I’m Not The Only Doubter

The Miami Herald notes that the Science world skeptical at oil spill’s disappearing act

WASHINGTON — Many scientists say they’re skeptical of a widely publicized government report Wednesday that concludes much of the oil that gushed from BP’s leaking well is gone and poses little threat to the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the “vast majority” of the 4.9 million barrels released into the Gulf has either evaporated “or been burned, skimmed, and recovered from the wellhead, or dispersed.”

“I’m suspect if that’s accurate or not,” said Ronald Kendall, the director of the Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University and one of the scientists who testified Wednesday at a congressional hearing about the need for more research into the composition and use of chemical dispersants to break up the oil in the Gulf.

“It’s an estimate and I’d like to say that even if it’s true, there are still 50 to 60 million gallons that are still out there,” he said. “It’s too early to draw the conclusion that the coast is clear, but there are species there that will tell us.”
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Scientists also questioned the report’s methodology.

“There is a lot of uncertainty in these figures,” said James H. Cowan, Jr., a professor in the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences at Louisiana State University,

For example, the report doesn’t explain how its authors decided what was naturally dispersed oil and what was chemically dispersed oil. They gave no details of how they estimated the evaporation rate of oil — something that’s difficult to do over large areas of seawater because of the effects of weather and other factors, Cowan said.

It took them over 100 days to come to a decision on the flow rate, but they can make reasoned judgments on what happened to the oil in a week? What is the basis for their figures, because they haven’t been sampling, and those who have been sampling have only produced preliminary figures?

This whole thing smells more like marketing and politics than science. They had to be embarrassed into starting their pathetic efforts at research, and they denied the existence of the underwater plumes until the facts were overwhelming. They have put more effort into protecting BP than the people, despite a few harsh statements for the masses.