GS(3) Thunderbolt 8-8-06: Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes & Oil Leaks
By Richard Power
There is increasing disturbance within the Ring of Fire.
Approximately thirty thousand people have been evacuated from the vicinity of Mayon volcano in the Philippines, and a 6.7 magnitude earthquake has struck near South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.
These events may or may not be precursors of something bigger brewing, but they are certainly a reminder that your crisis management plan and travel security program should be predicated on the "Anywhere, anytime..." principle.
Meanwhile, in Alaska, BP has shutdown its Prudhoe Bay production (400,000 barrels a day) to replace corroded pipelines that are leaking oil. An estimated 8% of U.S. domestic oil production will be out of service for weeks or months.
According to USA Today, "even though it markets itself as environmentally conscious, oil giant BP had a troubled record in its Alaskan operations even before late Sunday's announcement that it is shutting down Prudhoe Bay production to replace corroded, leaking pipeline....Environmentalists say that BP (BP) appears to have let its infrastructure deteriorate in what is an aging oil field, instead of investing in upgrades, such as new pipe."
More dramatic evidence of the interdependence of energy security and environmental security.
The Union of Concerned Scientists puts the BP story in perspective:
According to a Union of Concerned Scientists analysis, the U.S. will spend at least an additional $24 million on oil imports today as a result of the price spike, sending a total of $10 million to OPEC alone.
"The pipeline shutdown reminds us that we need to start kicking our oil habit," said David Friedman, research director of UCS's Clean Vehicles Program. "If all our cars and trucks on the road today got just one extra mile per gallon, we would not even need the 400,000 barrels per day BP has shut down. The U.S. would spend $50 million dollars a day less on gasoline priced at $3 a gallon. Over the course of a year, that would be $18 billion that could be spent strengthening our economy and creating jobs across the country."
"It's a disgrace that our fuel economy is lower today that it was two decades ago," said Friedman. "Our political leaders should say 'enough is enough' and raise fuel economy standards now."
BP Pipeline Shutdown Highlights Nation's Oil Dependence; Even a One Mile Per Gallon Increase in Fuel Economy Would Erase Shortage
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Richard Power is the founder of GS(3) Intelligence and http://www.wordsofpower.net. His work focuses on the inter-related issues of security, sustainability and spirit, and how to overcome the challenges of terrorism, cyber crime, global warming, health emergencies, natural disasters, etc. You can reach him via e-mail: richardpower@wordsofpower.net. For more information, go to www.wordsofpower.net
Environmental Security, Energy Security, Alaska
Volcanoes, Natural Disaster, Crisis Management, Tsunami, Earthquake, Philippines, Vanuatu, Pacific, Indonesia, Travel Security, Ring of Fire
