It is time to learn the lessons of the disaster: neither the technology nor the regulation of deepwater drilling is capable of protecting workers or the environment.
Coast Guard officials have pointed out that the 20-meter security zone is minimal and does not hamper documentation of the cleanup. Environmentalists disagree.
The Deepwater rig is legally considered an ocean-going vessel, as a result BP could get away with shelling out sums as paltry as $1,000 to families of workers killed in the blast.
Halliburton's failed cementing job likely led to oil blowout in the Gulf -- but there's no mess big enough to take the shine off these tumor-like companies.
At best 20% of the oil spill may be recoverable. Though we don't yet know the full extent of the disaster, one thing is for sure: regulatory failures paved the way.
As the oil spill grows, Palin extols off-shore drilling. Is she a performance artist, a shrewd businesswoman or just incredibly dense and lucky? Likely all of the above.
