Plastic Bags? Really?

This morning they have been showing live feeds of the "clean up" on Pensicola Beach. It shows a huge beach, two workers waking around with shovels and plastic bags, and they don't look very "involved" in their work

Are you kidding me? The best BP and our government can do is two workers with plastic bags and a shovel?

The news reports even stated that there was "tons of oil and tar balls, that had soaked several feet into the sand".

1. There should be bulldozers, every fifty feet on that beach, scooping and piling sand to be put into a filtering machine, which could at that point seperate the oil from the sand.

2. If they are going to take the "plastic bag" approach, then there should be thousands of people on that beach, not two.


To me this is proof that both B.P. and our government see this as a lost cause, and are doing a pretty weak dog and pony show for the media.

I have to agree, this charade is an insult to all of our intelligence.

For the past few weeks i have been saying that the workers they have out there look very unmotivated and under supplied.
Did you see the video with the clean up workers using toy sandcastle shovels? i have seen work release prisoners on the side of the highway take more pride in thier work than these clowns....

disgusted,

~meathead

All the TV coverage I have seen of the clean up shows workers only filling large plastic garbage bags about 1/20th of the way full. They are poluting the earth with all of this plastic on top of millions of gallons of oil gushing into the GOM.

Very disturbing - toy shovels, just two workers, not very motivated! There should be bull dozers doing this work, constantly. Is this not BP's responsibility to keep the clean up going - are they still not accepting volunteer help? They just don't care - a crying shame to say the least. Makes me very angry!

if they clean it, it will just be oiled up again within a few hours.

it needs to be cleaned, but its not going to solve anything until the leak is stopped.

And then wouldn't you know - just got a pop up ad to buy plastic bags!

reply to post by Mike Stivic


Perhaps, it is because the prisoner clean up crews can actually see an end to their work. Once their section of freeway is clean, they are done. These clean up workers are so undermanned and SO underequipped, I can see being very lethargic in that job myself. If there is no end, what's the point? This situation is so freaking horrible it makes me want to cry. There is an extremely limited response by BP (hence the two workers with plastic bags) and absolutely NO response by our government, other than how to sue them better later.

I love how ever time you see those few workers out there, that they are in all white with white bags that have maybe a cat litter scoop or two in them. They are also not even dirty in the slightest. If they really wanted to clean this up all they would have to do is bus in all the unemployed in the country and pay them $20-$35 bucks an hour to clean it up. Wow I just figured out how the USA could hire all of the unemployed in the country and give them jobs. They could set up work camps which would hire truckers and builders to set them up also engenieers and boilermen to set up the camps also electricians ect. Then they would need cooks, organizers, satalite guys all to set up and maintain the camps. some maintenance people ect. Put a couple of million people down there and WOW it would be cleaned up in no time. Also people would feel good about themselves because they would be helping their environment.

All of a sudden employment rates are down to NOTHING! and if people didn't want to go and work there they could have an option of just not getting unemployment insurance!

HOLY SH*T I just solved the united states problems in one post!
Everyone gets work
Employment is taken care of.
Environment is taken care of.
They will stop the leak ASAP because they wouldn't want to pay all those people forever. As it is the cleanup will probably take 10 years to complete even with a million plus people cleaning it all up all in white and with pooper scoopers!
BP payes for it all.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

reply to post by theclutch


Absolutely brilliant! the best thing about it would be that BP would be paying the wages, and not one penny would come out of tax-payers dollars. I love this idea! Spread it like crazy!!!!

reply to post by theclutch


One issue though. It would have to be mandated through congress that every single clean up worker recieved haz-mat suits, and resperators at the expense of BP. Also all clean up workers automatically have free no deductible health insurrance, paid for by BP for the next 10 years.

Originally posted by theclutch
I love how ever time you see those few workers out there, that they are in all white with white bags that have maybe a cat litter scoop or two in them. They are also not even dirty in the slightest. If they really wanted to clean this up all they would have to do is bus in all the unemployed in the country and pay them $20-$35 bucks an hour to clean it up. Wow I just figured out how the USA could hire all of the unemployed in the country and give them jobs. They could set up work camps which would hire truckers and builders to set them up also engenieers and boilermen to set up the camps also electricians ect. Then they would need cooks, organizers, satalite guys all to set up and maintain the camps. some maintenance people ect. Put a couple of million people down there and WOW it would be cleaned up in no time. Also people would feel good about themselves because they would be helping their environment.

All of a sudden employment rates are down to NOTHING! and if people didn't want to go and work there they could have an option of just not getting unemployment insurance!

HOLY SH*T I just solved the united states problems in one post!
Everyone gets work
Employment is taken care of.
Environment is taken care of.
They will stop the leak ASAP because they wouldn't want to pay all those people forever. As it is the cleanup will probably take 10 years to complete even with a million plus people cleaning it all up all in white and with pooper scoopers!
BP payes for it all.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would consider giving any illegals, permanent resident status as well if they helped clean up the Gulf, at regular american wages including hazard pay and of course with BP benefits. (pension, health care, etc)

The only thing I would be worried about is the life expectancy of those Exxon cleanup crews. I would hate to see anyone take a job out of desperation that could cost them their lives.


[edit on 5-7-2010 by minettejo]

reply to post by minettejo


Though I agree with you, I agree with the original idea of hiring our unemployed first, before offering the jobs to illegals. Once no American citizen is without a job, then let's turn in that direction.

reply to post by dreamwalker74


Theres an interesting thing in itself? Plastic bags?
What effect would the dispersant have on the plastic? Is there an effect?
Just wondering because if the plastic was to say, disolve or whatever would that mean that where ever the oil is been taken, will they be effectively be moving the problem?
Serious question looking for serious answers. Im not joking, we all need to start thinking of everything here because as you all well know, this is not a time for pissing in the wind here, we all need to start thinking of every possible outcome and stop getting on the cases of those that are getting griefed for scare mongering when in fact they are telling you how it is.
Oilspill+concerned people voicing their concerns= scare mongers? WTF?
People need to hear the truth and their concerns to effectively get the job done.
I live on the other side of the pond and im devastated for everyone and everything involved. I wish you all well and the best of luck, but when are we all going to come together and put this baby to bed?
Together we stand, divided we fall??? WHEN? WTF have we all become?

There are a lot of intelligent people here on ATS, each and everyone of you, so whats the problem? Why leave it till tomorow or next week? The # is hitting the fan now, so lets do something about it now.

So, what's the big picture?
Someone is benefiting from the apathetic nature of the response to this entire debacle.
Find out who or what that entity is, and we get one step closer to discovering what's really going on.
As if that kind of thing would ever be made public.
I absolutely refuse to believe that the usa can stand by and watch this happen and use the excuse, "We don't know what to do.".
The usa has been sticking it's nose where it doesn't belong for at least the past 75 yrs, with the attitude, listen to us or else, and when it comes to our own responsibilities, the usa can watch it burn?
WTF!!??!!
Then again it's not the usa that pays the price, but it's people.
Isn't it?
Given the limited information and lack of corrective actions, I almost have no choice but to believe the entire scenario was intentional, as well as the repercussions.


[edit on 7/5/2010 by reticledc]

reply to post by jazz10


This is a very good point. Plastic in itself is a petroleum based product. Corexit literally breaks down petroleum. Where are they putting all these plastic bags? does anybody know?

reply to post by dreamwalker74


Thats what i mean. Thank god its not only me seeing it from a different angle.
The question now is, where are they taking it? Anyone?

Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
All the TV coverage I have seen of the clean up shows workers only filling large plastic garbage bags about 1/20th of the way full. They are poluting the earth with all of this plastic on top of millions of gallons of oil gushing into the GOM.

How heavy do you think the bag would be if they filled it half way? How heavy if they filled it three quarters? Seems like they are keeping it managable. Seems like a good idea, since it would be making things worse if a fuller bag split in an unpolluted area.

And the whining about the plastic bags at this point is a bit moot. What would you have them put the sand in? Something that is strong, lightweight, and flexible.

Never mind how heavy the bags are, you may want to help in finding out if the dispersant will simply dissolve the plastic bags and their destination.

ANYONE????

reply to post by reticledc


It has to be intentional! Were they hoping it would be worse from day one? Is this why they are delaying anything and everything, so that the situation can eventually make it to the point which they wanted it to be to begin with?

I think most the clean-up workers are for show. Those guys are shuffled around for photo ops and to be seen by the public/tourists.


Considering the VAST majority of the crude is still out in the water (or still underground waiting in que to be spewed out), any clean-up effort at this point is probably relatively pointless in the long run.

It seems akin to sweeping your sidewalk in a hurricane.

I think once (if) this is all over, the REAL cleanup will begin in earnest. Until then, 'balloons and ponies*" for the spectacle!

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