mike the mountain

… and it’s going to be AWESOME.

Thought seed: Warren Ellis >> Just When You Thought Nature Had Run Out Of Ways To Fuck With You: The Supersonic Tsunami

“…BP drill site is directly over a massive underground reservoir of methane that could result in a huge explosion that would create “a supersonic tsunami” that “would literally sweep away everything from Miami to the panhandle in a matter of minutes. Loss of human life would be virtually instantaneous and measured in the millions.””.

No, these people are serious:

“If the huge methane bubble breaches the seabed, it will erupt with an explosive fury similar to that experienced during the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in the Pacific Northwest. A gas gusher will surge upwards through miles of ancient sedimentary rock—layer after layer—past the oil reservoir. It will explode upwards propelled by 50 tons psi, burst through the cracks and fissures of the compromised sea floor, and rupture miles of ocean bottom with one titanic explosion.

The burgeoning methane gas cloud will surface, killing everything it touches, and set off a supersonic tsunami with the wave traveling somewhere between 400 to 600 miles per hour.”

Feed: Huffington Post: DK Matai: Gulf Oil Gusher: Danger of Tsunamis From Methane?

“The crude oil from the “Macondo” well, which is damaging the Gulf of Mexico, contains around 40 percent methane, compared with about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits.”

“If the toxic gas bubble explodes, it might simultaneously set off a tsunami travelling at a high speed of hundreds of miles per hour. Florida might be most exposed to the fury of a tsunami wave. The entire Gulf coastline would be vulnerable, if the tsunami is manifest. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and southern region of Georgia might experience the effects of the tsunami according to some sources.”

“After several billion barrels of oil and billions of cubic feet of gas have been released, the massive cavity beneath the ocean floor will begin to normalise, allowing freezing water to be forced naturally into the huge cavity where the oil and gas once were. The temperature in that cavity can be extremely hot at around 150 degrees celsius or more. The incoming water will be vaporised and turned into steam, creating an enormous force, which could actually lift the Gulf floor. According to computer models, a second massive tsunami wave might occur.”

Branch connect: xkcd: Worst-Case Scenario

Germination: National Geographic: Hurricane Could Push Spilled Gulf Oil Into New Orleans

“Just when you think everything’s fine – that’s when it can go wrong.”

I love this for the same reason I loved all the hype around the Large Hadron Collider destroying the world (or the galaxy, or the universe), the same reason I love roller coasters and snowboarding and mountain biking and disaster movies: the tiny possibility that life could suddenly become far less pleasant gives that little shot of mental adrenaline that serves as a reminder to appreciate just how good I’ve got now, as well as the fact that so much of my life is completely beyond my control that I need to grab every chance at happiness that comes before me, for one day the opportunities to do so will be forever lost.

Now, to be fair, let me finish with the same line Warren Ellis did on his post:

“…always remember, this is posted under “research material,” not “independently fact-checked news.” I write fiction, after all.”

Below is the email I received yesterday from the Industry Minister’s office (Ministers Clement and Moore – Minister.industry@ic.gc.ca):

On Wed, Jun 2, 2010 at 2:31 PM, Ministers Clement and Moore wrote:

Thank you for your correspondence regarding copyright policy.

We are pleased to inform you that the Government of Canada has introduced
legislation to modernize the Copyright Act, bringing it up to date with
the advances of the digital age.

This legislation will bring Canada in line with international standards
and promote homegrown innovation and creativity. It is a fair, balanced,
and common-sense approach, respecting both the rights of creators and the
interests of consumers in a modern marketplace. The federal government is
working to secure Canada’s place in the digital economy and to promote a
more prosperous and competitive country.

The popularity of Web 2.0, social media, and new technologies such as MP3
players and digital books have changed the way Canadians create and make
use of copyrighted material. This bill recognizes the many new ways in
which teachers, students, artists, software companies, consumers,
families, copyright owners and many others use technology. It gives
creators and copyright owners the tools to protect their work and grow
their business models. It provides clearer rules that will enable all
Canadians to fully participate in the digital economy, now and in the
future.

For more information, please visit www.balancedcopyright.gc.ca.

Sincerely,

Tony Clement
Minister of Industry

James Moore
Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages

Here’s my response. I tried to keep it as calm and professional as possible, on the (slight) chance that someone ever actually reads it.

Ministers,

While I appreciate that there has been some consideration for the public consumer’s rights since C-61, unfortunately this proposal still has digital locks overriding all other rights, which make all your supposed “exceptions” moot. As long as that provision remains in place, Canadians still do not have the basic rights and freedoms to use digital media in legal and beneficial ways; ways that you have stated should be core to a “modern” copyright legislation.

Please fix this problem. It makes everything else in the bill meaningless. Simply add the exception that digital locks can be circumvented if done so for legal reasons (research, news reporting, criticism, parody, satire, education, personal format shifting, time shifting, etc.). That one exception would truly be putting the rights of Canadians above the marketing strategies of commercial entities. It is a simple fix, but a significant statement.

The priorities of your administration in regards to this issue have become a major embarrassment, from the results of the Copyright Consultation project right up to recent quotes from the Prime Minister. As more of the general public become aware of the implications of this bill, the controversy and apparent disregard of Canadian’s interests in exchange for satisfying US lobby pressure is going to continue to be a problem for you and your party. I hope sincerely that you will do what is right for Canadians.

/Michael Lawton