Oil spill under control
BP Oil Company, whose name has been besmirched since its spill in the Gulf of Mexico last April, now says it plans to make its underwater well containment equipment and experienced clean- up staff available to other oil and gas companies operating in the gulf.
After finally and permanently sealing its ruptured well this past weekend, BP is looking for ways to help the Marine Well Containment Company and its efforts to contain future spills, according to msnbc.com. BP will be joining other oil companies such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon and Royal Dutch Shell to make the best rapid-response oil containment system to prevent another disaster.
Although the well has now been officially pronounced dead, clean-up work is not finished.
“It’s going to go on as long as it takes to get the marshes and the beaches clean,” said retired BP Adm. Thad Allen. “We’re going to stay with this for quite awhile.”
Although water testing no longer shows high levels of oil in the area, experts fear oil could be settling to the ocean bottom, where it may be damaging to the ecosystem.
Frankenfish
Meanwhile, the United States Food and Drug Administration is in debate over a request to market genetically modified salmon. If approved, the fish could be in stores and on your plate in as little as two years.
The salmon, spawned from genetically engineered salmon eggs, grow to full-size in half the time it takes a normal salmon. These salmon would be the first transgenic animal allowed for human consumption and may lead to the approval of other modified animals, such as an environmental friendly pig currently being developed in Canada.
Ron Stotish, CEO of AquaBounty, the company marketing the fish, says the salmon are safe and environmentally sustainable. The FDA has already said that this salmon is as safe to eat as the natural kind.
However, critics are calling the modified salmon a “frankenfish” and claim it may cause allergies in humans.
Also, it is still unclear if the American public wants to eat the modified salmon. A cnn.com poll showed that about 17 percent of voters said they would eat the salmon “in a heartbeat,” while 45 percent they would absolutely not eat it.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” rule will stay in place, at least for now. Democrats and the White house were blocked from removing the policy after a unanimous vote from Senate Republicans on Tuesday.
Although disappointed in the outcome, Democrats, including White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, said they would “keep trying” to get Congress to repeal the policy, which bars openly gay and lesbian citizens from serving in the military.
“We still have a fighting chance to repeal DADT through congressional action, but in the meantime, the best interests of our men and women in uniform are served by doing everything we can to get rid of this discriminatory law,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.
