The Third That Never Was
A typical way that the released oil is accounted for is by saying that 1/3 of the oil has been collected or mitigated by BP. While it sounds relieving, this stat is far from clear cut. Composed of the number of barrels removed by human effort, this third should be two categories: collected and mitigated. If we want to consider environmental impact, it must be taken apart even further.
-Collected 17% (833,000 barrels): By far, the oil collected is the most clear statistic and refers to oil captured directly from the wellhead. It is only half of the 1/3 that has been resolved by human effort. The other half has been "mitigated", a term that suggests that the oil's capacity to harm has been greatly reduced. That is, however, inaccurate.
-Skimmed 3% (147,000 barrels): Skimmed oil is the amount that has been removed from the surface of the water. The method of subsequent disposal/use is unclear. Collected and skimmed oil make up 1/5th of the spill and properly represent the amount that has been removed from the Gulf. The other 80% continues to have (unknown) consequences.
-Burned 5% (245,000 barrels or almost the Exxon Valdez spill): Far from neutralized oil harmlessly floating in the sea, this "mitigated" oil has been transferred from sea to air, endangering the health of all land-loving life, including human beings. Collecting, burning and skimming accounts for 25% of the 4.9 million barrels. Whether seen or unseen, 75% is still in the water.
-Chemically dispersed 8% (392,000 barrels): Banned in Britain, Corexit has been used to break apart the oil. Defenders say that its use has prevented many instances of oil-slicked animals. As it poses many health-risks, the full impact of this chemical has not yet been realized.
Now You See it, Now You Don't
Another not-so-dreary way to discuss the spill is to say that over 40% has disappeared from the Gulf. It is comforting to think that somehow nature is cleaning it up herself, leaving us free to move on and think about other things, but that is simply untrue.
-Evaporated/Dissolved 25% (1,225,000 barrels): This would be two separate sections if there were a way to determine how much oil is in the air and the sea respectively.
-Naturally dispersed 16% (784,000 barrels): The other part of the 41% that has disappeared, naturally dispersed oil has simply broken up without the help of Corexit
Whether evaporated, dissolved or dispersed, the invisible 41% of the oil has not taken care of itself. Rather, it has become impossible to collect or neutralize. It is not gone, it is incognito. At the moment, these 1,125,000 microspoic barrels can make their way out of the water, but only by moving up the food chain.
Wait!, you say, what about oil-eating microbes!? Yes, there is a little critter that loves to munch on oil; no, it is not a magic bullet. With a feast of this magnitude, the microbes could reproduce uncontrollably, creating an oxygen-poor environment in which sea life could suffocate.
The Hangover
-Residual oil 26% (1,274,000 barrels): This oil is found in the form of tar balls, oil sheen, the slick washing ashore and sinking into the sand. It represents that amount of oil still in a collectible form.
Understanding the Numbers: a final note
Information on the Gulf oil spill is volatile. Sadly, no matter how certain a federal scientific agency insists it is, statistics are subject to radical changes. Whether it's the fate of released oil, the bizarrely low number of animal deaths or the barrels released daily, totals and tallies rise abruptly. As a rule of thumb, friends, it is best to bet high.
[via joingreenrevolution.com]
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