Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Rena - bad to worse
Despite pie-in-the-sky predictions from right-wing commentators, the Rena salvors haven't floated the stern of the vessels safely into port 'for a quick unload'. She's broken up and the stern has sunk, spilling containers and their potentially toxic contents into the ocean. So much for the armchair salvors who poo-poo the idea that attempts should have been made from day one, to haul the whole ship free and tug her to shore, whether that required the judicious use of explosives to clear some reef, or not. Our own aluminium smelter are expressing concern that their containers aboard the Rena might pose an environmental hazard. The picture is not good and can't get any better, in my view.
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25 comments:
You crazy heretic!!
Forgive me, for I have thunk different!
So the aluminum crap came from you people, Rg.
How about you keep your own rubbish down your way!
Sorry, fred. I blame us too. Should've tried harder to stop the thing.
What a fascinating conversation you had at KS. Fascinating in terms of the dynamics of the conversation, rather than the contents. I'd have joined in, but I've made promise never to comment at right-leaning blogs and I think the way the conversation evolved justified my decision. People really are very strange creatures.
I disagree with the idea that the Rena should have been moved as soon as it became stuck. Not really anything to do with the "stopped from 17 knots in half its length" thing. If it had grounded on a sandy/muddy bank, and if something that could have moved was available, then moving it could have been considered. But it was on some very sharp and irregularly-shaped rocks. It's kind of like when you gaff yourself with something barbed, like a fish hook. Tempting though it is, pulling the barbed thing out straight away is likely to cause more damage than putting it in.
In other words, I think the salvors took the correct course of action, but they took too long to get started. I also acknowledge that the initial delay was unlikely to be the fault of the salvors.
The Rena is another thing on my list of stuff that shouldn't have happened, along with Pike River, the collapse of the CTV building, the Carterton balloon accident and (on a less serious note) National-led governments. The tricky bit, due to the unique combinations of circumstances that lead to these disasters, is working out how to prevent them occurring in the future.
Ah yes, the KS brouhaha. As they say there, I can't help myself :-)
In fact, I have a plan...
Regarding the tugging-off of the Rena, it's not something that I believe was possible, just a spanner thrown into the works at KS, to gauge their ability to accommodate an idea that is not from within their (knitting) circle.I'm drawn to circumstances where intolerance reigns and can't resist provoking. My enjoyment comes from watching the assumptions/preconceptions/
prejudice rain down, though it palls after a while, when no self-reflection seems to occur. I'm told it's a vain pursuit and no doubt that is correct. You have learned not to play, to your credit, but I can't help thinking that the engagements will sharpen my skill at managing that sort of thinking/debate and perhaps I'll find ways to influence those sorts of people. I've had some successes but along the way, cemented some prejudices significantly. Jabba will never 'see my light', but taunting him (in a harmless way) is fun. I have found that being agreeable - one of the crew, doesn't work. The moment I step outside of that frame and speak straight, all pretense of matey-ness collapses and the deeper animosity kicks in. Interesting to me is the perception they have, that my comments are 'nasty', or that I'm 'panicking' or 'bitter'. I'm never any of those things but my choice of words seems to convey those characteristics to them. They seem not to be able to detect cynicism, lampoonery, joshing and general tongue-in-cheekness :-)
Even emoticons don't help there.
I'm interested to know why you believe the Carterton ballooning accident should never have happened and what factors were at play there. I'm also interested as to why right-wing/conservative thinkers (massive generalization there)are so insensed when anyone seeks to discuss issues like the deaths resulting from Chch earthquakes, Pike River, Afghanistan, Carterton, soon after they occur, and how they insist that 'time', the length of which they must decide, has passed. Or John Key can call it on our/their behalf. I put it down to the whole 'authoritarian' disease I believe they suffer from.
Apologies for the rant. It's cooler and cloudier outside than has been the case for weeks, so I'm sat inside a'tappin'.
RG - todays herald cartoon might assist...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rena-oil-spill/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503203&objectid=10778157
Paranormal
Not quite sure of your point. There were lots of armchair critics (myself included) in the Pike River Mine disaster. Didn't actually matter how good and bad our thoughts were, what mattered is what the management team behind the rescue (or lack thereof) decided to do.
So it is with the Rena. The people in charge made a call based on the factors they theoretically knew best, and if they've got it wrong they can rightfully be criticised.
In all these situations, hindsight is still a bit of a luxury.
The picture is not good and can't get any better, in my view.
It was always that way the moment it ran aground. It couldn't possibly get any better, it was only a matter of trying not to make things worse.
...They seem not to be able to detect cynicism, lampoonery, joshing and general tongue-in-cheekness :-) the whole scene is not for me, I have vegetables that appreciate me more than the likes of the regulars at KS. Text is a very limited tool for communication, I reckon a meeting down at the pub with, for example, the KS regulars, would be much more interesting, and productive.
I'm interested to know why you believe the Carterton ballooning accident should never have happened and what factors were at play there.
Eleven people died, unnecessarily, with no greater purpose, and when the question "what could have been done differently to obtain a better result?" is asked, I'm convinced the answer will not be "nothing". The balloon crash was not inevitable, just like the grounding of the Rena, the Pike River Explosion and the 50th parliament being a National-led government were not inevitable. I doubt that my speculation on the causes of the balloon crash will be helpful; more likely they will be hurtful, so I will keep my thoughts to myself.
I'm also interested as to why right-wing/conservative thinkers [] are so insensed when anyone seeks to discuss issues like the deaths resulting from Chch earthquakes [] soon after they occur, and how they insist that 'time', the length of which they must decide, has passed.
Not sure, but I can't say I agree. I thought the memorial service after the February quake was unnecessarily hasty. Perhaps people need time to resolve things and come to peace with them. Whether the RW tendency is genuine concern for people's feelings or a smokescreen to avoid scrutiny, or (more likely) both is difficult to ascertain.
The one theme these all (apart from the balloon, where I don't have enough information to be sure) have in common apart from their preventable-ness, is that the effort required to avoid the consequence is much less than the effort require to clean up later. Kind of like the Ford Pinto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto#Fuel_tank_controversy
And yet, my insider reconfirms that getting every available tug and pulling the ship off the reef, despite the gushing oil, and heading for shore was the best possible option. Taking that action, he believes, was prevented by fear on the part of the game-callers and is a disease we suffer from now-a-days, in situations other than the Rena (Pike River etc) as well. Just sayin', that's what he's sayin' and he's been right there.
Agreed AC - a yak around a barbie with Inventory's hanger's-on would be great fun. We'd have a lot of laughs and I'd drink those pussies under the picnic table :-)
(See wot I mean :-)
Reflecting on your comment around a BBQ with Inv2's mate's, I wonder whether blogging, and the communities that have developed as a result, has exacerbated polarisation. All the holders of extreme views have somewhere to go and express the most outrageous thoughts, in the most vile manner, without much incentive to pull their heads back in when they do go too far.
I'd been on the verge of starting my own blog, I'll have to consider it further in light of the above.
This blog doesn't attract extremists, AC.
We're all mild souls who enjoy civilized discourse :-)
right - can I run a proposed name past you, see what you think?
Please
I've already set it up, so I feel link I'm link-whoring, but what the hell - I called it Every Tiny Straw. As it has no content, I recommend you ignore it for now.
Excellent! I can't ignore the name though - it resonates (I'm reminded of Masanobu Fukuoka's 'One Straw Revolution', as well as the ancient reference to the straw that broke the camel's back, and then the adage that one straw is snapable but a hank of 'em is unbreakable. Then there's the Emmissions Trading Scheme reference...)
I'm looking forward very much, to reading your blog, AC.
yes there's a lot of references there. It occurred to me initially after observing what seemed to me to be the clutching at straws in the big blogs.
I will try to do the decent thing and create a blog that is worth reading.
Sorry RG - your mates idea of pulling the ship off seems foolish at best.
The sheer weight of the Rena and cargo wedged on the reef would have taken a huge level of horsepower just to overcome the iniertia. That sort of horsepower is just not available at a moments notice and if it was is more difficult to organise than just chucking a hawser on the end and putting the hammer down.
Paranormal
Perhaps, paranormal, but knowing, as i do, his position and experience and intimate knowledge of the Rena situation, I weigh that against your 'armchair criticism'. I'm not sure how much you know, rather than believe, about the situation on the Astrolabe reef, but I'm willing to wager his is vastly superior.
That said, the tugging-off wasn't done and now we have a different situation. I'll not argue 'what-ifs' any more. Lets see what happens now. One thing I do know, the cost will be astronomical!
I have knowledge too, about that, but will keep my own councel there, as any talk of impropriety seems to inflame National supporters magnificently.
counsel
...the cost will be astronomical.
I expect the costs will be socialised, in fact I would put money on it.
Yes. It's certain we'll all be putting money on it.
crappy, isn't it? I'm mystified as to why the good old taxpayer should have to pay part of the cost of having a part of our coastline polluted with all sorts of rubbish and our wildlife killed. Perhaps that nice Mr Key will stand up for us. He was an international money broker and is used to making big and difficult deals, you know.
RG - FYI I have clients involved in the Rena salvage and I have clients with shipments on the Rena.
I think John Clarke had the best idea. We should just tow it out of the environment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruqYcGbTq6w
Paranormal
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