Spike Lee bashes US report on vanished Gulf oil

Source: NPR

Filmmaker Spike Lee is calling a "lie" a U.S. government report that 75 percent of the spilled Gulf Coast oil is gone.

Speaking to a meeting of the Television Critics Association on Saturday, Lee said journalists should expose what he called the real story. He argued that it's unlikely that "abracadabra, presto chango" the vast majority of the oil has vanished from Gulf of Mexico waters and coastal wetlands.

Federal scientists said last week that nearly three-quarters of the oil has been removed by various artificial or natural means, but that the spill's effect on wildlife will long continue.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129056239

---

Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com

Nobody has said that except the stupid media.

There's alot of pot-stirring going on. And sadly folks don't understand that even within the scientific community (of which I am a part), there is rarely any "truths" (outside of academic physical "laws", and even some of those are disputed and corrected in later eras). One would be surprised given an identical set of "facts" how different scientists may come to entirely different, and sometimes contradictory conclusions. In essence, a "conclusion" is still an opinion and not necessarily a "fact" in and of itself.

"THREE QUARTERS OF THE OIL HAS BEEN REMOVED' or Carol Brunner's "THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE OIL IS GONE"; Beyond hyperbole and sophistry, those statements do not leave any room for the wobble dance or any bobble head, rubber analysis.

Looks like Carol Browner, the prez's Czar on environment and energy etc. catapulted the propaganda and when the world guffawed and shook with laughter, the Prez made a quick save; Adding the amorphous "or dispersed" which makes the previous words meaningless and leaves all kinds of room for the wobble dance.

By the way I have 22 doctorates, 4 Nobel prizes and 8 academy awards and a forest of golden globes (two of which are on me at all times) and captained 4 missions to Mars, to back up my statements; But those are just the more important achievements.

A magazine had an entire article on how "investigative proof" of a situation can take in some cases over 80,000 specific methods of inquiry.

And depending on which method a person uses, the notion of safety may be entirely different than some other way of looking at the problem.

"Federal scientists said last week that nearly three-quarters of the oil has been removed by various artificial or natural means, but that the spill's effect on wildlife will long continue."

And not what the media said the scientist said. See the difference?

want to do is enable the cover-up.

Which will be biodegraded in the coming weeks and months despite many people's hopes that it isn't.

What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Show me one, just ONE, instance where ANYONE on this board has said they hope that the oil isn't gone.

I'll be waiting.

Really nasty stuff like heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc), compounds like dioxin, and so on are bio-degraded from the general slop but then bio-accumulate in the food chain and in genetic impact.

No one hopes for bad.

People just get tired of being fed bullshit to the point where best facts are hard to ascertain.

Most people don't do nuance about science and science itself is ever more politicized.

The Obama Aministration, Incident Commander Stevens from the Coast Guard, and BP have all been catapulting bullshit propaganda from day one.

I wish they held themselves to higher standards.

hoping that the disaster in the Gulf will not end, or you would never make such a groundless, nasty claim. I would like to see those names, or a retraction if you cannot supply them.

People are getting pretty angry about these vicious attacks on those who are doing their duty as citizens and asking questions.

I will check back later to see who it is who is wishing evil on this country or an apology from you.

mass consumption of oil by oxygen consuming microbes in your attempt at making this rose scented comment.

Half truths do no benefit to your cause.

1. A deliberate misrepresentation of available facts to promote your own wackjob agenda. 2. Any statement by Sarah Palin.

vast majority of the oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has either evaporated or been burned, skimmed, recovered from the wellhead or dispersed much of which is in the process of being degraded. A significant amount of this is the direct result of the federal government’s aggressive response to the spill.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/04/new-report-74-oil-bp-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-has-been-contained-or-mitigated

I don't have time to search for other self-congratulations on the issue.

Sounds a lot like "mission accomplished" to me. Otherwise, what's the point of the text? If the WH wants to quibble over laudatory terms, well...

are not there. The "process of being degraded" does not mean gone.

For my part, I think the self-congratulatory tone in the blog post is a mistake. It's teaching people to comb through WH announcements with a fine-toothed comb.

Edit: spelling.

White House climate and energy czar Carol M. Browner made Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show. An initial assessment showed that "more than three-quarters of the oil is gone. The vast majority of the oil is gone,"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080407082.html

I didn't see that one program because in other reports she doesn't use the word "gone". Every other government agency has used the terms dispersed and in the process of being naturally degraded.

she wasn't the only one carrying that talking point this week. no one from NOAA or FDA or EPA seems to be fighting for our safety or the health of the environment. they still want to drill that deposit FFS. these agencies of the administration have locked arms with the oil industry and the coast, the people of the coast, the fishing industry, the animals, and the ecosystem will be paying the price for decades if not longer. so excuse me if i'm not feeling particularly supportive of this latest PR campaign.

No??

That's a job well done.

Kind of like the absence of an economic collapse that leaves your citizens eating dirt.

That's a job well done.

Everything Obama does is a job well done but you can't see it because it's all in the absence of a complete disaster.

I have a plan for you. Obama has proposed a wetlands reconstruction program. That was needed before this crisis even hit. Now we have a chance to get it. Why don't you spend the next two years focused on nothing but fighting for that reconstruction project. Work with all the government agencies involved. Find out all the groups involved, from environmentalists, to marine life, to local fishing and tourism groups. Make sure it's getting done right. Report on it here weekly. Make it your life's mission. That's what someone would do if they care as much as you say you do.

Job well done by Bush, in your opinion?

such a cutie.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hf9BbJCiv-1u1YvGba9oRBM6ydtgD9HE1P6G0

That question got raised because of the coordination of the media rollout of the report. Browner was on all four morning TV shows saying "the vast majority of oil is gone," and the report was leaked to The New York Times.

The scientific report, which has four pages of text followed by one page of credits, is small compared to other similar reports. Initially, NOAA said there was a fuller, 200-page report, but then retracted that. There is a second report that is 10 pages. The initial report cites no scientific references — those, Lehr (report's author at NOAA--snazzy) said, are in his head.

keeping up with the spin has made them dizzy.


there's no scientific references b/c all the scientists have been bought off.

I salute them.

:rofl: :patriot: :rofl:

so what's one more little lie for a major corporation?

-snip

When Clinton became president, he appointed Carol Browner head of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Ms. Browner then sent a small cadre of scientists to court in Cleveland, Ohio, to serve as expert witnesses on behalf of Waste Technologies, Inc. (WTI).

Because a memo to Ms. Browner from one of her staff was leaked to Greenpeace (a plaintiff in the lawsuit trying to shut down WTI), Ms. Browner's staff were forced to admit under oath that after Ms. Browner took office on January 20th, EPA conducted a secret risk assessment on the WTI incinerator.


EPA's secret risk assessment revealed that the incinerator would be 1000 times more dangerous than EPA had estimated in the risk assessment they released to the public.

-snip

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/31/21045/9822/688/446786

Talking about the Obama Administration’s spokespeople, Pedro Alvarez, chairman of Rice University's civil and environmental engineering department said, “What they're not saying is that probably most of the oil is still in the water. That's my main beef."

Ian MacDonald, a professor of biological oceanography at Florida State University who has been tracking the flow of the spill, “There are 10 Exxon Valdez spills that are still in the water -- that has not disappeared but is still in the water being biodegraded.”

n/t

I WILL KICK YOUR DISBELIEVING ASS

How dare you imply that "the rest of us" should be part of our "representatives'" ever-diminishing circle of concern...!?

Will you PLEASE DO THE HONORS????

YES INDEED

But this *legacy* will come back and kick someone's ass in the future. Just like those supposed *historic reform* bills they threw Mission Accomplished speeches for.

news from an ex-Fox reporter on the spill:

http://spiritofmaat.com/aug10/oil_spill.html

Making money off of disasters is a new Business Model...per Naomi Klein.

I read yesterday that there are NO mosquitoes around the Gulf and that dogs don't even have fleas!!!

Sure hope the methane doesn't explode.

the ones who aren't bought already by BP that is.

I believe there is a lot of oil in the water. But I am not a professional in this field. I did investigate the topic reading some websites, and there is a possibility that a significant fraction of the oil is no longer found in the water.

But I do wonder, why does the US media give this spike lee any time to discuss such a technical subject? This is something specialists should discuss, and if a man is a specialist, then we must listen when he is speaking in the media. But I am sorry, a film director is not fit to discuss these complicated matters.

This is an observation I make in many instances: the us media and culture gives these "stars" the voice to speak when they are not really educated in the subject. If you think this spike lee is an expert in the environment, then do you think the actor charlton heston is also the best person to tell you when you should have a weapon? Of course not. Americans should change the way they discuss these important subjects, and do it the way we do it in Europe, where the discussion is more educated, and the experts are allowed to speak to the public. We do not allow our football stars nor the film stars to discuss important matters on the national television and media.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

Is this just a racists rant? Is it so hard to believe that Spike Lee could actually have read an article in the MSM quoting one of the scientists from the University of Florida or Texas A&M? I've read several and they contradict what the EPA and NOAA "scientists" are saying (the administration/BP line).

You might also check out http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/ Maybe that's where Spike Lee got his info.

.....Of course Lee can have an opinion, but why would it be any more important that yours or mine....or any other average citizen. He is using his fame to gain access to which he would not otherwise be entitled. In addition, because he has no special expertise or additional facts, he doesn't offer anything meaningful to the debate. He merely doesn't agree with the "scientists". He is free to do that....but we should also acknowledge that it shouldn't hold any more weight than anything said on DU....for example.

that no one else did. He has standing as a someone who successfully covered the region when both the government and the media were lying their asses off.

Gore didn't have "credentials" by your reasoning.

How do you know Lee doesn't have any expertise? Is an academic degree the only criterion for expertise? Even so, there are plenty of marine biologists who disagree with the administration/BP assessment and have been pointing out the government/BP misinformation all along.

Again go to http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/ then tell me about what the experts are saying.

Gore admitted (at one time) that he had no credentials.....that he was presenting the information and ideas of others.....remember??

Tell me about Lee's expertise....doctorate....study in oil technology and the environment? He is from NY City....please.

HERE IS WHAT I KNOW........

* A large percentage of crude oil is volatile (Look up "fractional distillation" of crude oil)
* Crude oil contains volatile gases, gasoline for cars (octane), engine oil, tar, and more.
* Crude oil and "motor oil" are completely different.
* The spill in the Gulf is completely different from that of the Valdez.......the Gulf is much warmer.....making oil MORE volatile.
* Citizens of the Gulf have complained of the "fumes" of the oil.....meaning volatiles.
* Tar balls have washed up on shore......why......maybe those are the non-volatile components remaining after evaporation and other removal of oil??
* Burning the oil was one of the removal options.....how is that possible with no volatiles??

These are obvious FACTS. How is this refuted?? Well it has not been. I will read the link you cited, but please respond to the FACTS.

I have no degree in oil exploration, but I have a lot of experience in fermentation, combustion, distillation, and more that relates directly about this. I am not calling myself an expert, but if you can explain how each of these points is garbage, please do. I await your response. Sorry...science/facts....not assumptions.

Talking about the Obama Administration’s spokespeople, Pedro Alvarez, chairman of Rice University's civil and environmental engineering department said, “What they're not saying is that probably most of the oil is still in the water. That's my main beef."

Ian MacDonald, a professor of biological oceanography at Florida State University who has been tracking the flow of the spill, “There are 10 Exxon Valdez spills that are still in the water -- that has not disappeared but is still in the water being biodegraded.”

-- New York Times
By ALLISON WINTER AND KATIE HOWELL of Greenwire
Published: August 5, 2010

I find it interesting this comment about "racist rant". I noticed when I read this NPR article the man, spike lee, is an older white man. I am from Spain, this means maybe you think I have some hate towards white americans? This shows extreme confusion.

Also, as I discussed before, it is one thing to have an opinion and express it, the other thing is to have the NATIONAL PUBLIC media service to quote what is evidently a poorly informed opinion. The man is a film maker, he has no expertise in the subject. He can be interviewed to discuss film, his latest film, the Oscars, or some other subject in which he is qualified. He is not qualified to discuss oil pollution, and discard the statements by government scientists.

Unlike Mr Lee, the film maker, I only write my opinions as a common man. I am entitled to my opinion, but I would not interview me about oil spills. I can be interviewed about the quality of the tram service in Alicante, Spain, or some other subjects I may know about.

I did bother to study some of this problem you Americans have with the oil spill, and I read a very interesting article in Science Daily from the year 2000 (which tells me these guys were not bribed by BP to write it):

"Twice an Exxon Valdez spill worth of oil seeps into the Gulf of Mexico every year, according to a new study that will be presented January 27 at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. But the oil isn't destroying habitats or wiping out ocean life. The ooze is a natural phenomena that's been going on for many thousands of years, according to Roger Mitchell, Vice President of Program Development at the Earth Satellite Corporation (EarthSat) in Rockville Md. "The wildlife have adapted and evolved and have no problem dealing with the oil," he said.
Oil that finds its way to the surface from natural seeps gets broken down by bacteria and ends up as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. "

The reference is shown here:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/01/000127082228.htm

This article is one of several I found while investigating how dangerous this oil spill could be (I live in a city which has a very nice beach, and I was wondering if the BP oil could somehow make it here if BP could not stop the flow). According to the articles I found, the oil that spews out of these areas is a mixture, and a lot of it evaporates into the air. A large fraction is eaten by bacteria which seem to have evolved to eat oil which seeps naturally. The Gulf of Mexico, according to the investigators, is full of these seeps, and the life forms have evolved to become very efficient oil eaters. The weather in the Gulf of Mexico is very warm, and this makes these bacteria thrive.

I can now wait if you have any coherent argument to make regarding this subject. But please remember my point is that, in the USA, you seem to give the microphone to people who are not qualified to discuss the subject, and give you some of the strangest, unsupported ideas as "fact", when it is evident they have fairly empty heads and know very little. Why don't you listen to people who know, this way next time you don't go invade other countries for the wrong reason, or do some of the other things you do, and become a little more careful when somebody tells you something?

as to the race of Spike Lee. Spike Lee is not, nor has he ever been, nor does he plan to be a white man.

investigate and explain it to the masses - or - why haven't the scientists tell us what they know - name and serial number in the form of capability and volume and what happened to them after they ate all the oil? Do they go back to heaven?

And why has NO ONE shown us film of the bottom of the Gulf?

It's now time to start learning what we're in for in the next stage, but I would guess that at least half the country does not believe that the oil could have gone away a day or two after a 'report' with no neutral witnesses that they have capped their main leak. Emphasis on THEIR MAIN leak.


You should check out Spike Lee. He is not a propagandist, he exposes. He is not just a filmmaker, he is documentarian and movie maker taking on various roles. There may be a 'message' in the movie and the documentary which I am glad to receive and analyze for myself. The more important thing to know about him - he cuts through and a person can learn or can reject. The world needs more Spike Lee's. I call him a truth teller.

P.S. NPR became a right wing propaganda outlet for news and commentary. Other programs are excellent.

Spike Lee is a one of the world's leading filmmakers, and rather famously African American.

Why NPR has pictures of Buscemi with captions for Spike Lee, I don't know. Looks like an error:

If you weren't familiar with Spike Lee before, I can see how NPR's sloppiness would mislead you.



Here's a picture of Spike Lee:


And here are better articles about how that remark is in the appropriate context of the documentary he has been filming in the Gulf. He was already filming his follow-up to his previous documentary when the BP oil spill occurred and he decided to stay to document this:
http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2010/08/spike_lee_rewrote_ending_to_le.html

Spike Lee thought he’d filmed the concluding scenes of his follow-up to the 2006 Hurricane Katrina documentary “When the Levees Broke” very early in the production process.
“But BP cut some corners, went around safety regulations, the thing blew up, 11 people died and it changed the whole outlook” of the new film.
Almost the entire fourth hour is about the BP oil spill and its aftermath.
In between are segments about the overhaul of New Orleans’ public housing and public schools, the Make It Right Foundation’s work in the Lower 9th Ward and Mississippi Gulf Coast recovery.
The film visits Haiti to draw parallels between earthquake and hurricane recovery.
Production continued as recently two weeks ago to incorporate the latest developments into the ongoing federal investigations into the New Orleans Police Department.
“If you connect ‘Levees’ with this, for me the connective tissue is greed,” Lee said. “It was the greed of the Army Corps of Engineers to cut corners in the construction of the levee system (that) led to the levees toppling and consequently New Orleans being 80 percent under water. It was greed again that reared its ugly head with BP.”


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/08/tca-press-tour-spike-lee-goes-back-to-the-bayou-in-hbo-documentary.html

The product is the four-hour, two-part oeuvre, “If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise,” which is slated to air on HBO on Aug. 23 and 24. But the scope of the documentary would end up surpassing the ramifications of that destructive August day in southeast Louisiana.

“It transcends just Katrina,” said Richard Plepler, co-president of HBO. “It deals with Haiti, the BP disaster....It’s a larger commentary than just New Orleans.”

Lee had wrapped filming the documentary when the BP oil spill hit, prompting an additional seven trips. The film crew was there as late as two weeks ago because of the indictments in relation to the deaths of civilians on New Orleans’ Danziger Bridge.

“We had to rethink everything,” Lee said.

Lee visits Houston, where an estimated 150,000 New Orleans evacuees remain. He looks at the FBI’s investigations into allegations of violence and coverups in the New Orleans Police Department. He captures the celebrations surrounding the Saints Super Bowl victory. And he assesses the impact of the torrents of oil unleashed into the gulf -- one thing that does perplex Lee is where all the BP oil went: "I don't care how many scientists BP buys, that oil did not disappear," Lee said.




This is about investigative documentary filming and, yes, Spike Lee is calling attention to these issues and making judgments based on what he has discovered.

edited for typo

Thansk for joining in on the coversation, even though you have no idea what you are talking about...say ..right from your first sentence!!

To quote you:

"I find it interesting this comment about "racist rant". I noticed when I read this NPR article the man, spike lee, is an older white man."


no dear..As I said, Spike Lee is an African American.

possible that this person does not know who Spike Lee is. After all, I consider myself fairly aware of things and right now I couldn't name you a single British documentarian or filmaker. I do know that their band Muse is now one of the most popular music acts on the planet for their genre. I of course know of a few of their actors. And there is some back and forth between our cultures. But it's already been established that NPR screwed up their images, putting in the crazy guy from the movie Armageddon rather than Lee.

ETA: Just wanted to add that regarding Spike Lee, I do not agree with the British poster that he doesn't have the bonafides to speak on the topic. But the poster is right that way too often the media speaks to people who are clearly not qualified to educate anyone on the topic at hand.

in fact they have newspapers that follow all our actors and actresses, in fact, some more than even here stateside!

In my 9 years at DU, I have never witnessed someone so thoroughly destroy their own credibility with a single post.

:party:

Rock on Bluesbreaker. There is a reason that the U.S. government had a look out for Spain they are racist warning and kept it right until Mrs. Obama landed there. Any and I mean any criticism of Spike Lee, immediately assume it is racist and call somebody out on it. Oh some may say, hey, is it really a case of racism to criticize his comments. If they do, let's also call them racist or a sell-out. Rock on Bluesbreaker, rock on. Your way of immediately assuming someone is racist for criticizing is a new level of being "enlightened".

the man is down there documenting what has been happening. One can see with their own eyes and smell with their own noses the scope of the lie being told about trillions of gallons of crude oil suddenly "presto chango" disappearing out of the ocean by using a toxic "dispersant"... That's like the cure being worse than the disease.

His opinion is just as valid as anyone else's and just because he doesn't have a gazillion letters behind his name doesn't mean that he is precluded from weighing in when his opinion is sought. His experience educates him sufficiently to express his opinion.

what an elitist snob.

Not valid enough to be interviewed by a national network about the subject.

The amount of oil spilled into the ocean, according to this article

www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3e40d4ac-9e5d-11df-a5a4-00144feab49a.html

is 4.1 million barrels. This is equivalent to 172 million gallons. Thus when you discuss the subject, you should either provide the support for this ridiculous figure ("trillions") you use, or use something close to the order of magnitude provided by people with the proper credentials.

Finally, the government scientists did not say the oil disappears because of the use of a toxic dispersant. They explained some of it was collected, some was burned, some was evaporated, some eaten by bacteria, and some is in the water in dispersed form or in the form of "tar".

The "elitist snob" name you use for me is surprising. I am trying to educate you to make you a little more discerning regarding the information you put inside your heads. A lot of what you Americans are told is not very good quality, yet you run around thinking this is something given to you by high authorities. I laugh at the content of the material you guys are being fed, it is so distorted, so full of lies, and so low quality, it shows you lack the ability to understand just how bad it is.

to whether or not Spike Lee has any standing to form an opinion as you apparently don't know who Spike Lee is. Perhaps you SHOULD stick to something with which you are actually familiar.

First, the nature of his comment tells me the man is an empty head in the field of oil pollution. Second, he is reported to be a film director.

When I put the two together, I do conclude the man doesn't know what he's talking about. This of course doesn't mean I should be interviewed to discuss Mr Lee's credentials.

You continuously miss the point = we as individuals are entitled to our opinions, and if we are interviewed by the TV, then we are surely entitled to say whatever we want, even if its statements about aliens stealing the Eiffel Tower and replacing with a cardboard replica, or a poem about stomach acid. But the media should be more careful about who is given the air time to discuss their opinion, when the opinion is about things they know nothing about. When the US public is fed these opinions by people who are evidently full of lies or don't know much, then the US public forms opinions which are frankly, suited for donkeys.

so what?

on the basis of research and his 'own lying eyes'?

Wake up to yourself, dummy. Lying to the public is the default position of political leaders in both the US and UK, when significant truth about their behaviour or dereliction would threaten their own position and that of their administration. Indeed, if it comes to that, in the US, their very lives, in relation to certain issues (e.g. the privatised elections) they may not acknowledge, still less, address, on pain of assassination. Why the Hades do you think the world is on the brink of a uniquely epochal, economic precipice? Because our politicians ignore the lobbyists of the multinationals, cherishing their personal integrity above their careers, even their lives and those of their families?

My apologies to the Spanish people, but I think it would be much better for you concern yourself solely with Spanish affairs, about which I have not the least doubt you are just as confused.

with the facts. He was asked about that and AGREED.

This should not be about famous people saying stuff that they have no clue about.

What is this about?? Is this some sort of Repub attack on the Administration?? What is the point?? Do you want Obama to go to the Gulf and drink the oil??

travesty of the truth, though clearly what you indicate.

This is not about Obama, as far as I'm concerned. Longevity has its uses. He knows he can only operate within the limits set by the dark forces that pull the strings.

who doesn't know whom he is talking about, and hasn't bothered to do any investigation which the film director in question IS actually doing. And you have the nerve to talk about someone having an empty head. The only evidence of empty head-ism I see here is yours. You're spouting off on something you have no clue about, making accusations based on said erroneous assumptions and seems to think his opinion is of more value than someone else's while making putting down someone else for having an opinion and stating it in front of a microphone after being asked for it.

I know exactly of whom we are talking about. I don't need elaboration from you since you don't know who the fuck he is. I've been following him for years thank you very much.

I don't form my opinions based on the news, but I know bullshit when it's being tossed at me based on the sources of information from which I do base my opinion, something you didn't bother to give Mr. Lee the benefit of the doubt on.

As for opinions suited for donkeys I'd suggest you check yourself for burros before accusing others of being jackasses. You'll find the long ears make you look just as donkey-like if you get my drift.

to begin with, no one ever said it wasn't.

It's not up to you to decide what is or isn't valid enough for a news organization to stick a mike in his face, ask a question and record his answer.

I don't require you of all people to educate me on anything, nor have I asked you to.

OTOH, you and your lame attempts to "educate" us, have none.

You can "laugh" at us all you want for not believing BP's propaganda. "so distorted, so full of lies, and so low quality" applies to the information you're trying to "the content of the material" you're trying to feed people.

If you ever run into Tony, since you're both in Spain these days, tell him I send my best wishes for slow karmic justice.

at your disposal to back up your theories? If you are then of course you are as qualified as Spike Lee to comment on a subject you just worked on for a documentary film. If not, than I am afraid your post is merely hyperbole.

As for us 'guys' over here in the land of the perenially mis-informed, why thank you for your concerns. We did not know that our 'news' media is one of the worst and most controlled in the free world, until you came along to tell us.

And that is precisely why people are questioning the media coverage of the WH claims that the oil is 'mostly gone'. You see, our media generally takes its cue from our government. They do fine until they start getting the memos from the WH. Then, if WE don't keep them on their toes, they will simply read the press releases.

You, probably unwittingly, have actually confirmed the necessity for public figures like Spike Lee to speak out when it looks like the press is about to, once again, walk away from doing its duty right after the WH memos are released.

I hope we can help you 'guys' learn something about just how bad it is, as you say. And why we are never opposed to hearing from people like Lee who is not under the influence of the government, who has access to the megaphone, and who also has resources he can utilize to help get the facts he needs to come to the conclusions he comes to.

you lack the credentials to make the determination on if "Man" may discuss the environment. Furthermore, you are not credentialed to use internet information as a source of rebuttle... nor do you have proper credentials to make any observations, professional or otherwise, with regards to any form of media, website, newspaper etc...
Keep in mind, this is all per your own argument... so either you have no standing whatsoever to discuss anything you have mentioned (per your lack of proper credentials) or just like you, this "Man" is entitled to say what he wants, when he wants and how he wants. Welcome the the Democratic United States of America, where even the ignorant may have a voice too.

The original poster wasn't saying that one had to be "credentialed" to have an opinion or to share it through whatever means they have at their disposal; but rather that the news media has an affirmative duty to use our public airwaves to broadcast information that is credible and authoritative, not to squander that limited resource on airing anyone and everyone's personal opinion simply because they have some celebrity status. In this instance, I think the fact that Spike Lee is doing a documentary on the subject qualifies him to have not only the personal opinion to which everyone is entitled, but an opinion sufficiently informed as to warrant devoting public air time to disseminating it to the nation. But I understand where the poster is coming from: Glen Beck knows nothing whatsoever about the topics he raves about. He's certainly entitled to have his opinion, but he's clearly no journalist and it does not serve the public interest to award him (rather than someone more credible) public air time to broadcast his misinformed personal opinions as if they were expert analyses.

because they don't want to engage such an obvious fraud. It leaves the field open for him.

It was in response to posting #7 written by bherrera. Take a glace at it and my post will make allot more sense.
:)

and it also makes sense to take his opinion -- and all opinions -- with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, too many Americans at least take opinions of celebrities as "truth" versus as informed opinions.

The scientific reality is that oil does evaporate. Also that the dispersant spreads the oil out into a much larger area. Possibly the fact (if it is a fact -- only people there on the ground can verify) that you can still find it, smell it and run into it in water speaks to the huge volume that was spewed to begin with. It's possible that 75% of the oil *is* gone -- 25% of the millions of gallons that spewed into the gulf and that wasn't dispersed (much of which may have been "captured" in the marshes) is still 5 times the Exxon Valdez spill, and is still enough to smell, poison and kill.

The combined effects of evaporation, oil-eating microbes, capture, skimming and burning may well have removed much of the oil. Dilution may be hiding a signicant volume as well.

"Dilution is the solution to pollution" was taught decades ago. The volume of spilled oil versus the volume of water in the gulf is such that dilution effectively "hides" much of the oil -- one molecule of oil in some number of thousands or hundreds of thousands of molecules of water will be less detectable to our crude senses. The positive side of dilution is it makes it less toxic and it makes it easier for microbes to get rid of it altogether, and without adding to the oxygen-free dead zone.

But all jmho :shrug:

we are not looking so we don't see, The oil is there and causing damage. Some damage we won't ever see because the sea creature won't reproduce or the food they eat will be gone so all will just be gone. Nothing to see at either end that is the plan.

is when it evaporates the fastest. The thinner the surface layer, the less resistance there is to vaporization. Literally, there are fewer molecules bouncing any given molecule back into the slick. That is the scientific, provable reality of evaporation, Brownian motion, vapor pressure, etc.

The problem right now and going forward is not in the open waters but in the marshes, which is where most of the remaining oil is hidden, is killing and will continue killing.

Chemical testing of water samples indicates the presence and ratio of oil to water, proving whether it's there or not, and in what concentrations.

The oil plumes under the surface are the biggest concern -- where it hadn't dispersed or been diluted enough to reduce its toxicity. By physical laws, those have to be dispersing and diluting as well, and will either be eaten by microbes or rise to the surface and evaporate too.

And if you look at one of the other threads that popped up today....as BP was pulling its camera up, fish were swimming up to it.

I'm not trying to minimize the damage. I'm just saying that either extreme -- the government's "it's all gone now, problem over" and Spike Lee's "it's all a lie." There is still significant

The reality of chemistry, physics and biochemistry say that ultimately the oil *does* disperse, it *does* evaporate and it *does* get digested by microbes.

This is a much more educated comment. I think the BP manager should be hanged in public, but evidently the oil is disappearing in surprising fashion. This does not mean an oil spill in a place such as the Mediterranean is the same, because the Gulf of Mexico seems to have these voracious bacteria evolved to eat oil.

Spike Lee's opinions on film-making deserve wide publicity. His opinions on, say, GOM oil spills, causes of fungal tomato blight, and Pareto-optimizing tax law do not. There's a reason why so many companies try to sell products by using a celebrity spokesman. It has little to do with the quality of the product.

Welcome to DU. :)

When beach sand was tested oil was found but it was not visible to the eye but it was there, everywhere

in court or anywhere else

Use your head. Where did it go? If you spill a quart of oil on your driveway, let us all know when 75% of it "disappears". It might "disappear" from your driveway, but check in with the fishes and the waterways to see if it has really "disappeared".

characteristically reserved to the non-expert people, who are capable of believing their 'lying eyes'.

Why do so many on this site have problems with people who speak truth to power?

but that doesn't stop him from discussing the environment.

I'm sure Mr Lee's opinion is every bit as well-founded as Mr Beck's.

Straight from the Aggies, no chance of misquote in the media.

http://tamunews.tamu.edu/2010/08/05/gulf-oil-spill-gone-not-so-fast/

Gulf Oil Spill Gone? Not So Fast

COLLEGE STATION, Aug. 5, 2010 – Reports saying that 75 percent of the gulf oil spill has either been cleaned up or broken down by natural forces are likely incorrect, and there are still big problems lurking beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, says a Texas A&M scientist who conducted one of the first on-site studies of the spill.


John Kessler, assistant professor of oceanography in the College of Geosciences, says reports that most of the gulf oil has disappeared and appears no longer to be a problem are misleading, if not totally inaccurate. Bottom line, he explains: there are still large amounts of oil and gas in the gulf and they still pose big problems.

“Recent reports seem to say that about 75 percent of the spill has been taken care of, and that is just not true,” Kessler says.

“These reports seem to indicate that about 25 percent of the spill has been recovered or removed, another 25 percent has been dispersed, and another 25 percent has been evaporated or dissolved. But the reality is that only 25 percent has been removed from the ocean – the rest is still out there. Just because the form of the material is now dissolved or dispersed doesn’t mean it isn’t in the ocean and doesn’t pose significant problems.”

more at link


Well? How's this guy as a source? He says dissolved or dispersed doesn't mean no problems.

and I call bullshit just as loudly. Total bullshit.

There is NO truth being told to the people.

It's ALL disinformation and lies.

Most of us are grateful for brave, truthful people like Spike Lee who have a voice that will be heard across the country and BELIEVED because he is loved and respected that much.

questioned it as not providing data to back up the claims they are making. I read the reactions of respected scientists the day after the report came out.

It's possible Spike Lee, who may not be a scientist but appears to be fairly intelligent, read the same responses from scientists and concluded that they raised enough questions that need to be answered and have not been, to justify calling the report erroneous. I am not a scientist either but I can understand points made by those who are. And if they make sense, combined with the opinions of local fishermen who also doubt the reports since they are still pulling up oil-covered booms, then I reach a conclusion.

Not to mention that BP does not have a very good record of telling the truth and they have a lot to gain from pretending that things are nearly back to normal. Government scientists also have a fair amount of baggage to overcome.

But as I said, there are deep concerns coming from the scientific world about this report as if people take it at face value, more harm could be the result. There is nothing wrong with citizens demanding truthful answers from their government. And Spike Lee is a citizen.

I dint doubt that for a moment. They do it regularly. Mr. Lee asks the media to be vigilant. What part of this dint you agree with?
You are trying to change the issue from whether or not the environment is safe to how qualified mr. Lee is.
I dont give a shit how much oil has been removed or dispersed. I care about the existing conditions.

We are at war. It's we the people vs. CorpAmerica and their repuk lackeys. I am curious whose side you are on.

to me...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Lee

;)

You are right - I read the article but ignored the pictures and captions. WTF is going with that picture? Where are NPR's editors!!!

:rofl:

That was John Waters! :eyes:

:eyes:

To the gullible and/or the party message minders---Tell you what, I'll shit in your pool. Tomorrow, you won't see any traces and I'll have some experts tell you it will be safe for you to drink.

It is not okay to spread false information to a vulnerable public.

The oil has "disappeared" And they hate us for our freedom.

And since I was a weekend manager at a hotel which is when it happened most often...

I will tell you that we first "skim" the shit out of the pool. Then you raise the chlorine level and in most cases the pool is safe within 30 minutes.

Is every microscopic trace of shit gone? Probably not. But it is dispersed and treated enough to be safe and not visible to the naked eye.

Diarrhea is a bit different because it is more difficult to skim out of the pool. It can still be treated however, although it takes about a week.

And when was the last oil leaked into the Gulf? 3 weeks ago?

Your analogy is perfect.

Once all the chemicals are thrown in, outside of maybe some c. diff bacteria-- nothing.

why does everyone think they prohibited access from journalists all this time?

From blocking access to the toxic assets of AIG and the Big Banks to blocking access to BP's 'toxic asset' spillage...

This is The New Normal.

Too Big To Fail.

Burn it, Bury it, Chemically Disperse it...

Then tell the public 'recovery summer' and 'recovery gulf.'

The impact of the spill on the Gulf environment appears to be minor.

Usually, nobody responds to him. Give it a shot!

just sayin'

my family and I and everyone where i live on the gulf had to breathe that fucking shit Corexit...for over a week..do you have a crystal ball and know.. no one will get ill or cancers from that shit we breathed??????

You know the shit that came through our closed windows and doors and caused burning eyes , headaches, sore throats , an felt like you had a ton of bricks placed on your chests..are you now a health expert? As well as an enviornmentalist?

Do you know that our government did nothing but lie to us?????????? And BP did nothing but lies to us , and our Coast guard did nothing but lies to us??????

Did you count the dead birds on your beach for weeks on end? and dead stinking fish?????? After the spraying of the Gulf??

You do not know what you are talking about so please stop..
you are not only insulting yourself, you are insulting those of us who have had to deal with this shit!


from a Gulf resident, who's back yard is the Gulf,

all of this stuff about burning eyes etc. is just plain bullshit to put it bluntly -- you guys in florida mostly wouldn't have even known there was an oil spill if not for the news media that you accuse of lying to you

lies and exaggeration don't help anybody and creating fear and hysteria do hurt those people of the gulf who are trying to get their lives back


the disappearance of a lot of the oil is good news and should be celebrated as such

claiming that you smelled oil or corexit from hundreds of miles away and you might get cancer from it is just hysteria, how can you see that you're not just creating fear and terror and destroying your own quality of life?

people should come on down and see for themselves, the gulf is here, there are even two beaches open now at grand isle, the site of the worst of the mess!

we are recovering, we are not dying

http://www.thefuelfilm.com/



on Netflix

Do the right thing!

I think many of these comments are caused by Republican party members who are trying to create the atmosphere for a defeat of the Democratic party in the elections. The US government has done a very credible job controlling BP and making sure the oil spill was stopped, and it seems they are now acting to create disinformation. This Spike Lee may be creating trouble to hurt the Democratic party.

It was a federal report that claimed the oil was gone. As far as I'm concerned, it makes as much sense as claiming that ground zero at the WTC had a clean bill of health a month after the attacks.

supporter. In addition, Spike is a well known American artist, who has previously released a long and complex documentary that stands at the record of the post Katrina tragedies, in addtion to his many other important narrative films. Spike is a good man, and an extremely talented individual with many years of great contributions to our national culture. He's also funny.

:rofl:

And who sent you here?

Has it occured to you that some Democrats may not be completely hypnotized by President Obama?

Who are you, indeed.

:rofl:

Spike is telling the truth.

the oil "Be gone." Now... He can walk upon it.
:sarcasm:

There seems to be no action by God to stop polluting acts by man. We are free to destroy the planet if we wish, and I suppose in the end there will be a few of us eating garbage and crawling back to the caves.

Does he have education or experience in oceanography, chemical engineering or any other relevant discipline?

Who KNOWS that the oil is not magically gone.

Funny that the picture that NPR has on the site looks an awful lot like Steve Buscemi to me.

there are Investigative Journalist saying the same thing.

It's in the water column. The gulf is poison. To me the only real question is: What is motivating the Federal Government to lie to us. Is it simple corruption or what? Obama has to realize that most reasonably intelligent people do not believe the Federal Agencies anymore. Why should we?

after all i can see with my own lying eyes that it's the sun that rises every morning and sinks every night

the gulf is not poison, and the natural oil-eating microbes of the warm waters of the gulf have obviously created an unexpected miracle for us -- sometimes there is serendipity in science

obama has no reason to lie about this, that's just ridiculous

far from being poison, they are re-opening beaches

don't take my word for it, don't take obama's word for it, come on down and SEE FOR YOURSELF, it isn't like i'm suggesting you drive to the moon

i'm sure the myrtle beach tourist commission is sad that the gulf is back and i guess atlantic city is as well (esp. as they're going broke) but the fact is...the gulf is back

and anyone who cares to come see for themselves can do so

I'm glad to see ANYONE and everyone questioning the logic of the most significant oil disaster in our history suddenly is no longer an environmental or ecosystem problem? Celebs get bashed all the time, but when these same "celebs" have done documentaries and touched upon subjects that everyone else is not addressing, that's credibility we rarely see. Kudos to Spike Lee for raising his voice and concerns, I stand with him, and I truly appreciate the lone voices and those who bring truth to light, in ANY shape or form.

Jobs, economy, savings, home, pension, accountability, BP oil in Gulf .....poof they're all gone.

Health care premiums.... poof 38% increase.

Fool me once, shame on you Barak Obama.

it is nevertheless true that people with academic credentials applicable to this field dispute White House energy and climate adviser Carol Browner's assessment that "the vast majority of oil is gone".

It still harms.

I guess by dispersants? Too bad; wildlife is still being harmed big time.

It's now in the food chain. Soon there will be no denying that. There are just so many lies you can attempt to cover up. Nature doesn't lie.

Spike: :yourock:

Without getting too far into it, I read that there is some sort of naturally occurring microbe that that thrives on oil. In the course of the spill, the population of the microbes spiked. The microbes use oxygen to digest oil and the oxygen level in the gulf dropped during the process.

These microbe populations normally sustain themselves on natural seepage of oil into the oceans, which is why, after billions of years, the oceans are not sludge.

It all sounded very scientific, especially coming from scientists. That doesn't mean that there isn't a hell of a lot of oil out there, still, not to mention microbe poop and indigestible toxins.

It does fit into my perception that the planet is fairly resilient. Nature seems to have more answers than people do.

for the truth!

"Transparency" indeed! :eyes:

When you slice something thin enough, it may look like it disappears when in fact it hasn't. What I cannot figure out is why the WH is so inept in dealing with this. Someone will ultimately prove that it is either still floating around in a cloud, or has moved to the digestive system of the ecosystem. Even if it evaporates, where does it go from there ? Does it rain back down on peoples heads ?

This is just one more foul up in this disaster.

When something evaporates, it doesn't disappear.
It isn't GONE.
It is still a toxic pollutant.
The US Government has made it illegal to vent automotive gas tanks to the atmosphere since the late 60s, because these vapors are harmful, toxic pollutants.

Our Corporate Masters, including the White House, are in full blown Propaganda mode.

Don't Worry.
Be Happy.
!CONSUME!


What do all the following statements have in common?
Saddam has WMD.

North Vietnam attacked us in Tonkin Gulf.

The air at Ground Zero is perfectly safe.

I did not campaign on a Public Option.

The vast majority of the oil is gone.

"Free Trade" is good for the American Worker.

We'll Fix It later.

What a load of crap.