More on that spill

I've just read an interesting article on the oil spill, which once again underlines the fact that little is really known, or predictable, about oil spills on this scale. A computer model developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association suggests that more than a third of the oil may already be out of the water.It also suggests that most of the benzene - a major component of oil - will rapidly vapourise. Others predict that much of the oil will sink to the bottom in the form of sediment (see image below).What many articles fail to mention is the fact that nature herself helps in the cleaning up; bacteria love crude oil and will digest much of it, leaving a tarry residue.






A bit of good news about the coalition; Cameron has appointed Frank Field MP to oversee cleaning up the benefits mess. Field is one of the few intelligent men in the House of Commons, but was sidelined by Labour because his ideas were too radical. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with.