Oil Leak Solutions...From Us?

The number one topic of conversation across the country is, without a doubt, the huge oil leak in the Gulf. Part of it is the sheer magnitude-unprecedented. Another reason is the ongoing nature of the spill—getting larger every minute and as attempts to cap it fail, we as a nation grow more despondent over what can be done. By the time you are through reading this, hundreds, maybe thousands more gallons of oil will be floating in the Gulf.

Maybe the answer will come from you—or me. Really.

If the cleanup alone of what has leaked thus far were the sole issue, we would have our collective hands full. The growing urgency to stop the nonstop flow has rightly consumed most of our focus and it is amazing to me that more avenues have not been tried.

According to news reports, BP has received more than 36,000 suggestions from the public on how to plug the hole. If you have one, the hotline number to call is:

281-366-5511

I have lost faith in the eggheads who devised the fail-safes that failed. True, they have engineering degrees and I do not. They summarily dismiss ideas from the public as being ignorant of the complexities of the problem—and they may be right. In fact, the hotline number above may just be a public relations ploy to demonstrate that BP is exploring EVERY avenue to a solution. The cynic in me suspects this motive, but simultaneously hopes he is wrong.

For every crackpot out there with the "solution", could there also be a structural engineer from another industry, a marine professor with a great idea or, dare I say, a radio DJ with an idea that could be of use?

Here’s mine:

Construct a huge “SPIKE”, a post, if you will, with graduated circumference. “V-shaped” at the tip like a pencil, this spike is simply driven down into the hole until the diameter of the “spike” is greater than that of the hole. Driven down further the oil would be choked off to the point where it could be encased in the cement that dries underwater—the same stuff they would have used had the “top kill” procedure had worked. I don’t know the width of the hole, but tell me, what about THAT idea won’t work? If they can DRILL through the ocean floor to reach the oil, then the technology exists to drive this spike into the well.

I’m calling it in.

Some people have suggested similar solutions, I am sure. Many of these I would think to be preferable to the “top kill” attempt that basically shot debris into the hole. One can see that the gushing force of the oil would repel even a constant stream of garbage being blown into the well.

Here is a short video of the ongoing spill:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlPPFcy-3Vo


Disgraceful--and scary.


For your information, the company has a four stage classification strategy for all ideas coming in. During each stage, the ideas as separated as follows:

1) Waiting to be processed
2) Not possible
3) Not feasible
4) Already planned
5) Feasible, but not proven
6) Feasible and proven.


The company said they would contact those whose ideas could possibly be tested.

OK…I did it. Before finishing this blog, I called the number above to see what would happen. A friendly man named Manuel took down my name, contact info and e-mail, listened patiently to my idea (without as much as a snicker) and told me that I would receive an e-mail form to fill out and return.

While I cannot believe that of the 36,000 (and counting) suggestions BP has received—that MINE is particularly unique, I will be interested to know what will be at least TRIED next—and hope that it is not as LAME as the “top-kill”.

Somehow, THAT idea passed the “feasibility” tests----maybe a common sense idea from an ordinary citizen will make the difference.

If you have one---make the call : 281-366-5511


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