A Tragedy and a Travesty

It has been more than a month now since Deep Water Horizon blew up, killed those people, sank and started vomiting copious amounts of oil into the Gulf. Why is it that BP, the government and other entities were not quicker to deal with this? And did no one think about the chemical disbursants turning the oil into sludge, causing it to sink into the ocean instead of floating on the surface? And what of the effects of the chemicals on marine life and other fragile ecosystems? I am not convinced that BP et al really tried everything they could from the start. I think they were chiefly concerned about finding ways to recoup the oil in order to somehow still make a profit from it. They have not been forthright about the volume of the spill, and have been very busy pointing fingers at anyone other than themselves.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal reportedly said that the state has lost 2,300 sq. mi. of land since the 1930s. Big oil cut canals for pipes and drilling rigs in the marshlands. As a result, salt water invaded estuaries, marsh grass died, and marshes became open water. In turn, barrier islands began to erode.

In a report I read on MSNBC.com, I read that Jindal has joined with Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser in a campaign to win a permit to dredge a new set of barrier islands as the first line of defense against the oil. But the Army Corps of Engineers has not granted the permit. Why?? What is the objection here? What's the hold-up? God forbid something constructive be done to try to protect the environment. Especially since officials say that the marsh grass cannot be cleaned of the oil. Cleaning it would kill the roots and push the oil into the muck.

Like many other American taxpayers, I feel extremely frustrated and helpless about this mess.