BP's new plan to stop up the oil leak

BP's new plan to stop up the oil leak

Now that the containment vessel has failed to stop the leak, BP has moved on to alternative steps to plug up the Gulf of Mexico oil well: garbage.

Or, in technical terms, a "junk shot", where debris is going to be shot at high pressures at the leak to clog it up. This debris has been strangely specific in name, and includes... shredded rubber tires and golf balls. I guess BP has to get some credit for being willing to try anything.

In addition, you know the situation is getting desperate when people start shaving their alpacas to try to soak up the oil. Alpacas are being shaved at this time of year anyways, and their wool is being donated (along with human hair clippings and pet fur), stuffed into pantyhose, and prepared to be set out to sea to try to soak up the oil and prevent it from reaching the coast. BP and the U.S. Coast Guard haven't approved of this measure quite yet, but it hardly seems any more far-fetched than shooting golf balls at the spill and hoping for the best.


SNL Weekend Update is actually very enlightening. Thank you, Seth Meyers.

(via CNN and National Geographic)

A lovely unshorn alpaca (via Kyle Flood through Wikipedia)