is to decrease water vapor that was discovered is causing

 

the "hole in the ozone" -this bit kinda kills the theory that the nwo is out to

 

kill everyone with the aerosol because if massive over population is the reason for

 

the water vapor that made the Hole, then a slow population kill-off with copper ions

 

or Diazanone in the spray makes no logic.

 

The copper is the conductor to be used to deliver the charge from harp and blue ray.

 

There are 18 of these station around the world now.

 

The last and most important ingredient in the spray is Barium a transitional element

 

being used to block the Gamma from our sun that "they" fear will blind and kill

 

everyone, haha.. the sun and moon are carrying on and important cycle from resistance

 

to zero and looks like she is going to make it this time, hehe and all us with her

 

Fear is really what we as a species are dealing with at this time -not world disaster.

 

 

The issue of control that allows for a real change that "we" can definitely

 

bring into being right at this moment is a matter 'Amount of Life Force' that happens

 

always to be governed by FEAR. The only resolve for fear in any conditions are the

 

same as all the great messengers taught: love, compassion, forgiveness

 

there is great power in the simplest form of mind and great fear behind all complexity

 

It's a matter of choice

hoho

[reddragon]

It is shameful to exclude the acts of man as going against natural law

and completely destructive as if our collective emotional relationship with the earth does not include our "accidents" as steps the evolutionary process of the Earth and solar system and galaxy. We cannot avoid or hinder evolution

 

"accident" is an assessment of the lower mind and comes only from duality the seat of fear, the EGO..

 

beyond fear and ego there are no accidents, only process and universal Law.

 

The one law unknowable, unutterable is bringing this very moment into being

[sifusufi]

Here is an excellent 3D viewer of the deal

The big easy ain't got it so easy again. hmm...

 

Geographic Magnatude!

[That Guy]

[buddhasbellybuttonfluff]

Your optimism in humanity is so deep

That which makes for excessively profitable business can't spell good for the sustainable future. If mankind doesn't understand and treat the root problems, then it becomes a destiny to suffer the consequences until we learn.

 

Blessings

[That Guy]

That which makes for excessively profitable business can't spell good for the sustainable future. If mankind doesn't understand and treat the root problems, then it becomes a destiny to suffer the consequences until we learn.

 

Blessings

Well, I think you're mixing things up a little.

Theres nothing wrong with profit, it has just become an ugly word. Profit itself is fine, you might deserve a good profit after all that hard work.

Its more about what you're doing in order to make profit. If you're exploiting, plundering, corrupting, polluting etc in order to make a profit, thats bad. If you're doing something totally sustainable, not over charging, corrupting and cleaning up the mess you make thats fine, make all the profit you want.

 

And I'll take ethanol cartels any day over oil cartels, because at least the environment will be cleaner. I love the earth, i give a big hug whenever I can

 

You're right about some root problems, but switching to other energy sources can still do a lot of good for us all as we continue to solve our problems as a race into the future.

 

Blessings to you too

Edited May 15, 2010 by That Guy

[buddhasbellybuttonfluff]

Hi That Guy,

 

Even at the risk of becoming redundant, I must make some wordings and their implications clear.

 

Well, I think you're mixing things up a little.

Theres nothing wrong with profit, it has just become an ugly word. Profit itself is fine, you might deserve a good profit after all that hard work.

Its more about what you're doing in order to make profit. If you're exploiting, plundering, corrupting, polluting etc in order to make a profit, thats bad. If you're doing something totally sustainable, not over charging, corrupting and cleaning up the mess you make thats fine, make all the profit you want.

I don't think I mixed anything up. Anything taken to extremes causes detrimental effects, and therefore excess profit indicates prior exploitation and a massive shift in social balance: Those with the most of money can ask for great services, and those with the least are in a great debt of service. Everybody understands how it would cripple and distort an agrarian society of a few hundred members, yet disturbances caused by the modern world economy go largely unexamined and misunderstood. A stong stagnation of money and great wealth disparities signify that the balance has become lost, and the continuing disease always reflects in the environment.

 

And I'll take ethanol cartels any day over oil cartels, because at least the environment will be cleaner.

I find nothing wrong in capitalism and profit, but when we use them to justify various invented desires and needs, then the world suffers. Transportation especially uses up a lot of natural resources by importing services from afar with the excuse of "cheap" energy, when the local professionals could equally well provide such services by using traditional means. How about cultivating some roots for a change?

 

Blessings

[That Guy]

Hi That Guy,

 

Even at the risk of becoming redundant, I must make some wordings and their implications clear.

 

 

I don't think I mixed anything up. Anything taken to extremes causes detrimental effects, and therefore excess profit indicates prior exploitation and a massive shift in social balance: Those with the most of money can ask for great services, and those with the least are in a great debt of service. Everybody understands how it would cripple and distort an agrarian society of a few hundred members, yet disturbances caused by the modern world economy go largely unexamined and misunderstood. A stong stagnation of money and great wealth disparities signify that the balance has become lost, and the continuing disease always reflects in the environment.

 

 

I find nothing wrong in capitalism and profit, but when we use them to justify various invented desires and needs, then the world suffers. Transportation especially uses up a lot of natural resources by importing services from afar with the excuse of "cheap" energy, when the local professionals could equally well provide such services by using traditional means. How about cultivating some roots for a change?

 

Blessings

Lets just replace the word excess with optimum profit, there problem solved. No unbalance, just hard work and efficiency.

 

Have you ever considered that those with most money might deserve it? In our current state where celebrities like paris hilton are rich for example this might not be the case, but lets say the man who is responsible for taking care of a power plant, he deserve more money than the guy who runs a juice bar at the beach, right? all that stress, responsibility etc

 

People talk about money and economy value, but you know its all fake right? If people have what they need and the means to get what the want there is a certain balance.

 

I'm not even sure where we are going anymre though but anyway, cleaner fuel = cleaner planet. At least we'll have that and not corrupted + polluted planet.

 

blessings

[Cloudhand]

Sometimes you have to bottom out to go back up, maybe more jobs will come out of this spill not if your a fisherman though. If we learn and not keep doing the same thing. Oil is profit and profit is are economy.

[C T]

Big Oil is not to blame, they are the reprentatives of our own addiction to oil.

Any of you junkies gotten rid of your cars? I thought not.

Well yes... and no. Up until the end of March i was driving a bmw. Swapped that for a honda. Same sized engine, but running costs have been cut by 30%. Prestige at a price too high to pay, i believe. I also bought a bicycle, for the shorter trips to the shop and also for the exercise. Its great.

 

Whats happening in the Gulf is a direct result of ignorance. Those who argue that science has advanced humanity is only half correct, IMO. Science has done wonderful things, but has also handed the edge to the 'powers-that-are' to do things with a kind of shadowy veil that allows them the edge to keep the average person out of the know, almost to the point of smirking, "What they do not know cant harm them" sort of way. Lets see the brilliance of science sort this mess out, hopefully without creating a sub-monster somewhere as a result.

[Ya Mu]

 

... Transportation especially uses up a lot of natural resources by importing services from afar with the excuse of "cheap" energy, when the local professionals could equally well provide such services by using traditional means. How about cultivating some roots for a change?

 

Blessings

 

Amen. One of the vast wastes of energy that we have is living in one area and purchasing products from another area that could easily be grown locally. The "family farm" has been discouraged by big-AG interests; this has really put our country in a bad way because of the billions of dollars in oil that we use to transport goods across the country.

 

Some solutions that can help overall (won't stop the spill, though):

1) Grow as much of your own food as possible and encourage others to do so as well. This will cut down on transportation oil use.

2) Invest in solar hot water. The typical family's utility bill is about 30% hot water. Solar hot water pays for itself.

3) Utilize passive solar design in any new building and super insulate.

4) use led lighting in your house; retrofit existing house with more insulation and seal it as well as possible.

[2),3) and 4) will cut down on oil used to transport those billions of tons of coal to the power plants.]

5) Build or buy an EV (Nissan is supposed to ship early next year). Most people commute less that 40 miles. Slowly purchase solar panels to build a charging station. Design your system so that you can get started with minimum expense then add to it as you can.

6) Purchase your food in bulk. If most did this the use of oil to make all the little plastic containers and transport them individually would be cut.

 

There are other things but these are some of the things that certainly could make a difference.