Posts Tagged ‘safety’

From The Gulf Of Mexico To The Arctic Ocean: Offshore Oil Drilling Continues

Friday, February 18th, 2011

oil-rig.jpg
(photo credit: Stig Nygaard)

Russia needs more oil, and BP (remember them?) wants to help them get it… in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

  • Despite growing recognition that oil isn’t a long-term energy solution, worldwide demand for petroleum has been rising. At the same time, the world’s largest oil producer is running out of that black gold. On land, anyway.
  • Drilling for oil in the Arctic carries significant dangers, both to the environment and to workers. The waters are freezing, there is little sunlight, and rescue missions will be difficult or impossible in the thick ice.
  • The U.S. and Canada also have access to the oil-rich Arctic, but they both have regulations in place that limit exploration and drilling. Still, many Western oil companies like BP are eagerly piling on to the Russian project because of the opportunity for profit.

Facts & Figures

  • The Arctic probably contains a fifth of the world’s natural gas and oil
  • By 2035, the Siberian oil fields will produce 1 million fewer barrels of oil per day
  • Drilling will begin in the Kara Sea – a former dumping ground for nuclear waste

Best Quote

“One beaten man is worth two unbeaten men.” – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, on why working with BP is a good idea even after the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill

What do you think?

What should Russia do now that its biggest national export is running out? Does it make more sense to spend money on a short-term solution or a long-term one?

Toyota Plans More Extensive Vehicle Testing

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

In order to fight doubts about the quality or safety of its new vehicles, Toyota looks to increase the time it takes to test new models.

  • In the last generation of vehicles, there were definite safety and quality issues resulting in massive recalls.
  • As a result, Toyota plans to increase the length of time new car models are tested by 2-6 months.
  • Toyota is trying to prevent increasing the overall time it takes to develop a vehicle, but instead shorten other parts of the process to allow for more testing time.
  • The Toyota brand fell from 7th to 21st overall in its Initial Quality Survey of new vehicles last month.

Facts and Figures

  • Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles due to problems related to unintended acceleration, steering, braking, and gas-tank flaws.
  • Toyota’s market share is 15.1%, down from 17% 6 months ago.

Best Quote

“As we looked at this past generation of vehicles it did seem to be all about the growth of the company, and there were lapses. We are definitely reforming the processes to be ultracareful.” – Randy Stevens, Employee at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, MI

Hybrid Recall – Environmentalists In Danger Behind the Wheel

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Environmentally conscientious drivers liable to be harmed by the source of their enviro-friendliness!

  • On February 11th, 2010, Japanese car manufacturer Toyota recalled 400,000 Priuses and other hybrid models in response to allegations and customer complaints of brake deficiencies.
  • A software glitch in the cars’ braking systems apparently causes brief, terror-inducing delays in the braking capacity on bumpy or icy roads. However, to date, no accidents or injuries have been reported.
  • Over the past several months, Toyota owners have experienced other problems with the quality and safety of their various models, leading to over 7 million Toyotas being recalled.

Facts & Figures

  • The braking glitch fix takes approximately 40 minutes.
  • The recall applies to 223,000 hybrids that were sold in Japan, 133,00 Priuses and 14,500 Lexus HS 250h vehicles in the U.S., and around 53,000 Priuses throughout Europe.
  • In 2009, Toyota recalled roughly 3.8 million of its vehicles to fix floor mats that would “entrap” gas pedals.
  • Toyota has received over 80 complaints on the 2009-2010 Corolla concerning the car’s “hard-to-handle” steering.

Best Quote

“If the company had paid more attention to consumers’ viewpoint, it could have realized that there was a safety problem.” – Ryusuke Itazaki, Chief of the Recall Department at Japan’s Transport Ministry