The pitfalls of offshore oil drilling; Apple versus Gizmodo; a musician on the Supreme Court?

Our thirst for oil

Re “Oil and water and risks,” Editorial, April 29

The Times’ editorial on the Gulf Coast drilling platform disaster and oil spill highlights the tragedy in terms of loss of life, potential environmental damage, cost of remediation and loss of valuable resources, but it loses all sense of proportion when citing these as reasons to restrict or reduce offshore oil exploration.

Eleven lives were lost in this tragic incident. Every year, 3,000 to 4,000 lives are lost in California in traffic accidents between the very vehicles that require this oil exploration. We are horrified that more than 200,000 gallons of oil a day are leaking into the ocean from the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico, but at the very same time, Californians burn and spill more than 50 million gallons of gasoline a day.

It isn’t the oil companies that are making us explore in deep offshore waters. It is us.

Richard Behl
Laguna Beach

Your editorial fails to recognize that not all offshore oil wells are the same. At depths below 30,000 feet, extremely high pressure and high temperature make drilling more susceptible to catastrophic accidents.

This was recognized by ExxonMobil in 2006 when it made the decision to discontinue drilling its Blackbeard prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, which a more risk-accepting McMoRan Exploration Co. took over and continued to drill in 2008. Just as there are mortgages and there are subprime mortgages, there are offshore wells and there are “subprime, ultra-deepwater offshore wells” — and The Times should make the distinction between them for its readers. BP was the oil-well-drilling equivalent of Countrywide Financial in this case.

Leroy Miller
West Hills

Re “Oil spill far bigger than thought,” April 29

Louisiana’s $1.6-billion seafood industry is not the only thing at risk. The Gulf of Mexico contains half of the United States’ wetlands, and it contains areas where some of the world’s last blue fin tuna spawn, as well as coral gardens where some shark species lay their eggs. The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is home to more than 23 species of coral, 250 invertebrates, 175 fishes and 80 algae species. Pulley Ridge, the deepest known coral reef in the continental U.S., extends for 60 miles.

But there’s more than just marine life at risk. Coastal-dependent businesses in the Gulf are worth more than $31 billion, all of which is at risk from oil spills. Clearly, the only parties that will actually benefit from more drilling are the oil companies.

Gina Goodhill
Los Angeles
The writer is oceans advocate, Environment California.

Let’s hope that now that “Drill, Baby, Drill” has turned into “Spill, Baby, Spill,” President Obama will realize that our money is better spent on clean renewables.

Russell K. Johnson
Los Angeles

It’s not a tough call

Re “Gizmodo’s costly iPhone,” Editorial, April 29

The editorial defending Gizmodo’s actions when it purchased an iPhone prototype and wrote about it online glossed over a crucial phrase from the San Mateo County investigators’ search warrant. It said it was “investigating a theft.”

It was reported that the lost iPhone was picked up by someone who claimed to have “found” it in a bar and then sold it to Gizmodo for $5,000. But was this actually what happened?

Did Gizmodo buy a valuable prototype that had been lost, did it knowingly purchase a stolen item or, even worse, was it possibly involved in a theft from the beginning? The investigators were undoubtedly considering these questions and more.

Linda Jurewitz
Claremont

California law makes knowingly buying stolen property a crime. It appears that Gizmodo knowingly purchased stolen property.

Journalism or not, that was wrong, and so is your editorial.

Brian Ellis
Glendale

War and the damage to kids

Re “When Daddy’s gone for a year,” Column One, April 28

As a child of 4 when my father joined the Navy in World War II, I experienced the worst time of my life while he was away. Had my mother also been called up, I might not have survived. I remember the children who fared worse than I did. My cousin was hospitalized for what they then called a “nervous breakdown” at age 6. A girl my age lost control of her behavior, much like the child profiled in your story.

I have always felt that we needed to do some studies of the children of soldiers and sailors during that war before we cavalierly sent parents — sometimes both parents — of babies and toddlers to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our policy was far more humane during the greatest challenge to survival our country ever faced. During World War II ,a man who was married and had children could get a paternity deferment. My father chose to volunteer.

Jean E. Rosenfeld
Pacific Palisades

Helping hands turned away

Re “Dental patients overwhelm free clinic,” April 28

Imagine my frustration reading about the shortage of dentists at the Remote Area Medical clinic held in Los Angeles. Hundreds of needy people went without care because California will not allow doctors licensed in other states to volunteer their services.

I am a dentist in New York City. I was prepared to fly to L.A. for this event, but my application was rejected as unacceptable because I am licensed in the state of New York.

This policy is truly inexplicable. Many doctors would willingly take time away from their own practices and families, fly out at their own expense and help those truly in need, if only it were allowed.

California is a progressive and innovative state. There must be a way to promote and encourage this kind of volunteerism, as many other states do.

Mitchell Rubinstein
New York

First, wipe out all debt

Re “Europe’s fiscal ills threaten the U.S.,” April 29

It seems as if everyone in the world owes everyone else a zillion dollars.

A modest proposal: No one in the world owes anyone anything. All debt is forgiven. The United States doesn’t owe China anything; China doesn’t owe us anything.

Your mortgage balance? Presto! It’s now zero. The money corporations owe stockholders? Poof! Now zero.California no longer has a deficit. Get the picture?

A one-month moratorium on all borrowing or spending. Let the dust settle. Would that make a great plot for a movie or what? Makes as much sense as anything I have heard so far.

Jay Jame
Pico Rivera

Einstein, bronzed

Re “Celebrity statues find unlikely homes,” April 25

Please add to your inventory of celebrity statues in Los Angeles the life-size image of Albert Einstein in bronze seated in the Gunther Depths of Space at Griffith Observatory, where he brings the true immensity of the universe down to earth.

E.C. Krupp
Los Angeles
The writer is director of the Griffith Observatory.

High note

Re “Have oboe, will judge,” Opinion, April 29

Meghan Daum reaches a high A note of sensible and most enjoyable nonsense in her Op-Ed.

John A. Saylor
Long Beach

There is another reason why a professional-grade musician, oboist or otherwise, might make a good Supreme Court justice: She/he could hold her own and still play well with others.

Marta Vago
Santa Monica