Drilling for oil is a dangerous business, there will be leaks problems, explosions etc, that is just a fact of life. Drilling for oil at 5000ft depth is riskier still - even US navy subs cannot withstand the intense pressures of that depth. Why are the oil companies drilling there then? For a start, because the govt won't let them drill closer to shore or in ANWR et al. Two things caused this oil spill, the inevitable reality of risk in life and the irrational and self-defeating policies of the environmentalists. A spill in ANWR could have bee easily contained and clear up by now.
The response of the long-legged mack daddy has been nothing short of deplorable. I doubt the man is capable of holding a rational thought in his head. Why has all oil drilling stopped? The irrationality of he response is just inane. We know there is a risk in oil drilling, but that same level of risk existed 60 days ago, what changed? the oil spill change nothing about the risk that another rig could go - but it remains highly unikely (even less likely now that firms are looking at their own safety record). Even leaving that over-reaction aside, I am incandescent with rage over him sticking his nose into the business of a private corporation. BP is behaving responsibly, paying significant compensation to all those affected by the disaster. He has absolutely NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to dictate whether BP can or cannot pay a dividend (including to the American stock holders who own 39% of the company). The guy is a wannabe Chavez. He disgusts me in more ways than words can express.