Two stories today that are scaring the she-it out of me–
The first a post from someone near Tampa saying there was oil mixed in the rain they had driven through. No confirmation of that, but it seems pretty plausible to me that it could happen and there have also already been stories reporting concern about things getting worse when hurricane season starts. Think about it–wind pushes moisture out of the gulf and comes inland–we even got hit with a hurricane in Louisville, KY a few years ago and we are seriously land-locked around here. So think you’re safe because you don’t live near the gulf. I’d say think again.
And the other thing I saw that is a very scary thought is this from David Roberts on Grist regarding what happens if the ‘top kill’ doesn’t stop the oil that is spewing into the gulf:
“(T)hen what? Junk shot? Top hat? Loony stuff like nukes? Relief wells will take months to drill and no one’s sure if they’ll work to relieve pressure. It’s entirely possible, even likely, that we’re going to be stuck helplessly watching as this well spews oil into the Gulf for years. Even if the flow were stopped tomorrow, the damage to marshes, coral, and marine life is done. The Gulf of Mexico will become an ecological and economic dead zone. There’s no real way to undo it, no matter who’s in charge.”
The essay in its entirety is a must read.
