Massey Explosion (Video News)

Welcome to Planet 100 for April 7, 2010. Here's what we're covering today.

WATCH VIDEO: Massey Explosion

Massey Explosion
Efforts to rescue the four miners trapped in a coal mine in West Virginia where 25 died in an explosion Monday have been dealt a setback with poison methane keeping rescuers away.

Crews are now having to bulldoze an access road and drill three shaft some 1200 feet long to release the methane. The underground explosion occurred at the Upper Big Branch mine belonging to Massey Energy, the biggest coal producer in Appalachia. The death toll is the highest in a US mine since 1984.

In the past year, federal regulators have fined Massey Energy for repeat violations of its ventilation plan and equipment.

Via: MSNBC

Exxon Tax-Free
Imagine making $45 billion in profits and paying no federal income tax. That fantasy was a reality for Exxon Mobil last year.

According to Forbes magazine, which published a report last week on what the top U.S. corporations pay in taxes, Exxon paid $15 billion in taxes but none of that went to Uncle Sam. That?s because Exxon limits its tax burden with subsidiaries domiciled in the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands that shelter the cash flow from operations in Angola, Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi.

While Exxon didn't contribute to the federal government it did spend millions trying to control it, spending a whopping $27 million on lobbying in 2009 alone.

Via: Climate Progress

Earthquake Fog
The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked Mexico and rattled Los Angeles, San Diego and Arizona Easter Sunday caused a 50 mile long "fog bank" made up of dust from displacement of plates. That extraordinary footage was taken by tourists traveling on highway just south of Mexicali when the earthquake struck.

Via: Youtube

Credits:
Emergency vehicles ©AP Photo
Massey ©AP Photo
Mountain top ©AP Photo
Exxon ©AP Photo
Oil drilling ©Thinkstock
Uncle sam ©Getty Images
Cayman islands ©Thinkstock
Abu dhabi ©AP Photo
Mexico ©NASA