Prompt Cast
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill and methods for cleaning up oil spills
TLDR The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the worst oil spill in US history, but stricter regulations have helped reduce spillage. Methods for cleaning up oil spills include using hair as a sorbent, in situ burning, natural degradation, and the use of dispersants (although they can be harmful to coral ecosystems).
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode is about how to clean up an oil spill.
03:31
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the worst oil spill in US history, potentially releasing as much as 25,000 barrels of oil per day.
07:08
Oil spills are a major problem, with 100 million US gallons of oil spilling every year and the US using up what was spilled in the Exxon Valdez spill every 22 minutes, but stricter regulations have helped reduce spillage by 58% between 1989 and 2004.
10:43
Hair can be used as a sorbent to soak up oil spills from water, and the oil can then be squeezed out and reused.
13:56
In situ burning and natural degradation are methods used to clean up oil spills, but dispersants can be harmful to coral ecosystems.
17:18
Oil spills can result in the formation of tar balls, which can be harmful to marine life and can also contaminate beaches.
20:37
BP's latest effort to stop the five week old underwater oil spill, known as the top kill, may be working, despite previous failed attempts such as shooting golf balls into the spill.
24:01
The hosts of the podcast are promoting a trivia night event and raising money for a charity called co-ed cooperative for education in Guatemala.
Categories:
Society & Culture
