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Tonight, Rachel Maddow stayed after the story in which I played a small part last night…that subsea blowout preventers (BOPs) cannot reliably contain deepwater blowouts.  Apparently, the Department of Interior is unhappy with her coverage of this story, but I believe she is correct in shining a bright light on this [...]

Yesterday, the Department of Interior released Det Norske Veritas’ (DNV) report on the forensic testing that it conducted on the blowout preventer (BOP) that failed to shut in BP’s blown out Macondo well almost a year ago.  I’m still going through the 500-plus page report to find answers to my many questions about [...]

All the buzz yesterday on the talk shows (besides Michele Bachmann repeating her talking point dozens of times on Meet the Press rather than actually answering questions) was tapping the Strategic Oil Reserve to somehow lower gasoline prices.  To even suggest such a move is not only a bad idea and bad policy, [...]

Reports of escalating violence in Libya, intransigence of its lunatic dictator, Muammar Ghaddafi, and announcements of the evacuation of foreign oil workers has thrown the markets into turmoil.  US stock markets were down again today, and Brent Crude hit as high as $111 per barrel.  West Texas Intermediate traded over $100, closing [...]

You remember the August 4, 2010 “Oil Budget” published by NOAA and the USGS that most of the oil spilled from BP’s Macondo well blowout had magically disappeared.  In a White House press conference held that day, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen did a victory lap that the leaking well was [...]

I know I keep saying it, but I told you so.  The Observer is reporting that, according to its sources, the EPA is likely to agree to cut its current estimate of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico by BP’s Macondo well that blew out on April 20.  BP has officially disputed the [...]

Hydraulic fracturing, known as frac’ing, of oil and gas wells has been a common practice for decades yet little is understood about this complex, and potentially very dangerous well treating practice.  In the last 10 to 15 years, more and more questions have been raised by both the environmental community and [...]

Reported by Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News, federal investigators have found widespread violations of the Hatch Act, which forbids political activities by government employees, in the Office for Political Affairs headed Karl Rove during the Bush II administration.  From the report:
“In 2006, the partisan political activity of OPA [...]

One of the heroes of my early life died today after his own long life of 95 years.  Sargent Shriver, who will live forever in my memory as the young, vibrant brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy and husband of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, set the example of selfless public service to my [...]

Today, the presidential oil spill commission issued its final report concluding that the blowout of BP’s Macondo well was certainly preventable, was caused by identifiable mistakes made by BP and its contractors, and resulted from complacency and poor risk management–placing doubt on the safety culture of the oil and gas [...]