This was the boner that defined the whole year, combining ecological disaster, corporate hubris and an undending timeline. When the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded in April, BP downplayed it as no big deal. But when a spreading oil slick began to creep out from the well site, things got really bad, really quick.
The spill would have been a disaster all by itself, but it's the mismanagement by BP that gets it on the list. CEO Tony Hayward managed to come off like a complete twat through the recovery process, complaining that he "just wanted his life back" as paparazzi were documenting the absured environmental damage caused by 206 million gallons of oil.
BP has been engaging a massive public relations campaign to save face, but it's fair to say that after 2010 they're going to wind up one of the most hated companies in the world.
