8 Reasons Why The Pain From The Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Is Going To Be Felt For Decades
By Michael Snyder, on May 11th, 2010
As oil continues to pour into the Gulf of Mexico at a staggering rate, many are now starting to realize that the pain from this oil spill will be felt not just for months or years – but for decades. At least 4.2 million gallons of oil (and some estimates put the total at far higher than that) are already in the Gulf of Mexico causing untold damage to the ecologically fragile Louisiana coast. The oil has already made contact with the Chandeleur Islands off of the coast of Louisiana, and over the next few days more areas are expected to see oil come ashore. But just because this disaster is unfolding in slow-motion does not mean that this is not going to be a complete and utter tragedy for the Gulf Coast region. In fact, many of those living along the Gulf Coast now fear that this oil spill is going to do far more damage to the region than Hurricane Katrina did. And after Hurricane Katrina and everything else that folks living down there have been through over the past several years, the thought of weathering another massive tragedy is almost too much.
It certainly doesn’t help that those attempting to stop the leak don’t really seem to know what they are doing. After failing to contain the oil spill with a giant concrete and steel dome, BP announced on Monday that it will make a second attempt this week using a smaller version of the dome dubbed the “Top Hat”.
“Top Hat”?
If BP was as good at stopping oil leaks as they are at coming up with cute little code names for their operations perhaps this crisis would be over by now.
But the truth is that attempting to do anything at depths of up to one mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico is extremely difficult.
It kind of makes you wonder what in the world we were doing drilling for oil down there in the first place.
In any event, BP is not just relying on the “Top Hat” to stop the leak.
BP is also considering plugging the damaged blowout preventer on the underwater well by pumping debris into it at high pressure. This technique is known as a “junk shot”.
Or, in other words, BP would be plugging the leak by shooting a bunch of garbage into it. One official recently described this method to CBS News this way….
“They are actually going to take a bunch of debris — some shredded up tires, golf balls and things like that — and under very high pressure shoot it into the preventer itself and see if they can clog it up to stop the leak.”
But what many media outlets are not admitting is that the “junk shot” procedure is extremely risky. In fact, some experts are warning that tinkering with the damaged blowout preventer could make the leak much worse.
But something has got to be done. Even members of the U.S. Congress are admitting that this oil could end up getting into the Loop Current and going up the east coast of the United States….
“If this gusher continues for several months, it’s going to cover up the Gulf Coast and it’s going to get down into the Loop Current and that’s going to take it down into the Florida Keys and up the east coast of Florida,” Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson told CNN.
To get an idea of just how devastating the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is already, check out the aerial footage in the video below. As you watch this video, just try to imagine how horrific this crisis is going to be if oil continues to gush into the Gulf for weeks or months….
The truth is that this has the potential to be one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the United States. The following are 8 of the reasons why the pain from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is going to be felt for decades to come….
#1) The Fishing, Shrimping And Oyster Industries In The Gulf Are Being Destroyed
Seafood is a 2.4 billion dollar industry in the state of Louisiana. In fact, Louisiana produces more than 30 percent of the seafood originating in the continental United States.
But that is about to dramatically change. As the waters off Louisiana are being progressively poisoned by all the oil, fishermen and shrimpers are starting to realize that their lives will never be the same.
In fact, some local shrimpers in Louisiana are already predicting that it will be seven years before they can set to sea again.
So are they being overly dramatic?
No, especially when you consider the fact that fishermen in Cordova, Alaska are still struggling 21 years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill devastated the fishing industry in that region.
#2) The Damage To The Environment And Wildlife In the Gulf Is Going To Be Unprecedented
Already, environmentalists are warning that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could absolutely devastate the bird population of the region. You see, nearly 75 percent of all U.S. waterfowl use Louisiana’s three million acres of wetlands to rest or nest. Once the oil spill gets into those wetlands it is going to be an absolute nightmare for those waterfowl.
But it isn’t just waterfowl that are at risk. Literally hundreds of different species that inhabit the coastal areas surrounding the Gulf of Mexico will soon be facing an oily nightmare that they don’t even know is coming. Entire ecosystems are going to be permanently altered. Florida Governor Charlie Crist recently put it this way….
“Florida is currently preparing for what we all know is an environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions for our state and Gulf of Mexico partner states.”
“It is so big and expanding so fast that it’s pretty much beyond human response that can be effective. … You’re looking at a long-term poisoning of the area. Ultimately, this will have a multidecade impact.”
#3) The Natural Beauty Of The Gulf Coast Region Will Never Be The Same
Anyone who has ever been to the Gulf Coast knows how amazingly beautiful that it can be. But once it is covered with millions of gallons of oil it will never be the same.
Brenda Prosser of Mobile, Alabama said that she wept when she saw the workers attempting to try to prevent the oil spill from spreading….
“I just started crying. I couldn’t quit crying. I’m shaking now. To know that our beach may be black or brown, or that we can’t get in the water, it’s so sad.”
And it is a great tragedy. This didn’t have to happen. But now the great natural beauty of our coasts is being destroyed and we aren’t going to be able to get it back for a long, long time as Public Service Commissioner Benjamin Stevens recently explained….
“You get hit by a hurricane and you can rebuild. But when that stuff washes up on the white sands of Pensacola Beach, you can’t just go and get more white sand.”
“It’s just going to kill us. It’s going to destroy us.”
#5) The Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Is Going To Greatly Contribute To The Ongoing Poisoning Of The World’s Water Supply
Over the past twenty years, the world has witnessed 30 oil spills larger than the Exxon Valdez tragedy. Both the global food chain and the world’s waters are being progressively poisoned by all of this oil. In fact, nature can simply not keep up with how fast we are poisoning the water all over the world. This current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not going to help things at all.
#6) This Oil Spill Is Going To Have A Dramatic Chilling Effect On Oil Exploration
The head of the International Energy Agency is warning that this disaster will slow the exploration and development of offshore oil projects worldwide. Now that the danger of offshore drilling has become more apparent, approval of new projects is going to be much more difficult around the world, and oil companies are going to be less inclined to invest in such projects.
#7) Oil Prices Around The Globe Are Going To Rise
Oil prices have already gone up as a result of this oil spill, and they are likely to stay high for the long-term as demand continues to increase while supplies grow less quickly. As noted in point #6, this crisis is going to have a chilling effect on oil exploration, and that is going to mean less oil as we move forward. Less oil and increasing demand means that prices are going to rise, and that is not good news for the U.S. economy.
#8) The Economy Of The Gulf Coast Region Is Going To Be Devastated
Two of the major industries in the Gulf region, seafood and tourism, are going to be pretty much wiped out in the short-term. Many areas along the Gulf, particularly in Louisiana, were already economic disaster areas even before this oil spill. The truth is that economic conditions down there are simply not strong enough to weather another major tragedy.
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is essentially “a slow-motion Katrina” which is going to alter the economy of the Gulf region permanently.
“A hurricane is like closing your bank account for a few days, but this here has the capacity to destroy our bank accounts.”
It is hard to even imagine the despair that those living along the Gulf Coast are feeling right now. Let’s pray for them and assist them in any way that we can, and let us hope that they get that darn leak stopped as quickly as possible.
I got to enjoy it all thru the decades. At 65 I can look back at the years spent at the gulf on vacations. The younger people have no future with the environmental destruction which limits places to vacation, to incl. lakes and rivers turning into open sewers nationwide. There are fewer places to go now days and we go to the Florida springs (state parks). The smell of oil will drive away even non swimmers who prefer to walk the beaches. I would hate to be young again! My generation “had everything” to enjoy.
Spencer
Bitch and complain. Everyone cries because of an accident, but then also complain when oil hits
140$ a barrel. People need to either quit complaining about high gas prices, or quit worrying about
the environment. It’s easy to point an evil finger at big oil but it’s ultimately John Doe common folk
like us who want cheap gas who are to blame. Personally I am able to accept the consequences of our
society’s decisions; I think we are living carelessly, but I also think that’s human, and I think it
will be human ingenuity which digs us out of the hole we continue to dig.
With regards to most of your quotes, they are incredibly one sided and incredibly uncredible (you source CNN???)
All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again. Birds will move, some fish will die,
some will thrive, natural selection will play its part, genetic drift will play one too. Billions will be lost
by some, billions more will be made by others. Tourists will go to other places, causing the economy to thrive
elsewhere while new entrepreneurs see opportunity where others see waste in Louisiana. Ironically, some tycoon
might invest hundreds of millions on cleanup and buying worthless property, make billions, while all of your readers bitch and complain about
how they stole the state away from its people. Grow up. I’ve noticed a pattern, if something looks like it could cause world doom..
you write about it; if something good happens, you ignore it completely.
If this top hat works, and everything gets cleaned up…you won’t blog about it.
You’ve become a blog version of CNN -> spread fear every
way you can, keep your readers happy. That’s fine with me, just accept that
you’re playing the exact same ‘evil’ game you accuse big corp, big bank, big news, etc.. of playing
George Wanker Bush
As a politician, I really don’t give a damn about this. I got my cut from the oil companies. So did a lot of other politicians. That’s what it’s all about. All we want is mony – lots of it.
What can we destroy next?
http://erectuswalksamongstus.com Maxx Hardwood
I must agree with ‘Laura’, above. I am 52 years old, and the nation, as I was growing up, was beautiful, with parks, scenic byways, litter laws, etc. Now, drive down the road and look at beer cans and bottles and all sorts of trash. The same now goes for the ocean, with it’s ‘Texas’ size swirl of plastic and other garbage floating in it (not to mention, as the author stated, the poisoning from the oil. It’s sad to watch….feel sorry for the younger generations.
stacy
well, we are waiting to see what will happen. we live 15 miles east of pensacola in navarre. so far our local paper has reported massive cancellations for memorial day and thru out the summer to our beach vacation rentals and hotels. 1/3 of our economy is based on tourism, so this will be devastating to our region. and a note to spencer, although everyone wants cheap gas, you could still have some compassion for what people are about to go thru.
mike
What happens if this water gets picked up in a hurricane and dumped on land? What happens to potable water supplies and food crops? What about farm animals? Would a hurricane dumping large amounts of this oil/water mix have the potential to make the whole area unliveible? I haven’t seen anyone address these issues, not that there is anything we can do about it now.
Spencer
Stacy, I recognize this sucks for a lot of people, I really do. It’s not without sadness that I think of the impact on them. I just don’t think it should be flaunted as a domino in the world’s destruction, nor do I think its any good reason to get angry with oil companies or deep sea exploration. We screw up, we move on. Unfortunately we’re going to have to screw up a few times if we want to migrate to unchartered waters….comes with the territory.
ND52
Spencer you’re a complete and utter fool. Perhaps you’d care to volunteer as “debris” for the plugging effort.
Lord-Of-War
ND52, that was funny. Spencer’s a douchebag.
BBQDad
Spencer:
You said: “We screw up, we move on.”
I would submit for your consideration the proposition that what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico goes far beyond the category of “screw up.”
It is intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer, that I am right about this, because we are completely unable to “move on.”
No, Spencer, my friend, there will be no “moving on” from this catastrophic blunder, this enormous disaster.
This is going to hurt. It is going to hurt the whole of North America. It is going to hurt a lot. It is going to hurt for a very long time.
http://ceeuropeaninfo.blogspot.com/ Tony W
Spencer seems to take his talking points from hate radio. His views sound like something peddled by the ol’ Rush man. The Earth can only take so much. Man in his hubris has fouled the planet, creating a toxic sphere that will eventually be uninhabitable.
jw
It looks like the professional naysayer has posted. How much does it pay to go around tearing down bloggers attempting to post truth (as nearly as possible)?
I do, however, agree, that we bear some responsibility by not demanding other *workable* fuel sources.
I also think there’s a lot more to this story than what is being reported. The whole North Korea submarine torpedoing the rig is a bunch of bunk. Do bear in mind the Goldman Sachs profited greatly by this disaster on the derivatives market. Whatever was the cause, the rats knew something was coming.
Spencer
I’ll bite.
BBQDad.
considered….rejected. Your logic that you’re right because it’s supposedly obvious doesn’t prove anything.
You obviously don’t get the meaning of ‘screw up’. Chernobyle was a screw up, CFCs/BFCs were screw ups, World Wars were screw ups.
Most people don’t know how close we came to completely destroying our ozone layer, chance had it that CFCs were cheaper then BFCs.
No one cares anymore, past history. We screwed up, we moved on. The oil leak pales in comparison to the ozone layer and world
wars, so forgive me if I disagree that it’s obvious that you’re ‘right’.
I’ll believe you that we are unable to move on after a century of trying and failing and this somehow spells the extinction of our
species. I can say that our species has survived for tens of thousands of years, and come much closer to annihiliation then what
this ‘catastrophic blunder’ is threatening us with.
So yes, I maintain that ‘we screw up, we move on’. If you can’t move on, if you seriously can’t move forward, then do like I said in
my first post…grow up.
jw:
Pay? I wish. Wouldn’t that be perfect for a conspiracy theorist….the guy who disagrees is being paid by big oil or big bank.
http://hotmail.com kaswaro
and then the oceans turned red
steve
Yes Laura it’s all about you and your self obsessed generation that still refers to themselves in infantile terms (babyboomers). You enjoyed the world to the fullest and left a wake of destruction for those coming up behind you. Completely unable to recognize your selfish indungences caused these problems.
Brad Palmer
Maybe this stinking country will not make a real effort to kick its oil addiction.
Leem
Drilling for oil has been going on for a long time, and it will continue for a long time. I am a little pissed that the oil companies claim they had not prepared for this type of accident. Its the only kind of accident I thought you could worry about is an oil leak 1 mile underwater at 2300 psi in total darkness cold.
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/8-reasons-why-the-pain-from-the-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-is-going-to-be-felt-for-decades Linda in Florida
Where are all the celebrities rallying around this crisis? Where is the help? Fine BP everyday this thing keeps leaking, hit them where it hurts. I live near the coast and to think that our beautiful white sands, our wildlife and our people that make a living from fishing the Gulf is suffering kills me. Hard to watch the news,I cry for them!
8 Reasons Why The Pain From The Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Is Going To Be Felt For Decades
It certainly doesn’t help that those attempting to stop the leak don’t really seem to know what they are doing. After failing to contain the oil spill with a giant concrete and steel dome, BP announced on Monday that it will make a second attempt this week using a smaller version of the dome dubbed the “Top Hat”.
“Top Hat”?
If BP was as good at stopping oil leaks as they are at coming up with cute little code names for their operations perhaps this crisis would be over by now.
But the truth is that attempting to do anything at depths of up to one mile below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico is extremely difficult.
It kind of makes you wonder what in the world we were doing drilling for oil down there in the first place.
In any event, BP is not just relying on the “Top Hat” to stop the leak.
BP is also considering plugging the damaged blowout preventer on the underwater well by pumping debris into it at high pressure. This technique is known as a “junk shot”.
Or, in other words, BP would be plugging the leak by shooting a bunch of garbage into it. One official recently described this method to CBS News this way….
“They are actually going to take a bunch of debris — some shredded up tires, golf balls and things like that — and under very high pressure shoot it into the preventer itself and see if they can clog it up to stop the leak.”
But what many media outlets are not admitting is that the “junk shot” procedure is extremely risky. In fact, some experts are warning that tinkering with the damaged blowout preventer could make the leak much worse.
But something has got to be done. Even members of the U.S. Congress are admitting that this oil could end up getting into the Loop Current and going up the east coast of the United States….
“If this gusher continues for several months, it’s going to cover up the Gulf Coast and it’s going to get down into the Loop Current and that’s going to take it down into the Florida Keys and up the east coast of Florida,” Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson told CNN.
To get an idea of just how devastating the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is already, check out the aerial footage in the video below. As you watch this video, just try to imagine how horrific this crisis is going to be if oil continues to gush into the Gulf for weeks or months….
The truth is that this has the potential to be one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the United States. The following are 8 of the reasons why the pain from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is going to be felt for decades to come….
#1) The Fishing, Shrimping And Oyster Industries In The Gulf Are Being Destroyed
Seafood is a 2.4 billion dollar industry in the state of Louisiana. In fact, Louisiana produces more than 30 percent of the seafood originating in the continental United States.
But that is about to dramatically change. As the waters off Louisiana are being progressively poisoned by all the oil, fishermen and shrimpers are starting to realize that their lives will never be the same.
In fact, some local shrimpers in Louisiana are already predicting that it will be seven years before they can set to sea again.
So are they being overly dramatic?
No, especially when you consider the fact that fishermen in Cordova, Alaska are still struggling 21 years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill devastated the fishing industry in that region.
#2) The Damage To The Environment And Wildlife In the Gulf Is Going To Be Unprecedented
Already, environmentalists are warning that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could absolutely devastate the bird population of the region. You see, nearly 75 percent of all U.S. waterfowl use Louisiana’s three million acres of wetlands to rest or nest. Once the oil spill gets into those wetlands it is going to be an absolute nightmare for those waterfowl.
But it isn’t just waterfowl that are at risk. Literally hundreds of different species that inhabit the coastal areas surrounding the Gulf of Mexico will soon be facing an oily nightmare that they don’t even know is coming. Entire ecosystems are going to be permanently altered. Florida Governor Charlie Crist recently put it this way….
“Florida is currently preparing for what we all know is an environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions for our state and Gulf of Mexico partner states.”
In fact, Richard Charter of the Defenders of Wildlife says that we are looking at an environmental impact that is going to last for decades….
“It is so big and expanding so fast that it’s pretty much beyond human response that can be effective. … You’re looking at a long-term poisoning of the area. Ultimately, this will have a multidecade impact.”
#3) The Natural Beauty Of The Gulf Coast Region Will Never Be The Same
Anyone who has ever been to the Gulf Coast knows how amazingly beautiful that it can be. But once it is covered with millions of gallons of oil it will never be the same.
Brenda Prosser of Mobile, Alabama said that she wept when she saw the workers attempting to try to prevent the oil spill from spreading….
“I just started crying. I couldn’t quit crying. I’m shaking now. To know that our beach may be black or brown, or that we can’t get in the water, it’s so sad.”
And it is a great tragedy. This didn’t have to happen. But now the great natural beauty of our coasts is being destroyed and we aren’t going to be able to get it back for a long, long time as Public Service Commissioner Benjamin Stevens recently explained….
“You get hit by a hurricane and you can rebuild. But when that stuff washes up on the white sands of Pensacola Beach, you can’t just go and get more white sand.”
Louis Miller of the Mississippi Sierra Club was a bit more dramatic in describing what this oil spill means for the region….
“This is going to destroy the Mississippi and the Gulf Coast as we know it.”
#4) Tourism Along The Gulf Coast Is Now Dead
Needless to say, very few people are going to want to vacation along the Gulf Coast for quite a long time.
Hotel Owner Dodie Vegas put it this way….
“It’s just going to kill us. It’s going to destroy us.”
#5) The Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Is Going To Greatly Contribute To The Ongoing Poisoning Of The World’s Water Supply
Over the past twenty years, the world has witnessed 30 oil spills larger than the Exxon Valdez tragedy. Both the global food chain and the world’s waters are being progressively poisoned by all of this oil. In fact, nature can simply not keep up with how fast we are poisoning the water all over the world. This current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not going to help things at all.
#6) This Oil Spill Is Going To Have A Dramatic Chilling Effect On Oil Exploration
The head of the International Energy Agency is warning that this disaster will slow the exploration and development of offshore oil projects worldwide. Now that the danger of offshore drilling has become more apparent, approval of new projects is going to be much more difficult around the world, and oil companies are going to be less inclined to invest in such projects.
#7) Oil Prices Around The Globe Are Going To Rise
Oil prices have already gone up as a result of this oil spill, and they are likely to stay high for the long-term as demand continues to increase while supplies grow less quickly. As noted in point #6, this crisis is going to have a chilling effect on oil exploration, and that is going to mean less oil as we move forward. Less oil and increasing demand means that prices are going to rise, and that is not good news for the U.S. economy.
#8) The Economy Of The Gulf Coast Region Is Going To Be Devastated
Two of the major industries in the Gulf region, seafood and tourism, are going to be pretty much wiped out in the short-term. Many areas along the Gulf, particularly in Louisiana, were already economic disaster areas even before this oil spill. The truth is that economic conditions down there are simply not strong enough to weather another major tragedy.
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is essentially “a slow-motion Katrina” which is going to alter the economy of the Gulf region permanently.
One anonymous Louisiana resident put it this way….
“A hurricane is like closing your bank account for a few days, but this here has the capacity to destroy our bank accounts.”
It is hard to even imagine the despair that those living along the Gulf Coast are feeling right now. Let’s pray for them and assist them in any way that we can, and let us hope that they get that darn leak stopped as quickly as possible.