it was the worst refinery around this area, for sure. >> narrator: when the refinery was under amoco'smanagement, major upgrades had been postponed. for example, in 1991, amoco considered replacing its antiquated blowdown drums, used to collect volatile liquids and gases in an emergency, with safer modern flares. they decided against it. >> a flare is more efficient and safer than a blowdown stack. and there were several blowdown stacks within... within the refinery that were old technology. long after a lot of other folks said, "we're not using those anymore," bp still was using them. >> narrator: it was a question of saving money. these emails from 2002 reveal that bp had also considered updating the blowdown drums. "we need to decide if we want to invest $150,000 now to save more moy later on wrote one employee. a senior manager responded, "capital expenditure is very tight. bank the $150,000 in savings now." >> and at that point, bp culture was "show me the money," and refining was not showing them the money. >> you can only spend a penny once. "should we do it fixing up this refin

but amoco home from work, it will be in the 20's. -- by the time you go home from work, it will be in0's. light snow or flurries possible. windy and cold, high of 32 degrees. it will get a little bit warmer on wednesday. >> we will be back here at 8:25. >>> we're back now at 8:00 on a monday morning, it's the 13th day of december, 2010. it drizzled a little bit overnight. it's about 43 depressi 3 degree. it's comfortable, so much so that -- out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with anne curry because meredith viera is off and al roker. there's a little bit of outrage viewing over a critic's comments about a ballerina. he said this woman, this -- she's in our studios this morning we're going to find out what she had to say about this. this comment set off a firestorm on the internet. >> also ahead, if you've got a book lover on your christmas list this year, and you're worried about what to get that person, coming up, a best selling author is here to share their opinions. >> i like your suggestions. >> and on wednesday, "time" magazine will reveal its personal of the year. right her

elisabeth's of amoco, as everyone knows, was to pick up the phone, not on the door, and see what might be done about it. here is a know that i got from my daughter this week, 23 years old, which she had sent to someone she met on the campaign. she wrote, was this love so hugely and proudly. she is fiercely loyal. she knew her way was not the best way. it would exhaust her. but she had to go about it her way and be herself. i think about the 10 hours spent labeling on all of their kids baby clothes, boxes of them, for reuse, should any of them decide to have children. it was a tiring task. " everywhere. she had to do it her way. it was not practical or understandable. nobody wanted to really help and teaser for it, but she had to do it. she grabbed onto life. she grabbed onto the people she loved and her beliefs and would not lafco. i have so much admiration for that. this is also a reminder to me of how good we need to be to each other and how seriously we should take each other, the connections we forge, the decisions we make, the decisions we do not make, the love we feel, the love w

amoco -- caller: i started a c-span forum on facebook, c-spanliberal. at the second point, as a progressive and liberal, i have a plan to force the republicans to uncouple y tax cuts -- reducing fica and any richman stacks cut by boycotting thr companies, two from john boehner's estate, boycott wendy's restaurants, boycott j.m. smoker -- schmucker and the person who distributes jack daniel's. i tell you why. people can use their economic power and demand from their ceo's to get the republicans to uncouple the tax cuts and just passed thenemployment benefits. and we will destroy the power of the republican party with consumer boycott of companies to give money to conservatives. thank you. nice speaking to you. guest: innovative. for sure. and i think it is thinking outside the box. and i want to just encourage more people to come up with creative solutions to this problem. host: an e-mail from a viewer -- guest: you know, again, i want to encourage democrats not to attack the president. the president was given some awful demands by the republican caucus,

amoco -- caller: i started a c-span forum on facebook, c-spanliberal. at the second point, as a progressive and liberal, i have a plan to force the republicans to uncouple any tax cuts -- reducing fica and any richman stacks cut by boycotting three companies, two from john boehner's estate, boycott wendy's restaurants, boycott j.m. smoker -- schmucker and the person who distributes jack daniel's. i tell you why. people can use their economic power and demand from their ceo's to get the republicans to uncouple the tax cuts and just passed the unemployment benefits. and we will destroy the power of the republican party with consumer boycott of companies to give money to conservatives. thank you. nice speaking to you. guest: innovative. for sure. and i think it is thinking outside the box. and i want to just encourage more people to come up with creative solutions to this problem. host: an e-mail from a viewer -- guest: you know, again, i want to encourage democrats not to attack the president. the president was given some awful demands by the republican c