Greg Palast cover image

Greg Palast

Deepwater Horizon: The Lies & Bribes That Keep Big Oil Flowing

Apr 23, 2021
Greg Palast, an investigative reporter known for his hard-hitting work across prominent media platforms, dives into the sordid details behind the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He exposes a web of corruption and deception between BP and government officials, revealing how their unethical practices led to environmental devastation. Palast uncovers the company's expedited cement drying methods, significant cover-ups, and the alarming influence of corporate interests that threaten democracy and voting rights, particularly in marginalized communities affected by such disasters.
16:00

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The Deepwater Horizon disaster exemplifies the lethal combination of corporate negligence and political corruption that undermines environmental safety.
  • Bribery by BP in Azerbaijan and collusion with U.S. officials demonstrate how corporate interests can diminish democratic processes and public accountability.

Deep dives

The Deepwater Horizon Blowout and Its Preceding Incident

The Deepwater Horizon disaster, which claimed the lives of 11 men, was preceded by a similar incident involving a BP oil rig in the Caspian Sea. A BP executive witnessed a blowout on this rig back in 2010, which was purportedly covered up by BP and other oil companies to protect their interests. This earlier incident highlighted the dangerous practices and lack of safety protocols that BP would continue to employ, particularly their use of quick-dry cement, which was known to be risky. The refusal to acknowledge past failures and the desire to expedite drilling without proper safety measures significantly contributed to the tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.

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