Wrongdoing by BP matches with the Oil Pollution Act’s exceptions to the $75 million cap on damages.

The offshore oil drilling compromise in the American Power Act released this week is seriously flawed. Shell’s plan to drill for oil off Alaska’s North Slope provides a case study.

SeaScum (like pondscum, but bigger!) of the Day award to Lindsey Graham, for trying a climate bill power play but failing badly.

Award for SeaScum of the Day (like pondscum, but bigger!), worst statement du jour on Oilpocalypse. Today: Bart Stupak doesn’t want to punish BP.

SeaScum: Like Pondscum, Only Bigger! Inaugural award to Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) for backpedalling away from Drill Baby Drill while suggesting ANWR as a replacement.

On Friday, President Obama announced a temporary moratorium on offshore oil drilling –at a minimum, long enough for rigs in the Gulf to be inspected and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to report on what went wrong.

How meaningful is that moratorium? How long will it last?

President Obama’s March 31 speech expanding offshore drilling bluntly warned that “There will be those who strongly disagree with this decision, including those who say we should not open any new areas to drilling.” Almost immediately, advocacy groups flooded the internet with petitions for the President to reconsider his position. I must confess that I ignored most of them, believing that he would not change his mind no matter what public pressure. Instead, I focused my online opposition on the third branch of government, by asking people to comment on the Minerals Management Service’s public scoping (agenda-setting) website; creation of a strong public record opposing the plan will aid environmental litigation down the road.

With Oilpocalypse unfolding, Obama may be signaling a shift in his previous announcement: not a 180 degree turnaround, but a willingness to listen. We need to speak up.