Exxon's Cover Up of Long-Term Harm to Wildlife, Workers (Valdez oil spill)

[papau]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=118-03232004



Environmental Groups Hold Media Briefings to Expose Exxon's Cover Up of Long-Term Harm to Wildlife, Communities, and Workers from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

WHEN: Media briefing: Wednesday March 24th, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

WHERE: National Press Club (Zenger Room), 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington D.C.<snip>

WHO: Sponsored by the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility and Eyak Preservation Council, the briefing will feature: fishermen and community representatives who have been economically devastated by the spill, scientists, oil industry experts and chemically-injured workers.

WHY: The Exxon Valdez was the largest and most devastating oil spill in U.S. history, with long-term damages that will linger for decades. Exxon has failed to meet its promise of cleanup and restoration or to settle with over 30,000 residents. From studies following the Exxon Valdez spill, scientists have found that oil at least 1000 times more toxic than previously thought. New information reveals that hundreds if not thousands of oil spill cleanup workers are suffering debilitating illnesses as a result of their exposure to highly toxic oil and solvent mixtures. Presenters will present evidence that the unanticipated long-term impacts of the oil spill dictate that Exxon pay the additional $100 million "Re-opener for Unknown Injury," as required by the 1991 legal settlement, and call on Congress to respond with more stringent policies.<snip>

[NNadir]

1. I'm sorry, but it is not our habit in this country to pay attention to

the environmental or other external costs connected with the status quo.

We are much more concerned with what could happen than we are with what is happening.

This is why the story, in spite of its truth, deserves to be ignored.

[Bdog]

2. Officials Say Little Environmental Damage from Tanker Oil Spill

03/14/04

NORFOLK, VA, March 14, 2004 - The explosion of the Bow Mariner, on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, left little environmental damage experts say. The tanker ship exploded, burned, and sank, leaving many of the 27-man crew dead. The Norwegian-owned 570-foot vessel was carrying about 3.5 million gallons of industrial-grade ethanol from New York City to Houston when it sank in 240 feet of water, 50 miles off the Virginia coast. No cause for the explosion has been determined.

About 88% of the ethanol evaporated quickly after the explosion. The rest would dissipate in the water and would not pose an environmental problem, scientists report. Ethanol is a soluble, highly flammable, corn-based product generally used as a gasoline additive. Ethanol is considered environmentally clean.
http://www.wildlifehc.org/news/othernews/index.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=26559

[NNadir]

3. Isn't that nice? We can tell the folks killed...

"no harm done."

[Bdog]

4. What Is a Biorefinery?

http://www.nrel.gov/biomass/biorefinery.html
A biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and chemicals from biomass. The biorefinery concept is analogous to today's petroleum refineries, which produce multiple fuels and products from petroleum. Industrial biorefineries have been identified as the most promising route to the creation of a new domestic biobased industry.

By producing multiple products, a biorefinery can take advantage of the differences in biomass components and intermediates and maximize the value derived from the biomass feedstock. A biorefinery might, for example, produce one or several low-volume, but high-value, chemical products and a low-value, but high-volume liquid transportation fuel, while generating electricity and process heat for its own use and perhaps enough for sale of electricity. The high-value products enhance profitability, the high-volume fuel helps meet national energy needs, and the power production reduces costs and avoids greenhouse-gas emissions.

Conceptual Biorefinery
NREL's biorefinery concept is built on two different "platforms" to promote different product slates. The "sugar platform" is based on biochemical conversion processes and focuses on the fermentation of sugars extracted from biomass feedstocks. The "syngas platform" is based on thermochemical conversion processes and focuses on the gasification of biomass feedstocks and by-products from conversion processes.



http://www.alcoolferreira.com.br/start.swf

[NNadir]

5. This is swell. It is the best thing I've ever seen in fact.

I am absolutely certain that it will cause no loss of life at any time extending into eternity, no pollution, no cost at all in fact. Undoubtably the raw materials and capital equipment will all be donated, because of the vast popularity and enthusiasm of environmentally perfect solutions. In fact, I'll bet it will go along way to arresting the current mass extinction because as everyone knows, life just thrives wherever agricultral products are grown. It will also assure the long term economic survival of agricultural field workers, all of whom will have their salaries raised to the modern day equivalent of $250,000/year, with full health benefits, 401K and free educational benefits for their children at Ivy League Schools.

Not only that, everyone will want one on their property, because the graphics in this flow chart are just so damned cool.

I'll bet you too, that everyone who endorses this program enthusiastically, will become extremely wealthy and good-looking to boot. Indeed, everyone who uses this wonderful program will look as buff as a major league baseball on steroids without the steroids.

I wish you'd email a copy of this to the Blair House and White House, since upon taking a careful look at this, I'll bet that both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney will be embarassed into resigning.

Thanks so much for this insightful piece of work!