Redesign the Paradigm

In my last blog Take Responsibility for Your Health – Foods to Avoid, I mentioned how the U.S. healthcare system may attempt within the next decade to begin to tier coverage based on age, obesity related diseases, and individuals with chronic illnesses, all in an attempt to curb escalating healthcare costs. Provisions to the Healthcare Reform Act could be enacted over the next 10 years that would target and limit coverage to individuals who display behavioral health patterns that result in otherwise preventable chronic and terminal diseases. These provisions may even target citizens after they reach a certain age if they are determined to no longer be a viable, contributing member to society.

If you think this sounds far fetched consider the recently enacted Executive Order  — Establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council. This council shall have the power to:

(a) provide coordination and leadership at the Federal level, and among all executive departments and agencies, with respect to prevention, wellness, and health promotion practices, the public health system, and integrative health care in the United States;

(b) develop, after obtaining input from relevant stakeholders, a national prevention, health promotion, public health, and integrative health-care strategy that incorporates the most effective and achievable means of improving the health status of Americans and reducing the incidence of preventable illness and disability in the United States, as further described in section 5 of this order;

(c) provide recommendations to the President and the Congress concerning the most pressing health issues confronting the United States and changes in Federal policy to achieve national wellness, health promotion, and public health goals, including the reduction of tobacco use, sedentary behavior, and poor nutrition;

(d) consider and propose evidence-based models, policies, and innovative approaches for the promotion of transformative models of prevention, integrative health, and public health on individual and community levels across the United States;

(e) establish processes for continual public input, including input from State, regional, and local leadership communities and other relevant stakeholders, including Indian tribes and tribal organizations;

(f) submit the reports required by section 6 of this order; and

(g) carry out such other activities as are determined appropriate by the President.

The administration and congress both know that continued rampant increases in healthcare costs can threaten the stability of our future economy. The majority of baby boomers will be in retirement by 2020 requiring more hospitalization and treatments for multiple complex conditions. Costs associated with obesity related diseases are projected to rise to $344 billion a year by 2018, a five fold increase. Chronic disease is currently responsible for 7 out of 10 deaths in America. Heart attack, cancer, and stroke which represent the three main chronic diseases kill at least 50% of Americans, and both figures are expected to increase over the next 10 years. Both obesity and chronic disease are largely prevented by behavioral lifestyle changes which include exercise, smoking cessation, decrease alcohol use, and proper diet and nutrition.

If we don’t take responsibility for ourselves and change our lifestyles, the government may step in with what could be a European style of socialized medicine in conjunction with a system of monitoring and data collection regarding our health histories and try to do it for us, or they could simply tier the healthcare coverage in order to limit what is available for those that don’t meet the standards.

Of the behavioral lifestyle changes perhaps the most important is eating healthy. Unfortunately, that means moving away from an American diet. The bulk of U.S. manufactured foods are saturated in addictive levels of fats, sugars, and salts and contain complex preservatives and additives some of which have been found to block receptors that tell us we are full and that have additional addictive qualities themselves. Basically if the food comes in a box, can, plastic bag, or similar such container it is probably processed and refined multiple times and is generally very good at making people fat and food companies profitable. Below is a list of foods we should eat that are healthy.

If possible all the following vegetables and fruits should be organic, free of pesticides and not genetically modified. Seek out farmers markets if available.

Alkaline products are also listed – ideal diet is between 60 – 70% alkaline vs. 25 – 40% acidic.

Vegetables – all vegetables are alkaline unless otherwise noted acidic

* Eat in moderation – no more than 2 to 3 times per week.  MUST be organic.

Fruits – all fruits are alkaline unless otherwise noted acidic

* Certain individuals may want to regulate consumption due to allergic reactions and acid nature of citrus fruits to the stomach.

Meats and Poultry – Type O blood types may require meat and poultry

*   Eat in moderation – no more than 2 to 3 times per week.

** Eat in moderation – no more than 1 to 2 times per week. 

Dairy Products

Grain Products

Seeds and Nuts

Spices

Cooking oils

Other

Water is also critical, proper hydration is essential to health and almost every bodily function. Find bottled water from reputable natural spring sources or drink filtered water via UV or Osmosis systems. Consumption for the average person should be at least 8 8oz glasses per day.

Understanding PH levels and what foods cause the body to be acidic versus alkaline is very important. Think of a Ph level below 7.0 as acidic and a breeding ground for bacteria and disease. A slightly alkaline ph level of 7.35 – 7.45 is considered ideal for optimum health. Go to the link Alkaline and Acid Forming Foods for more information.

A minimum of 12 minutes per day of continuous exercise six times per week provides optimum health benefits. The exercise does not have to be strenuous but should increase the heart and respiratory rate. Benefits of exercise include helping keep weight off, combat chronic illnesses, boost energy levels, assist in deeper more restful sleep,  muscle strengthening, bone density, improve moods, and excellent reliever of stress. A sedentary lifestyle can defeat many of benefits of eating healthy so please exercise.

Use pharmaceutical drugs sparingly. They are of immense value in many situations but long term exposure can be toxic especially when drugs are combined. This can lead down a spiral of diminished health as more and more drug treatments become necessary to battle problems created by adverse conditions associated with the drugs themselves. As you begin to take better care of your health through proper nutrition, hydration, and exercise you will discover a diminishing need for drug treatments. There are many countries with a population that has better health than we do in the U.S. and they take a fraction of the pharmaceuticals we do.

If you smoke, STOP SMOKING. If you take illegal drugs (including prescriptions), stop taking drugs. If you consume to much alcohol, stop or at least limit consumption. There are no excuses here.

Eating as mentioned above is difficult. It will require a considerable amount of time just to locate healthy variety of foods. You must be aware of labeling tricks food manufacturers use. Your diet will change drastically requiring you to actually cook and learn new recipes. You may experience withdrawals and serious cravings for all the good tasting junk you were used to eating. You must be vigilant because the health benefit payoffs are incredible and will provide you a good quality of life well into your elderly years. In addition, if the future healthcare system does become tiered you will be healthy and not at the mercy of a system more concerned with controlling costs.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-establishing-national-prevention-health-promotion-and-public-health

http://www.naturalnews.com/027868_obesity_health_care_costs.html

http://www.aha.org/aha/press-release/2007/070508-pr-boomers.html

http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm

http://www.ariseandshine.com/Cleanse28Guide.pdf

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/20/the-6-most-unhealthy-foods-you-should-avoid-at-all-costs.htm

http://www.basic-keys-to-natural-health.com/Unhealthy-Foods.html

http://www.pureliquidgold.com/acid-alkaline-forming-foods.htm

http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

Baby boomers and individuals with chronic illness or obesity related diseases, even those experiencing these conditions who are in their 40’s please take heed. The U.S. healthcare system of the near future may begin to tier coverage based on age, history of chronic illnesses, and obesity levels in an effort to curb escalating costs. This can be accomplished by providing satisfactory levels of coverage to the public but limiting coverage for the more expensive treatments associated with obesity related diseases, chronic illness, and the those experienced by the elderly.

If you want a good quality of life into your 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s going to your doctor and being treated with drugs for years is not the answer. Save drugs for emergencies, they are of incredible value for curing infections, certain cancers, and a host of other diseases. They are also very valuable as an intermediate treatment method to help avoid or survive a life threatening occurrence such as a heart attack.

However, long term exposure to pharmaceutical drugs and especially when multiple drugs are used in conjunction creates its own problems. Drugs are generally toxic to the system and different drugs have been found to have adverse reactions to one another. This leads to further illness requiring more drugs, a good deal for big pharmaceutical companies but a dangerous downward spiral for your health.

Too many people in our society look to their medical professionals for the quick fix (a pill) to their ailments or if things get out of control they will accept more drastic solutions out of necessity like surgery or more complex treatments (i.e. cancer treatments).  Then more drugs and a return to their lifestyle that created the problems to begin with.

This is not the solution! Our healthcare costs are expected to rise significantly over the next decade. Large numbers of retiring baby boomers and a massive increase of obesity related illnesses will continue to drive costs up. Some form of European socialized healthcare may be implemented to reign in rampant corporate profit maximization and other related costs. But under this type of healthcare, coverage will suffer for those who are the greatest burden on the system.

The only real long term solution available to us is to change our lifestyles, and this means first and foremost the way we eat. US food manufacturers are producing foods that refined and processed with decreasing nutritional value and saturated with addictive levels of salts, sugars, fats, simple carbohydrates, and a myriad of preservatives and additives. If it comes in a box, package, can, plastic bag (frozen foods), etc. it is probably unhealthy. That means we must get used to reading labels and understanding what they mean. Below is a preliminary list of foods to avoid.

For a complete list of foods to avoid please visit any of the first three links listed below

Eliminate or at least reduce microwave use. AC microwaves alter many of the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients and the body cannot absorb these altered compounds. Eating micro waved food for long periods can cause immune system deficiencies, memory loss, lowered concentration, emotional instability, and can even decrease intelligence.

Avoiding the aforementioned foods can be difficult. They have become the foundations of our American diets, and are almost unavoidable in our grocery stores and restaurants. Many of the additive and preservative compounds are difficult to find on labels hidden behind terms like artificial or natural flavors and contains no preservatives. There are also misleading connotations like “fat free” but then the food is saturated with sugars, or “sugar free” but contain potentially more harmful artificial sweeteners. Finally, and I speak from my own personal experience, many of these foods, especially those that taste the best or are American staples are considerably addictive. This statement is being supported by research being currently conducted at a number of universities.  One doesn’t realize how addictive until they try to stop eating them. I had considerable difficult weaning myself off fast foods and processed packaged food, and salty snacks and caffeine have proven near impossible.

Exercise is the second half of the equation and absolutely critical. A minimum of 12 minutes per day of continuous exercise provides numerous health benefits. The exercise does not have to be strenuous but should increase the heart and respiratory rate. Exercise at least five or six time week if possible. Benefits of exercise include helping keep weight off, combat chronic illnesses, boost energy levels, assist in deeper more restful sleep,  muscle strengthening, bone density, improve moods, and excellent reliever of stress. Humans have engaged in varying degrees of exercise throughout their existence, it has only been over the past half century that many have become as sedentary.

Finally is you smoke, STOP SMOKING PERIOD.

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/20/the-6-most-unhealthy-foods-you-should-avoid-at-all-costs.htm

http://www.basic-keys-to-natural-health.com/Unhealthy-Foods.html

http://www.ariseandshine.com/Cleanse28Guide.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-exercise

http://www.encognitive.com/node/4093

The U.S. healthcare system is currently the last remaining privatized healthcare system in the industrialized world. There is a strong possibility this will change over the course of the next 5 to 10 years. The new healthcare plan passed by the Obama administration is the first of many stages that could, over the next decade, lead us down the road to socialized or universal medicine. This is a similar path that many European countries followed along the way to creating a complete socialized medical system.  Many of these countries plans were initially met with strong public resistance but the end result was a socialized medical system.

This may not be as drastic a transition for the U.S. as one might think; we already have active programs of socialized or universal medicine, Medicare, Medicaid, and the U.S. military’s Tricare.  The U.S. Medicare system was the basis for the country of Taiwan’s recently redesigned socialized medicine health care system. Over the next decade U.S. citizens could see incremental legislative corrections to the new health care reform bill. These corrections could also result in a further expansion of Medicaid and Medicare and possibly the combining of both programs into one nationalized health care insurance program with a streamlined electronic billing process.  Taxes will likely have to be increased to help fund this. Existing for-profit healthcare insurers may find themselves competing against the new Medicaid system and may be downgraded to providing secondary insurance coverage. New legislation for price controls for medical supplies, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals can be expected by the end of the decade (2020). Medical procedure costs i.e. heart transplants, surgeries, cancer treatments, etc. could see rigid price controls with limitations on who will qualify for access.

These measures are expected to decrease healthcare costs for a large section of the population but if implemented will drastically change the corporate landscape of healthcare reducing profitability among a number of health care sectors. Regardless of ones political philosophies what almost every health care economist and the bulk of our lawmakers already know is that the system we had prior to the healthcare reform was unsustainable. The massive numbers of retiring baby boomers and the near exponential increase of obesity related health issues could overburden the old system within 10 to 20 years. Something had to be done to curb the increasing costs and profit taking at every sector before the system completely collapsed further damaging what is likely to be an already fragile economy.

Lawmakers believe that by being proactive there is a chance to stem costs and provide as much service as is financially possible to the majority of the population. Unfortunately, if you are over 75 or whatever the determined cutoff age is you may no longer be considered a viable contributor to society, therefore your tier of service will begin to decrease compared to the rest of the population. Another possibility would be to limit expensive healthcare programs and treatments associated with aging from the overall plan offered to the public. There will still be the option of purchasing what will certainly be very private supplementary insurance.

The US currently spends the most on healthcare of any nation on Earth and even with a social system the costs will remain high. It is the most medicated country in the world while having the highest mortality rate among preventable terminal illnesses. In addition, obesity rates due to poor diets consisting of refined processed foods saturated in fats, salts, sugars, and simple carbohydrates are the highest of any of the industrial nations and the primary cause of the US overall poor health.

Baby boomers of retirement age and those in their middle years are going to have to realize that their healthcare coverage into their 70’s may not be able to meet their needs. With limiting medical resources available and healthcare designed around providing drug treatments as opposed to preventive practices and cures, those in high risk tiers are going to need a different approach.

The future of US healthcare may eventually evolve into something similar to today’s European socialized medicine. The U.S. population should start taking responsibility for their health and change their lifestyles if they want to live into their 70’s and 80’s with any kind of quality of life. This means eating healthy and abandoning our unhealthy American food preferences, instead begin eating like our grandparents did, exercising at least 15 – 30 minutes per day (continuous movement), and weaning ourselves off of multiple drug treatments and their long term toxic effects and towards preventive measures and more natural remedies where applicable. Catastrophic health care costs associated with heart disease, cancer treatments, etc. may not be readily available once individuals reach the determined cut off age, if this becomes the case we will have to rely on our own ability to stay healthy.

The next series of blogs will discuss the options and difficulties of eating healthy in the U.S.

The U.S. healthcare system is currently the last remaining privatized healthcare system in the industrialized world. There is a strong possibility this will change over the course of the next 5 to 10 years. The new healthcare plan passed by the Obama administration is the first of many stages that could, over the next decade, lead us down the road to socialized medicine. This is a similar path that many European countries followed along the way to creating a complete socialized medical system.  Many of these countries plans were initially met with strong public resistance but the end result was a socialized medical system.

This may not be as drastic a transition for the U.S. as one might think; we already have active programs of socialized medicine, Medicare, Medicaid, and the U.S. military’s Tricare.  The U.S. Medicare system was the basis for the country of Taiwan’s recently redesigned socialized medicine health care system. Over the next decade U.S. citizens could see incremental legislative corrections to the new health care reform bill. These corrections could also result in a further expansion of Medicaid and Medicare and possibly the combining of both programs into one nationalized health care insurance program with a streamlined electronic billing process.  Taxes will likely have to be increased to help fund this. Existing for-profit healthcare insurers may find themselves competing against the new Medicaid system and may be downgraded to providing secondary insurance coverage. New legislation for price controls for medical supplies, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals can be expected by the end of the decade (2020). Medical procedure costs i.e. heart transplants, surgeries, cancer treatments, etc. could see rigid price controls with limitations on who will qualify for access.

These measures are expected to decrease healthcare costs for a large section of the population but if implemented will drastically change the corporate landscape of healthcare reducing profitability among a number of health care sectors. Regardless of ones political philosophies what almost every health care economist and the bulk of our lawmakers already know is that the system we had prior to the healthcare reform was unsustainable. The massive numbers of retiring baby boomers and the near exponential increase of obesity related health issues could overburden the old system within 10 to 20 years. Something had to be done to curb the increasing costs and profit taking at every sector before the system completely collapsed further damaging what is likely to be an already fragile economy.

Lawmakers believe that by being proactive there is a chance to stem costs and provide as much service as is financially possible to the majority of the population. Unfortunately, if you are over 75 or whatever the determined cutoff age is you may no longer be considered a viable contributor to society, therefore your tier of service will begin to decrease compared to the rest of the population. Another possibility would be to limit expensive healthcare programs and treatments associated with aging from the overall plan offered to the public. There will still be the option of purchasing what will certainly be very private supplementary insurance.

The US currently spends the most on healthcare of any nation on Earth and even with a social system the costs will remain high. It is the most medicated country in the world while having the highest mortality rate among preventable terminal illnesses. In addition, obesity rates due to poor diets consisting of refined processed foods saturated in fats, salts, sugars, and simple carbohydrates are the highest of any of the industrial nations and the primary cause of the US overall poor health.

Baby boomers of retirement age and those in their middle years are going to have to realize that their healthcare coverage into their 70’s may not be able to meet their needs. With limiting medical resources available and healthcare designed around providing drug treatments as opposed to preventive practices and cures, those in high risk tiers are going to need a different approach.

The future of US healthcare may eventually evolve into something similar to today’s European socialized medicine. The U.S. population should start taking responsibility for their health and change their lifestyles if they want to live into their 70’s and 80’s with any kind of quality of life. This means eating healthy and abandoning our unhealthy American food preferences, instead begin eating like our grandparents did, exercising at least 15 – 30 minutes per day (continuous movement), and weaning ourselves off of multiple drug treatments and their long term toxic effects and towards preventive measures and more natural remedies where applicable. Catastrophic health care costs associated with heart disease, cancer treatments, etc. may not be readily available once individuals reach the determined cut off age, if this becomes the case we will have to rely on our own ability to stay healthy.

The next series of blogs will discuss the options and difficulties of eating healthy in the U.S.

Oil companies have amassed massive profits over the past decade. BP is the largest oil and gas producer in the United States with over 22,000 oil and gas wells many on federal land) across the United States. It has enjoyed considerable profits along with the other major oil companies over the past five years. BP profits for the first quarter of 2010 alone were $5.59 billion dollars. Since 2005 profits have totaled approximately $105 Billion according to their own annual reports.

In the past three years BP has managed to receive 97% percent of all flagrant violations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). BP accumulated 862 citations (760 classified as egregiously willful) for violations at two of its five U.S. refineries. It is also still under scrutiny by the federal worker – safety monitor for the 2005 explosion at the Texas City refinery that killed 15 workers after failing to correct problems that were pointed out by OSHA inspections.  Last year BP was fined $87 million for violations at the same Texas City refinery and another $3 million for violations at the Toledo Ohio refinery. BP is in the process of contesting the penalties.

It appears clear that BP has displayed a blatant disregard for regulations involving safety, maintenance, and operational procedures and this disregard extended to the rig Deepwater Horizon. Senior managers from BP were overheard “taking shortcuts” that involved substituting salt water for heavy drilling fluid in the well that blew out and resulted in the oil spill currently ravaging the Gulf of Mexico and 11 deaths. BP’s attitude of non-compliance towards regulation seems motivated by profit maximization and the company has not appeared overly concerned with consequences.

This may be due to the “cozy relationship” BP has with the Mineral Management Service who is responsible for safety and environmental regulation. The Obama administration has vowed that this relationship will cease. Another possible reason for non-compliance could be the tens of millions of dollars on lobbying ($16 million spent last year alone) over the past 5 years, much of which was concentrated against regulation. It also donated more than $500,000 in campaign contributions for federal elections. Another factor could be a result of oil industry lobbying influence from the past which resulted in a government reserve fund called the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. There is approximately $2 billion in this fund to cover a disaster like the one occurring in the Gulf. The reserve fund also ensures that operators of offshore rigs will be held liable for only $75 million in damages claimed by individuals, companies, States, or the federal government. They can still be held liable for clean up costs.

Regardless of the reasons for non-regulatory compliance, it appears BP will once again rely on lobbying to influence key legislators to reduce long term penalties and to fight violations and lawsuits in court much like Exxon did with the Exxon Valdez spill. They are confident this practice will result in the greatest cost savings and retention of future profits. Once again the U.S. taxpayer will be left picking up the tab, this time for unspecified clean up costs, loss of States revenue from tourism, and the economic damage done to numerous industries that rely on the Gulf. Not to mention the potentially irreversible environmental damage done to coastlines that may even include Atlantic seaboard states. This cannot be allowed to happen!

BP has demonstrated a willingness to take the measures necessary to cap the flow and take the lead in the clean up. Twenty-two thousand people and a small armada of ships are currently working on the spill. But in reality, they have not brought near enough resources to bear quickly enough to stem the flow or to clean up the oil. A small fleet of supertankers used successfully in the Persian Gulf spill, each capable of sucking up to one million gallons of oil / water a day has not been implemented to date. Additional fast moving Coast guard, military, and civilian vessels could have been utilized to skim and remove surface oil. Assistance from Exxon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and other industry experts were not sought out quickly enough nor were suggestions acted upon. Many including the U.S. government incorrectly assumed that BP was the expert in such matters and had the best chance of correcting the damaged well.

BP is still cutting corners even in the face of this disaster choosing to use almost 800,000 gallons of the cheaper less effective and much toxic chemical dispersant Corexit to break the oil up even after the EPA asked it to cease. Corexit is produced by Nalco and BP enjoys a tight relationship with Nalco sharing board of director members .The Obama administration has also been accused of being at fault and not pressuring BP enough to ensure appropriate action was implemented rapidly enough.

Hopefully the Top Kill or Junk shot procedures will be effective in the next few days and a relief well will be drilled into the original borehole and drilling mud pumped in to permanently stop the oil flow. But even if these measures are implemented quickly there is no guarantee of complete success. Note – Top Kill was not successful.  All these practice were used on the Ixtox 1 back in 1979 in water 160 ft deep (Deepwater Horizon is at 5000 ft),  they were all unsuccessfull. That well was not sealed for 9 months until the releif wells were completed.

BP needs to be incentivized to ensure that it will take all actions necessary to ensure that not only the well is sealed, but that clean up is rapid and thorough, the coastlines have been restored to the fullest extent possible, and that the livelihoods of those affected by the Gulf spill are re-established or they are compensated accordingly. BP must not be allowed to lobby and litigate there way out of accountability.

The Obama administration should demand that BP have the well fully sealed by relief wells within 90 days, the bulk of surface oil be removed from the Gulf within 180 days and if necessary from Florida and the East Coast, and that the oil be cleaned from the affected coast lines and marshlands within 180 days. Note – these timelines are arbitrary and should be determined by the EPA, independent environmental, and industry experts. Failure to meet these conditions will result in:

• Suspension of all U.S. contracts and barring of future contracts – this will cease BP’s access drilling operation on all federal lands both onshore and offshore.
• Seizure of BP’s holdings on U.S. federal lands. Negotiate settlement requiring all profits derived from oil and gas obtained on U.S. federal lands be allocated clean up measures and restitution to affected parties. If BP attempts to use litigation to delay negotiations, turn over operations to U.S. base competitors and split the profits with federal/state governments until adequate cleanup measures and restitutions are made.
• Federal government will spearhead lawsuits and provide litigation support for individuals and companies affected by the Gulf disaster . Litigation will be directed at BP both domestically and abroad where applicable.
• Put a moratorium on BP’s lobby access and campaign contributions that would result in favorable legislation regarding the Gulf oil spill. This will include barring BP from hiring any third party (ie. the Chamber of Commerce) to lobby for them for the next five years or until the matter is rfully esolved in the U.S.

An investigation needs to be conducted to determine if BP was criminally liable, and to what extent TransUnion or Halliburton were at fault. If this appears harsh, it is meant to be. The long term effects of this disaster are immeasurable. It will affect people’s lives for years and the U.S. taxpayer should not be left paying the long term expenses.

My intention is not to put BP out of business, simply to stimulate the company to respond to its full potential, and not allow it to remain focused on maximizing its profits. It has lost that option concerning this situation. BPs profits over the past year should be more than suitable to cover all the expenses associated with this disaster. This will also send a strong message to the other oil and gas companies that strict adherence to the safety and maintenance protocols is serious, mandatory and can prove extremely costly.

This incident is just another in a long string of reasons as to why it is time to shift the focus away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources such as cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel derived from jatropha, halophytes, and bioalgae, wind energy, solar thermal and geothermal.

http://www.bp.com/extendedsectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9021605&contentId=7040949

http://www.osha.gov/dep/bp/bp.html

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-05-17-bp-has-numerous-safety-violations-at-refineries-study-finds/

http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?year=2009&lname=BP&id=

http://www.propublica.org/feature/epa-officials-weighing-sanctions-against-bps-us-operations

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/may/02/lamar-mckay/bp-letter-mms-urges-reduced-regulation/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill