I feel uneasy in saying it but this unfolding disaster could hardly have happened in a better place.

And the bigger the disaster, the more Americans it affects, the more likely the USA Government will force change in the way the crude oil industry operates and alternatives are preferred (ie: locally grown and refined bio-fuels).

But hey, BP’s chief exec, Tony Hayward said yesty, “the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is relatively tiny compared with the size of the ocean”.  And relatively speaking the Earth is huge compared to a human so therefore it really doesn’t matter how much we pollute it because it’s all relative.  The logic of greed, if you can call it logic.

You are right Russell, maybe this will change the world and its greedy need for oil in the future. Pity a few more of the greedy and their mining/forestry habits (both financially and environmentally) have not had an effect on the way things are done.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

I’m hoping a number of our agri-businesses (notably aquaculture) are paying attention.  That hugemoungous oil spill could mean big business for Australia.

It could also be a trigger event for the devastating collapse of the global biospehere but lets not worry about that huh?

#1: What do you reckon they might grow?

How much of the USA’s annual energy consumption (~100 quadrillion Btu) might these biofuels replace?

Re #5
Gotta start sometime. Crude isn’t going to last forever.

This pollution will be carried by the Gulf Stream,
into the North Atlantic.Try to imagine that you are a turtle coming up to breath with this stuff on the surface,or a whale or dolphin.Sea birds, far out on the ocean trying to feed off small fish.
What an awful mess,and for what?So fat arsed people can drive to work;aeroplanes can zoom millions around the world;wars can be fought with oil engined machines?Now what would Jesus of Nazareth have said about all this.Religous faiths are conveniently quiet on too many matters.They don’t mind telling you that you mustn’t put a little rubber thing on your willy,but pollution, smoking, booze,not a cracker.That lot go into the too hard basket.
We are all greedy,how many of us will go to any personal hardship on matters such as personal transport for instance?How far will we go to do something about it?