Engineers have ruled out the use of hair booms in the fight to contain oil spreading across the Gulf of Mexico. They say tests show the hair booms do not absorb as much oil as commercial booms, and sink too quickly. Organizations collecting the hair have been asked to stop.
The engineers referred to test results from February. It’s a shame they couldn’t have said something before now, before people across the country had spent a month gathering boom materials, thinking it was a way to help with the Gulf clean-up.
I was under the impression there weren’t enough commercial booms available to protect the many miles of vulnerable Gulf coast beaches. And I don’t think anyone ever suggested the hair booms were as good as the commercial booms, but only that they were effective enough to supplement the commercial booms.
I’d like to think the officials on the scene know what they’re talking about now, and that there are more than enough commercial booms available to get the job done. But these days, when it comes to the oil spill, it’s hard to know who, if anyone, knows what they’re talking about.
They haven’t exactly demonstrated any understanding of what’s going on out there yet.
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You noticed that too, eh?
I wonder if that goes for feathers, too.
But I second what Sank said. They seem to have their heads up their arses, anyway.
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There’s no doubt feathers soak up oil. Ask any brown pelican in the Louisiana marshlands.
As tempted as I am to make light of ‘hair booms’ or ‘feather booms’, it just ain’t happening. That header photo is too terrifying. Big technology intersecting with corporate greed seems to create the most awful messes ever. When will we ever learn?
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Glad to know someone noticed the photo. I keep looking for “The One,” but like the oil, they just keep coming …