Although I do feel that someone should be held accountable for the spill, the boycott seems to hurt the local BP station owners more than it hurts the corporate giant. Enough people are suffering financially in the Gulf communities and the country as a whole. These local BP station owners have families, mortgages, and other bills. Putting them out of business will not hurt BP in the long run, but it will hurt these individuals for a long time.

Our main focus now should be preventing anymore offshore drilling. This oil spill in the Gulf has taught us that accidents at the offshore drills cause far more damage than one generation can remedy. As the repair and clean-up of the BP gulf oil spill has shown, there is a lot of uncertainty when dealing with equipment so deep in the water.

BP is not the only company that engages in offshore drilling, and we don’t know how close other companies are to having a disaster as catastrophic as the current one we are experiencing right now. Boycotting the individual gas stations is not the answer. As Thoreau wrote, “For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.” We should work at correcting the bigger problem by letting our legislatures know how upset we are with the Gulf Oil Spill. We need to let them know that we need stronger laws and regulations so that this never happens again.

Online Resources for Creating Rain Barrels

Southwest Florida Water Management District Water Barrel

Online tutorial on creating a water barrel.  Written step-by-step instructions on how to create a rain barrel.  An online tutorial video is also provided.

HGTV Rain Barrel Tutorial Video

Another detailed video on how to create and install a rain barrel

If those instructions and videos seem a little difficult you can also purchase rain barrel from home care centers in your area or online stores.  If you do not have rain barrels at your local store, you can check the online store and see if it can shipped for free to one of their local stores.

Resulting Oil Leaks

Initial reports said that the pipes were leaking oil at around 1,000 bbl per day. The oil is currently pooling off of the Gulf of Louisiana, but wind and water currents may push it into the coast within the next few days. The potential biological hazard increases exponentially as the oil slick moves into waters closer to the coast where wildlife tends to live and breed. A large section of the oil slick has drifted within 16 miles of the Mississippi River Delta, where it could also do a great deal of damage.

A new leak was discovered within the last 24 hours that is spilling almost five times as much oil as the first leaks. It is now estimated that the rig, which is resting on the floor of the Gulf, is spilling an average of 5 bbl of oil every day. At this rate, the recent disaster could become one of the worst oil spills in the history of offshore drilling.

Oil Spill Containment Efforts Intensify

Cleanup crews have begun performing in-situ burning to try to eliminate the oil that is on top of the water. The burns are carefully controlled, and is expected to dissipate a fraction of the spill. The majority of the spill is still floating in the Gulf of Mexico unimpeded. Officials on the coast of Louisiana have begun firing cannons to frighten away birds and other wildlife that may be in the path of the oil slick. Fishermen are running booms across large areas of the coast to stop the slick from coming too close in to the shore.

President Barack Obama has stated that the National Guard will be available to help in cleanup efforts if needed. The White House is monitoring the situation very closely, and intends to do whatever necessary to protect as much of the coastline as possible. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has declared a state of emergency as the slick continues to move toward the coastline.

The Leaf runs on state-of-the-art, 480-pound lithium ion (Li-Ion) batteries. They are charged using an 110v, 220v, 240v or 480v charger. With an 110v charger (U.S. household standard), the Leaf takes an interminable 16 hours to recuperate, but that lessens to a decent eight with the 220v and approximately 30 minutes with the 480v charger. The latter is planned for use in public fueling stations.

The Leaf promises a 100-mile range on a single charge. Nissan notes this meets 70% of the world’s mileage requirements and that 80% of drivers travel fewer than 62 miles per day. Nissan expects the batteries to retain 80% of their storage capacity after five years and stabilize thereafter. These incredible achievements warranted the Leaf the Green Car of the Year accolade by Green Car Journal in 2010.

Nissan does not skimp on interior amenities. Standard features include A/C, cruise control with steering-wheel mounted controls, auto-dimming rearview mirror, variable intermittent wipers, trip computer, tilt-steering column, 12v DC power outlet, adjustable driver and passenger seats, 60/40-split rear seats, full power accessories and a navigation system. Blast some bass from the M/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system, equipped with optional XM radio, auxiliary audio jack and USB port. The high-end SL trim adds fog lights, automatic headlamps and a rear spoiler.

The exterior exhibits its own aplomb. Rolling on 16-inch wheels, the Leaf sports LED headlamps (using only 10% power of regular headlamps), dual-power exterior mirrors and chrome accents.

Nissan has affixed its own technological legerdemain. Mobile phones can be used to adjust A/C, heating, and charging functions, even when the vehicle is turned off. The Leaf sports traction control, a security system, and airbags protecting every occupant.

New toys tend to be expensive. However, the U.S. Leaf will cost $32,780, and with tax incentives it may lessen to $25,000. It costs only $3 “fill up.” Nissan predicts an average five-year “real” cost of $28,180, lower than a Toyota Prius or Honda Civic.

The Nissan Leaf debuts soon. Watch the street corners.

The films being shown by Whole Foods Market are:

• Food, Inc.
• King Corn
• Big River
• End of the Line
• Future of Food
• The Garden
• No Impact Man
• Fast Food Nation
• Food Fight
• Fresh
• What’s on Your Plate?
• Tapped
• Nourish: Food + Community
• Soylent Green
• Silent Running

Many of the film screening will be free, but some will ask for a donation to a local charity.

Guidelines and information about the grants are available at: http://www.firstchoicepower.com/texas-electric/reduce-your-use-grants.html

Contest rules and prize details are available at: http://www.girlslife.com/projectgogreen

Toyota Prius. The Prius ($26,950) received a redesign for 2010 and leads this category for the seventh straight year. It’s still the most fuel-efficient car in Consumer Reports’ ratings, with 44 mpg overall. The Prius is a pleasant car to drive, with a roomy interior, a steady ride, hatchback versatility, and excellent reliability and crash-test results. The 2010 redesign also gave it a more solid feel and a dedicated EV mode that allows it to run longer on electric power at low speeds, an advantage in slow, congested traffic.

After all the news of recalls this is one positive thing that can provide a point of pride for Toyota.  After years of being one of the car manufacturers that people can rely on for durability in their vehicles, consumer confidence has dropped considerably.

This killer whale, Tilikum, that killed his trainer is also linked to two other human killings.    And it has many in the general public wondering when enough is enough.  At this point it seems that the animal should not be a part of the Sea World exhibit and animal shows.

Bob Barker and PETA are asking Sea World to shut down their mammal aquariums and release the animals to sanctuaries.   It is doubtful that will happen.  These animal shows and aquariums are what draw the public to Sea World.

Obviously one human death is one too many.  What should be done is beyond my level of expertise, but  what Sea World has going on now needs to change.