Gulf Oil Leak Crisis Worse Than We Think?
May 3, 2010 by natalina
Filed under Environment, The Unexplained
I like to think of myself as one who stays ahead of the curve… reads between the lines, and sees things on the horizon well beyond what’s being discussed in the mainstream. However, until yesterday, I hadn’t any grasp on just how desperate the situation in the Gulf off the Louisiana coast had really become.
Most of you have heard by now about Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which caught fire, burned for two days, then sank in 5,000 ft of water in the Gulf of Mexico. And perhaps you’ve seen the television coverage of this event. As I perused the channels, I noticed that most people were only talking about the political implications of this crisis. Will this damage the Republican battle cry of “drill baby drill”? Is this Obama’s “Katrina” moment? How will this effect the 2012 elections? Etc…etc…ad nauseum.
And as of today, visiting any of the big 3 news sites, (CNN/MSNBC/FOXNEWS) you literally have to search the page for info about the oil leak. Seems reporters are far more eager to put on their fear monger hats about some guy who parked a van full of manure and fireworks in Times Square.
Then there was that press briefing today. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs spoke to the press about how BP is working to find a solution to the oil that is pouring into the Gulf. He was soft shoeing and low balling the facts and figures, and I finally had enough.
It seems that the truth is far more staggering. In fact, this incident could well be one of the most catastrophic events EVER to hit our oceans, and the ecosystem at large. And let me make this disclaimer before proceeding.. I am NOT a Global Warming alarmist. I am NOT a bleeding heart Liberal. And I am certainly not aligned with Al Gore in any way. This is real. It is devastating. And its time to wake up.
ABOVE: Top NOAA official discusses the dire consequences of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Here are some facts to consider.
* A quart of motor oil can contaminate up to 250,000 gallons of water, making it toxic to wildlife. With that said, think of the damage that will be done to the ocean as this massive leak continues to spread.
*As the oil approaches the coast of Louisiana and Florida, it is important to note that once it his the Gulf Stream, it could threaten the coast of Georgia as well, and continue to spread. GULF STREAM MAY SEND OIL SPILL UP EAST COAST
According to the AP: “Scientists fear if the oil spill isn’t contained and the underwater well continues to spew unstopped, it could grow so large that it may be sucked with the currents around the Florida Keys and up the East Coast.”
*While it would take MASSIVE amounts of oil to contaminate every drop of ocean water, it is important to remember that most marine life depends on the COASTS to thrive. This includes reefs, estuaries, beaches, etc. And nearly all oceanic wildlife lives near the surface of the ocean where the oil contaminant accumulates.
NASA Satellite Imagery (click here for more)
Now, the White House seems to be somewhat downplaying the figures on precisely how much oil is leaking into the Gulf. But Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen has announced “we lost a total well head: it could be 100,000 barrels or more a day.”
At the current estimated rate of leakage, it would take less than eight weeks for the huge spill to surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster.
The figures that arise from that amount of oil are staggering. It has been stated that it could take a minimum of 90 days to “cap” the hole that the oil is leaking from. And this is likely a VERY optimistic forecast. The worst oil spill affecting US waters was caused by a 1979 blowout aboard the Ixtoc, a Mexican rig that spewed approximately 130 million gallons of oil, 600 miles south of the Texas coast. It took nine months to plug that terrible leak.
There are also fears of an ocean floor collapse in the area surrounding the hole, causing the oil to pour even more heavily into the Gulf. We could be looking at a veritable geyser of crude oil surging into the ocean with no human way possible to stop it.
Experts and officials are saying that their greatest fear is a disintegration of pipes close to the rig producing an “unchecked gusher” that would ravage America’s southern coastline.
I do not claim to be an expert on oil slicks or oil rigs or marine biology. However, I think that it is vital that we all look upon this event with eyes wide open. Here are a few links worth reading. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the issue. The impact could be Global.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/01/oil-east-coast-gulf-stream_n_559910.html
http://news.discovery.com/earth/gulf-loop-current-oil-spill.html
http://pesn.com/2010/05/02/9501643_Mother_of_all_gushers_could_kill_Earths_oceans/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7113708.ece
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hj_fL5vvGTeg8Il6Giv9KdnbnUpA
This is upsetting indeed.
For further upsetting news, check out my review for The Fourth Kind.
There seems to be no good forecast as of yet….part of what alarms me the most,is that our government has not yet kicked BP off of site and taken over.I am sure that they would/will if they find a viable solution…..The fact that they haven’t yet tells me there is no solution.~What a tragedy(more so than any of us can even fathom)
This is already a global problem. The oceans are global.Such a terrible disaster has consequences beyond merely America’s coastline. The entire world needs to be in on this so as to stem the flows. We are all in this together and somehow, the planet needs to get it’s shit together. AMERICA RISE UP NOW to begin the global changes. Do something SUPERHUMAN. GET OUT ON THE STREETS AND CRY IN ONE VOICE. REFUSE TO ACCEPT MORE LIES.
The world is dying now. We need AMERICANS to RISE UP. You have the power to do something, but you must PROTEST EN MASSE. Do not go to work, do not stop fighting your fight until the government, armed forces and super corporations work together to STOP the oil. Good luck to us all. The poor animals. We humans don’t deserve such a beautiful place to call home. We have created this calamity which is the start of the death of planet earth.
The poor animals. The poor animals.
What have we done?
Planetresource.net has a Eco friendly solution to clean up the tragedy British Petroleum has created, please watch the video animation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60bdQQQ3iVw and pass this along to as many people as you know.
One person can still make a difference in this world, is that simple interactions have a rippling effect. Each time this gets pass along, the hope in cleaning our planet is passed on.
dear obama family,
my dad the veteran got back safely from both his flights to florida.I am visiting with them at there home in Bethleham.I hear lots of bad ideas to fix this underwater problem.why not underwater memorial it with a forever steel.so much planet earth and no good out of terriostic war affairs.the land war with 911 is just above ground.i have lived and loved the water even before my birth.we americans came so fare before the robots down there.menkind walked the waters as well as the lands.would it harm us anymore to freez the damage by closeing down pb what evers at this location.we have friends all around the world,yet are all the nations so hungry for money and death.I a mother expect more help from jehovah and his son against this worldly talk in pollicktics.note that water is a main source of fuel.gather the earth below the waters and stop the problem.why must so much harm and soon more then ever death be all americans be goofed for.my grandfather served this country from puerto rico.I am just some 39 year old dissability lifeguard mother & aunt with welding skills above and below lands.in god we trust.let here be a reminder i am thinking about the american dream to fight terroists.you are in my praiers.love sinforosa rios,june 24,2010.