I don’t have a television in my home, by choice, so I do not have any regular source of mainstream news in my home, other than what I get from the radio and internet. But since first hearing about the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, my thoughts turned to the people, and the environment of the Southern gulf states. And my heart began to hurt. I like many of you have watched the “BP Live feed” and their feeble attempts at stopping the unstoppable. And my heart continued to hurt. I have watched and waited to see the overwhelming response from the Federal Government in Washington, DC. And my heart continues to hurt. Where are our leaders?
Today, my hurt turned to disbelief and then next to anger. It would appear that we are being lied to by British Petroleum and by the Federal Government about the nature and scope of the leak at the ocean floor. I have been reading some headlines across the spectrum of news media on the internet, read some disturbing articles, and watched some very disturbing news videos relating to what is going on down on our beloved coastline and out into the Gulf itself. There hasn’t been much coverage of the environmental impact that is happening on the coast, and it would appear the BP or someone is censoring what can be shown on television and print.
After reading the article about the small Alabama community that is taking things into their own hands to protect their shoreline from the oil, I began to wonder why there are not more Southerners rising up? Why aren’t the good people of the South storming their state houses, demanding swift and immediate action. Why is the Governor of Mississippi more concerned about about news stories affecting tourism, than taking action to protect his state’s coastline? Why aren’t we demanding action? Why aren’t WE taking action? Where are our leaders? I don’t mean our political leaders…I’m talking about Southern people, that know when it’s time to stand up, and take action! Why is there not a call to arms, no rally cry and a march to the shoreline?! Do we not quite fully understand the ramifications of this disaster? What it is going to do to the water, the wetlands, the beaches, the marine life, the economy, the livelihood of countless people along the coast?
As of June 11, 2010 the estimates are as follows:
- 840,000 gallons/day (Best case scenario)
- 1,050,000 gallons/day
- 2,252,000 gallons/day (BP’s worst case)
- 4,200,000 gallons/day (Expert’s worst case)
Flowing unimpeded into the waters of the Gulf so far:
- 39,000,000+ gallons (Best case)
- 219,000,000+ gallons (Worst case)
Either way you wash it, it’s millions of gallons too much!
Now the experts are saying that it appears that the well casing has been damaged. This means that oil is escaping outside of the well casing and flowing at tremendous pressures into “formations” or fissures in the sea floor, which has resulted in more places that the oil is escaping.