It’s true that a scrub with Dawn dishwashing detergent is the method of choice for removing oil from various wildlife — but you really shouldn’t use it on your pets, says a Procter & Gamble spokesperson. [More]
BP
BP's Oil Cap Misses, Crude Still Spews
By 5.10.10
BP failed in its efforts this weekend to stop the worst of the Gulf of Mexico oil leaks with a 98-ton concrete and steel cap. The company said the dome’s aperture became clogged by gas hydrates, and the hydrates also nearly built up to a level that would have lifted and dislodged the the stopper. “I wouldn’t say it has failed yet,” said Doug Suttles, a BP officer, at a news conference Saturday. “What I would say is what we attempted to do last night didn’t work.” BP said later this week they will try to plug the hole with rubber. [More]
BP Sending Massive Funnel To Contain Oil Spill
By 5.6.10
BP is in the middle of constructing has built a 100-ton concrete and steel funnel that will be placed over the Gulf of Mexico oil leak to contain it and allow the oil to be pumped onshore. The placement, which I imagine is something like an incredibly stressful large-scale version of The Claw Game, is scheduled for noon eastern today. Will it do the trick? [More]
Recent Class Action Settlement Roundup
By 12.13.09
Motorola handsets, cell phone ringtones, BP propane, Sony VAIO laptops, and the hormone replacement medication Estratest: if you purchased any of these items, you could be eligible for some recently settled class actions. Are you? Well, there’s only one way to find out. [More]
BP Points Out Their Gas Same Price Whether Cash Or Credit
By 6.9.09
Spotted this sign on a Brooklyn BP gas pump last night, taking pains to point out that they are charging customers the same price whether they use cash or credit. Interesting, because last year around this time we ran a few stories about gas stations who doing the opposite. The thing is, credit card companies charge merchants various transaction fees to process the cards. If retailers can’t assess those fees to the customers who actually incur them, the business has to raise prices on everything for everyone.
Why Are Gas Stations Charging More For Credit Card Purchases?
By 6.15.08
Yechial wants to know why his Chase BP Visa card, which offers 5% rebates on gas purchases, costs him more to use at BP stations than if he pays with cash. He asked a BP station owner in Pennsylvania about this and the station owner told him it was because credit transaction fees had gone up—”When I told him that I would report his station to BP and to Chase Bank, he said, ‘Screw you! I don’t care, report me. They are the ones charging us more money for the transactions.'”
BP Oil Leak Maybe Not So Bad
By 8.9.06
A 200 gallon British Petroleum oil spill discovered in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay caused price per gallon to rise past $76 Monday and threaten the shutdown of the nation’s largest oil field. However, BP officials intimated they’re looking into ways to conduct repairs and checks without disabling the entire operation.
BP Closes Major Alaskan Oil Field
By 8.7.06
Due to a leak, British Petroleum announced an indefinite shutdown of the Prudhoe Bay field, which produces 8% of the US oil supply. Crude oil prices rocketed past $76.
The News; Bury My Lump of Coal Under the Old Apple Tree
By 7.5.06
• BP oil contains black soylent green. [CT] “Jackson Leads Anti-BP March Near Refinery”
How Not to Corner the Propane Market
By 6.30.06
BP is under federal investigation for allegations that a group of executives plotted to corner the propane market. And corner they did, but instead of making $20 million, they lost $10 million.
The News is Full of Sweet, Sweet, Bitter Ironies
By 6.29.06
• Sometimes it’s best to let headlines speak for themselves. [LAT] “Hooters’ Benefit for L.A. Animal Services Is a Bust”
