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Diane Sawyer Talks With the Man Behind the Expanding "Boycott BP" Facebook
We can react positively to what is the largest case of cruelty to animals in US history - if it changes our behaviour as consumers
BP has certainly shone an international spotlight on British business, but no one is applauding. In the US, it has more than the loss of human life, livelihoods and tourism to answer for. And so do the government inspectors who allowed the corporation to put profit before safety.
If the criminal investigation of BP and those who signed off on the drill-site inspection sheets and safety assurances shows wilful fraud and deception, dereliction of duty, bribes or who knows what else, there is one additional set of criminal charges that should be added to the list: cruelty to animals. For this is the largest case of cruelty to animals in US history.
There is no shortage of photographs of the animals that have died and are still dying - slowly, painfully, drenched in oil. It is hard for anyone to see the gulls and pelicans, blinking up through a thick coat of muck that prevents them from flying, eating, taking a drink of water or escaping the burning heat along the Gulf coast. It is even too much to come across video that shows a huge rubber-gloved hand gently plucking a tiny crab out of a puddle of black glop. Only the outline of body tells you what it is, although its struggles tell you it is still alive. For the moment.
BP has certainly shone an international spotlight on British business, but no one is applauding. In the US, it has more than the loss of human life, livelihoods and tourism to answer for. And so do the government inspectors who allowed the corporation to put profit before safety.
If the criminal investigation of BP and those who signed off on the drill-site inspection sheets and safety assurances shows wilful fraud and deception, dereliction of duty, bribes or who knows what else, there is one additional set of criminal charges that should be added to the list: cruelty to animals. For this is the largest case of cruelty to animals in US history.
There is no shortage of photographs of the animals that have died and are still dying - slowly, painfully, drenched in oil. It is hard for anyone to see the gulls and pelicans, blinking up through a thick coat of muck that prevents them from flying, eating, taking a drink of water or escaping the burning heat along the Gulf coast. It is even too much to come across video that shows a huge rubber-gloved hand gently plucking a tiny crab out of a puddle of black glop. Only the outline of body tells you what it is, although its struggles tell you it is still alive. For the moment.
© Unknown
CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said the damage Monday morning was caused by "backbuilding thunderstorms," a series of heavy rain cores without intermittent periods of let-up. After an early afternoon respite, CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said, Oklahoma City is again under a severe thunderstorm watch, as more storms head toward the rain-soaked metropolitan area. However, Morris said the newer storms are aiming south and east of the areas deluged the most Monday morning.
The National Weather Service said almost 10 inches of rain fell between 2 and 11 a.m. A flash flood watch was extended across central Oklahoma through 7 a.m. CT Tuesday.
According to the National Weather Service, an average of 1 to 2 more inches of rain was likely across the region through Monday night, with locally higher amounts.
Lightning strikes apparently caused a major fire at a gas company in North Carolina early Sunday morning, fire officials said.
The blaze started at Colonial Pipeline Company in Greensboro after midnight, said David Douglas, an assistant fire chief in Greensboro.
A pipe with 20,000 gallons of gas was burning and two tanks with about 12,000 gallons of gas caught on fire, Douglas said.
Firefighters used foam to extinguish the flames on the tanks, Colonial Pipeline spokesman Steve Baker said.
The huge facility, known as the tank farm, is near Piedmont Triad International Airport, and the massive blaze sent plumes of smoke throughout the area.
The blaze started at Colonial Pipeline Company in Greensboro after midnight, said David Douglas, an assistant fire chief in Greensboro.
A pipe with 20,000 gallons of gas was burning and two tanks with about 12,000 gallons of gas caught on fire, Douglas said.
Firefighters used foam to extinguish the flames on the tanks, Colonial Pipeline spokesman Steve Baker said.
The huge facility, known as the tank farm, is near Piedmont Triad International Airport, and the massive blaze sent plumes of smoke throughout the area.
© Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake TribuneCrews are cleaning up the pond at Liberty Park on Saturday.
A leak from Chevron's underground oil pipeline may have gone undetected for hours as it spilled 50 gallons of crude a minute Saturday into Salt Lake City's Red Butte Creek.
The oil blackened the east-side creek, stained scores of birds, prompted the closure of Liberty Park and sent oil as far west as the Jordan River.
"This is extremely harmful," said disgusted resident Peter G. Hayes, a biology teacher who showed oily rocks from his creek-side home to Chevron officials at Liberty Park. "I want to know when are you going to send someone to my backyard and clean up my mess because I can't even live in my house because of the smell."
Chevron pledged to clean up the 6-mile mess, but the company could not quantify the damage. As of late Saturday, Chevron said the leak had been stopped. But company representatives could not say when it began, how much oil spilled into city waterways and why -- despite pipeline monitors -- it apparently took hours to learn of the accident.
© USGSEarthquake Location
Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 03:32:54 UTC
Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 12:32:54 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location:
37.405°N, 141.602°E
Depth:
7.7 km (4.8 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region:
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances:
75 km (45 miles) ENE of Iwaki, Honshu, Japan
110 km (65 miles) ESE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
110 km (70 miles) E of Koriyama, Honshu, Japan
255 km (155 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan
© Press-Register/Kate MercerSheets of oil washed ashore in Gulf Shores, Ala., early Saturday morning from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
In some sections, large pools of black oil sat on the shoreline.
As far east or west as the eye could see, oil stained the white sands.
Small groups of workers took turns for hours shoveling clumps of the oil into black plastic bags. But as quickly as they dug, the oil washed ashore -- in sheets, in globs, with each successive, dark wave.
Occasionally, a group of beachgoers would rise from their towels and stand at the edge of the oil, which kept them four or five feet from the water's edge.
Site of oil leak capped; All water access points along Red Butte Creek, 
Liberty Park and the Jordan River should be avoided by humans and animals at this time.
Utah - Salt Lake City officials and Chevron crews have been working since early morning Saturday, June 12 to stop a severe oil spill discovered East of Red Butte Canyon. The number of barrels of oil released is estimated at 400-500. The site of the leak has been capped. Drinking water for residents has not been affected. Residents are advised to stay away from Red Butte Canyon and Liberty Park so crews can adequately manage the spill. All water access points along Red Butte Creek, Liberty Park and the Jordan River should be avoided by humans and animals at this time.
© Photo Credit: Christian Pulfer
Liberty Park and the Jordan River should be avoided by humans and animals at this time.
Utah - Salt Lake City officials and Chevron crews have been working since early morning Saturday, June 12 to stop a severe oil spill discovered East of Red Butte Canyon. The number of barrels of oil released is estimated at 400-500. The site of the leak has been capped. Drinking water for residents has not been affected. Residents are advised to stay away from Red Butte Canyon and Liberty Park so crews can adequately manage the spill. All water access points along Red Butte Creek, Liberty Park and the Jordan River should be avoided by humans and animals at this time.
© Flickr.com/mikebaird/cc-byGorely Volcano.
The plume has stretched to over a hundred kilometers, compromising regional air travel and threatening disruption at a local geothermal power plant. Volcanologists say that population centres are not under threat.
Mount Gorely rises to about two kilometres above sea level. There are 11 craters on it, one with a lake. The volcano's average dormancy interval is close to 20 years.
© USGS
Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 19:26:50 UTC
Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 01:26:50 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location:
7.702°N, 91.975°E
Depth:
35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
Region:
NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
Distances:
150 km (95 miles) W of Mohean, Nicobar Islands, India
440 km (275 miles) WNW of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
1155 km (710 miles) SW of BANGKOK, Thailand
2790 km (1730 miles) SE of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India
