GULF OIL FIASCO Is it a Local Issue? March, 2013

Volume Estimates (barrels/day): April ,000 April ,000 May ,000-19,000 Sept ,000-68,000 US Energy Information Administration

Remediation : booms, burning, dispersants Remediation : booms, burning, dispersants

Plumes & deepwater hydrocarbons remain (25 % of total?)

Tarballs persist – February, 2013

Will bacterial activity add to the Gulf’s “dead zone”? “dead zone”?

Agricultural sources of nitrates & phosphates

Who’s to blame, BP or our endless thirst for petroleum products ? Who’s to blame, BP or our endless thirst for petroleum products ? + huge vehicles in which to place them

Traffic’s not what it used to be Traffic’s not what it used to be

So we drill – here, now, & deeper So we drill – here, now, & deeper Total spill estimate: 4.4M barrels Estimated U.S. usage per day: 19.6M barrels

Global implications include possible contribution to climate change Global implications include possible contribution to climate change & ocean acidification

Greenland’s northern ice shelf – 2010 Greenland’s northern ice shelf – 2010

Loss of Arctic Sea ICE

A local connection: KSU A local connection: KSU

Commute alternatives are meager Commute alternatives are meager

Going Forward – KSU’s Climate Action Plan 2010 Going Forward – KSU’s Climate Action Plan 2010