Plan B in the Gulf

Over the weekend BP’s latest effort at stanching the Deepwater Horizon oil spill—placing a huge metal dome over the leak—failed. The New York Times asked five experts to weigh in on what might now be done. They suggested, among other things, that oil and gas companies stop outsourcing critical, high-risk operations; that the water around the spill be seeded with absorbent materials like cellulose fibers or animal hair to soak up oil; and that the oil slick not be hit with chemical dispersants.