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Caceres, Spain

Hi folks. Many people ask me about how is going with the oil spot near NW spanish coast. OK, 10000 voluteers from all over the country went this long holyday weekend to help the army in cleaning the shores. Veterinaries to help the sick birds and sea mammals, divers, fishermen, students... People put their vacational ships on the sea to help. Even the weather is helping with the NE winds. These sad disasters have at least one nice side, we can see the solidarity of the good normal people for once, instead of those negative notices TV usually shows to ruin our digestions at dinner time.

12/8/2002 3:37:44 AM

Caceres, Spain

I admired the people of the United States and Canada for their industriousness, how serious they are in their hobbies and jobs, and for the friendship and generosity they show. Not bad thing is their big love to their Country. But in Spain we have a nice thing (beyond nice falls and springs and supergastronomy). We do have the best solidarity, as this disaster showed. Spain is the first country in Europe in organ donations, the country wich sent more firemen to the Istambul earthquake, and more money to Guatemala after the hurricane wich devastated all that country. I could continue, but this is a place to talk about pumpkins, not to promove tourism. Is just that yesterday, watching the News I feeled proud of my country and want to share this feeling with you, friends.

12/8/2002 3:51:45 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Carlos

please tell me Mundaka didn't get hit!

12/8/2002 5:03:31 AM

Caceres, Spain

Only isolated spots have come to Vizcaya, some of them riched Bakio, wich is close to Mundaka, but I didn't hear about the last one to be affected yet. The worst par is over the Atlantic Islands, wich have 100% of their perimeter cover with the oil.

12/8/2002 12:35:29 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Thats not such good news when you hear it was washed up somewhere else.I wish your fellow countrymen well with the clean up.

12/8/2002 3:26:12 PM

Key West, FL

Don, I cant stand seeing that disaster. I am sorry for you and your enviroment.

12/8/2002 9:49:51 PM

Deer Park WA

Don Q, We to suffered a great environvental loss several years ago with the Exxon Valdeez oil spill. Our environment was very badly damaged, yet some good came from it as Canadians, Americans, and many other fine folks worked hard together as neighbors and friends to minimize the impact. There will be much loss of life with the desaster that has happened off the coast of Spain, and we are sorry to hear of it....

12/9/2002 1:15:33 AM

Caceres, Spain

Thank you friends. Things can go worse, winds changed again and are now coming from west, and the sunken ship has several cracks and a lot of remaining oil inside, as they watched from a batiscaf.

12/9/2002 1:37:57 AM

porterville,california usa

Don Q. The world is a much better place with you and your generous country, Spain, in it .I feel very saddened by the problem put upon the ecology of your country. The greed of mankind seldom takes responsibility for it`s devestation and raping of our world to make a buck. Especially when it comes at the expense of someone elses ecology. I wish they would make the CEOs of the company responsible clean it themselves, not the hired help, but the top brass. Maybe then some changes would be made. Best of luck and may GOD help you all. booth PS Have a very merry Christmas !

12/9/2002 2:07:25 AM

[email protected]

Usually the companies that own the oil & the tanker ARE held financially responsible. They carry insurance for at least a part of the cleanup. But this will probably be in the courts for years.
One way to prevent these things in the first place is with the use of double hulled tankers. But if the worlds governments did get on the same page & force the issue, most consumers would scream bloody murder when the price of fuel went up to pay for the improvements.
Carlos, this item has fallen off the front page around here now. Will any attempt be made to pump the remaining oil out of the sunken hull?
The Exxon Valdeez allowed us the opportunity to utilize oil consuming bacteria. Is the situation favorable to these techniques yet?
I sincerely hope that man's efforts to minimize the environmental impact prove favorable & that mother nature cooperates. Spain is a beautiful country & it's people are good friends indeed.

Steve

12/9/2002 6:20:30 AM

Caceres, Spain

They are now estimating how much oil remains in the tanks in order to decide what to do, but it doesn't look easy to avoid an even bigger disaster. Now some spots are getting french coast.

12/9/2002 7:44:44 AM

Key West, FL

The only way to world peace and to keep things like this from happening is a) Everyone stop driving cars b) A much more likely solution of no one driving fossil fuel powered cars, hydrogen is the future.

12/9/2002 5:39:34 PM

Caceres, Spain

14 cracks on the tanks and a scape of 125 ton of fuel per day has been detected on the Prestige. In five months it can loose all the content. The liberian flagged ship carryed in 77.000 tons of fuel when a thunderstorm near Death Cape broke it down.

12/11/2002 12:55:19 AM