I had an interesting tweet from my buddy @Shoq on Twitter this afternoon bringing the following YouTube video to my attention:
These gentlemen seem to think that hay found commonly in the southeastern United States could be part of the cleanup solution for the oil spill currently in the Gulf of Mexico.
Shoq Value
Cleanup attempts in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. (photo: Sindh Today)
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Ted Frier
Cleverley
J. P. Major
ohsillyme
Lauren B. Davis
Rochelle Skaar
Salon.com
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Rated with hugs and let's get this cleaned up
Had not the simplest been to pick up the phone and asked for some professionals to move in and get the job done? Someone with experience?
The crude will let some of the leak evaporate - lighter condensates will disappear and make the oil "thicker". As long as this goes on, hay can be used. Once the long molecules bind (e.g. the asphaltines) then you get a substance that may get as hard as rock eventually. The chemicals is used to make these fall to the bottom of the sea. Bacteria and micro-organisms in the sea can actually "consume" some of this - remember, in old days, the tar was used as chewing gum, so it is not toxic, it is the taste that is bad. We know little about how the marine life suffer by eating oil. Those of us that eat oysters, are feeding on a very primitive form of life. To eat crabs is eating the garbage guy, the crab feeds on the waste and dead material it may come across, and this little one can get very toxic.
Thanks for sharing this - reminded me that wherever there's construction work, or roadside spills here, the first thing to happen is haybales in the gutters.
Then it's used for mulch.
Wow - may it be tried in the Gulf ! As the guy said, What can go wrong ?