There is no doubt the BP oil leak is the biggest environmental disaster in human history.
After more than a month of trying, the pipe is leaking more oil than ever.
There is a simple solution to plugging the leak, and it could probably be manufactured in a couple of days and installed in a way that would allow oil to be pumped out, while preventing 99% or more of it from leaking into the ocean.
Ask any first year medical student what a catheter is, and how it works.
Simply put, a tube with an inflatable balloon around it is inserted, then the balloon is inflated to both prevent the tube from coming out and to prevent fluid from leaking out around the tube.
This thing just needs a giant catheter.
Now what was so hard about coming up with this idea?