Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass. and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. demanded that BP post live video feed showing the leaking crude oil from the seabed in the Gulf of Mexico. They said they would post it on their websites for the company as the waters belonged to the people and they deserved to know what is happening and make estimates for themselves.

Nelson released an announcement along with a URL directing people to his personal website and Markey posted a video feed on the House's global warming website. However, the video on Nelson's site is an old feed showing about two minutes of a billowing leak. The feed on the House site quickly crashed and has not run since. Again, fingers are pointing in all directions as to why it is not working. Too bad those involved did not just go to companies that do such events every day such as UStream, JustinTV, Bitgravity, etc. It has also been reported that only a few browsers have any chance at viewing the feed if they can make it happen.

Interestingly, the caption under the video on Nelson's site does say that the "live feed" is from "archival footage" but no dates are provided.

He also posted a counter so that people can get an estimate of how much oil has filled the waters. People can adjust the rate to come up with whatever value they think is correct. The NOAA estimate is that about 210,000 gallons per day. The default value is from some unidentified outside estimate of 1,050,000 gallons per day. The slider can be moved all to the end where the estimated volume is from an unidentified expert claiming there is 4,200,000 gallons per day of crude leaking into the water.

Consider that the best volume known from established wells in the Gulf is just over 25,000 barrels per day. This event is taking place 5,000 feet below the water surface, which means the pressure of the water is tremendous and is working against the leak. A barrel of oil is 42 gallons so at 4,200,000 gallons per day, that would be 100,000 barrels per day. It is not likely the expert's estimate is any more reliable than NOAA scientists.

BP is claiming today, May 21, 2010, that they are collecting 5,000 barrels per day from the pipe they inserted into the leak. That would be equal to the NOAA estimate. One would think that if that were the case, video would be released showing the dramatic dribble of material now escaping. PE is looking for such video footage and will put the link on Twitter when it is found.