Posted on 01/10/2011 9:09:44 PM PST by brityank
Federal study confirms microbes have eaten most of the Gulf Oil Spill
A study by researchers from Texas A&M and University of California in Santa Barbara have found that all of the methane gas released from the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico have been consumed by tiny microbes. Methane gas amounts 100,000 times higher than normal at the time of their release have completely disappeared after only 120 days. Some scientists had raised concerns that dissolved methane and other oil residue would continue to plague the Gulf for years or even decades. This is turning out not to be the case.
Confirming that the methane gas has been consumed was a corresponding drop in dissolved oxygen content in the water consistent with the oxygen required to convert the methane into water and carbon dioxide by the microbes. High levels of methane eating bacteria were also found in the water where the methane gas had previously been measured.
Microbes are also cleaning up the spilled oil. In a report last month, federal officials said there was no longer any significant oil from the spill left offshore. What should be clear is that natural processes can clean up oil spills over time.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
So much for the "eons of damage" that the faux Greenazi 'scientists' were pushing.
CHU - DID YOU READ THAT?
(Yes, I know there's still lots on the seafloor, but that will get covered by the deposition of the outflow from the continental shelf. The damage to the Gulf by the government is ten times worse than the Deepwater blowout.)
What a waste of potential gasoline.
The microbes’ reply was: “OM NOM NOM...”
the water in the Gulf Of Mexico is warmer so there are more microbes to eat it up.
Pull their PhD's and strip them of tenure.
But, but, but, the oil is what’s stopping the jet stream flow and making it soooo cold!
The earth can take care of itself. The Marsh Arabs, who had lived in the marshes of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers for several millenia until Saddam Hussein had them drained, simply breached the levies and the marsh healed itself very quickly.
During WWII, many thousands of ships were sunk, most fired by fuel oil and many were tankers hauling fuel.
There was no Greenpeace or EPA, and yet, the worl survived.
True,but were they near a major food source like the Gulf?
And your qualifications are ... ?
I don’t have any, but I do question - especially when there’s boatloads of money involved.
I agree.
The economics of global warming and climate change imply that we should take steps to mitigate the release of carbon dioxide and the resulting increase in temperatures. We do not need to make drastic, immediate changes in our energy production from fossil fuels, but we should start to replace some of our fossil fuel consumption with renewable energy.
And remember the dire warnings that his torching the oil wells would cause irreparable damage. Another falsehood from the scientific cognoscenti.
Corporations and government always promote good news and will cover-up bad news, and the media is their partner.
I do not believe this until it is corroborated by multiple independent scientific institutions that are not connected either with the government or big oil. It also needs substantiated by locals and fishermen in the Gulf.
Remember how the EPA and Bush claimed the air at ground zero was good? Don’t trust them to tell us the truth unless the truth is good news.
When a microbes eats oil does it crap grease and pee gasoline??? Just wonder there was any byproducts.
CO2 comes out after the temp. increase - it doesn't cause it. I have no problem with renewable energy - just not at the expense of our necessary baseload. Bring on the atomic power plants.
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