Is using a nuclear weapon the only way to stop the oil spill in the Gulf?

There are several plans in the works. They’re currently working on drilling a relief well. This takes time. They are drilling 2½ miles below sea level. It doesn’t happen overnight.

Let’s see how the realistic solutions work before you go nuking our ecosystem out of existence.

I don’t think a nuke is needed. You can pack enough conventional explosives into a properly drilled relief hole to collapse the bore of the leaking pipe. The problem is no one has done it under 5000 ft of water before.

And if you don’t get the charge placed correctly, you risk rupturing the well even more, which would make the current leak seem like a drop in the bucket.

So, the solution to stopping oil from continuing to contaminate the Gulf of Mexico and to make the situation better is to contaminate it with nuclear radiation? I guess I missed that day in science class.

There are so many things wrong with the use of a nuke on that leak, that NO it is not the only way.

(How would the radioactivity affect the rest of the oil underneath and the marine ecosystem? That question alone…)

Using a nuke is a horrible idea. I really hope no one ever seriously considers it an option.

I find this highly unlikely.

Using a nuke is not an unprecedented idea. The Soviet Union used them on at least 5 occasions to attempt to close uncontrolled blowouts, 4 times successfully. But those blowouts were on land and not underwater.

@WestRiverrat (I don’t suppose you have some website about that? I’m kind of curious what kind of nukes they were and if they affected the soil afterwards)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100513/ts_ynews/ynews_ts2052

There are some youtube videos too, but they are blocked here, so I can’t link for you.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-05/can-explosives-stop-the-oil-spill/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/us/03nuke.html

WHAT THE FUCK?

Horrible idea.

@WestRiverrat How are they blocked?

Only a lunatic right-wing hawk or a mad General from the Pentagram(sic) would seriously advocate such a plan.

From @phaedryx‘s link:

Stephanie Mueller, a spokeswoman for the Energy Department, said that neither Energy Secretary Steven Chu nor anyone else was thinking about a nuclear blast under the gulf. The nuclear option was not — and never had been — on the table, federal officials said.

“It’s crazy,” one senior official said.
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So, I find this even more highly unlikely.

I agree with all of the above answers. i listened to this talk show for about 10 minutes. it did not take me long to realize just how desperate some people are, that live in the Gulf area, to save their jobs, beaches, animals and livlihood.

Use a nuke!!! Right.Nothing can go wrong with THAT!