Massive Crude Oil Spread Satelite Images

Crude Oil Hits Alabama and Northwest Florida

This May 29, 2010 satellite image clearly shows huge lakes of crude oil curling in all directions.  I am sick at heart to see the ominous black boomerang shape right at Pensacola Pass, Ft. Pickens Gulf Island National Seashore, Pensacola Beach, and Destin.

It Ain't Working, Folks....

Poor soul trying to save poor creature - part of the hideous, soul crushing devastation from gross human error

(image from Times/Picayune Try To Save Crude Oil Soaked Pelicans)

"Even using the most conservative estimate, that means about 18 million gallons have spilled so far. In the worst-case scenario, 39 million gallons have leaked.That larger figure would be nearly four times the size of the Exxon Valdez disaster, in which a tanker ran aground in Alaska in 1989, spilling nearly 11 million gallons." from the Associated Press Gulf Coast Awaits Word That Oil Flow Has Stopped

So, will we have to endure months of land, sea, and air oil contamination while British Petroleum and the US government ineptly ditz around making futile effort after futile effort to stop this god awful crude oil eruption?!? I think it is past time to call on the international community to help us.

SOS, World, SOS, Planet Earth

technical junk for Technorati (ignore) GPYXDP2878U9

GPYXDP2878U9

Pieces of Tar On Pensacola Beach

Local Pensacola tv station weartv.com reports tarballs found on Pensacola Beach yesterday, May 26, 2010. The news reporter soft-pedalled the discovery, trying to explain the tarballs as perhaps from Hurricane Katrina, or from the road destruction during Hurricane Ivan. Get real. I go to Pensacola Beach at least once a week. Never saw or stepped on any bits of tar.  The State of Florida Tourism Dept. is making every attempt to get the media to downplay the Deepwater Horizon oil gusher disaster.
Rearranging chairs on a ship that's going down.

Top Killer Held Back By British Petroleum

About the " Top Kill" BP plan to seal the oil gusher: as of 10:15am, Wed. May 29, 2010, BP is holding off (see wwltv.) Last night, I went to bed thinking things would be much better or hellishly worse by noon Wed. Running more tests, I see. I assumed that the US gov't and the oil industry would run tests for contingency plans well before one big toe was in the water at the site.

Now I will have to  rethink all my assumptions. Is nuclear energy safe? Does the Coast Guard work for the people of the United States of America? Can we trust that government, at any level, is mindful of our safety as they strategize for our future as a country....?

Dubious Air Quality Measurement Standards

Today, May 24, 2010, the official word on air quality in the Pensacola area is  "Moderate", down from yesterday's "Good" rating. I wonder if air quality standards are similar to water quality and food standards. That is, rather loose and low.

I decided to brave a trip to the beach yesterday, Sunday. The air at Pensacola Beach and Langdon Beach (part of Gulf Islands National Seashore) was abnormal.  Normally, the air right on the water's edge smells wonderful - full of oxygen and fresh.   Yesterday, as I stepped out of my car, my nose said "Don't take a deep breath."

Out over the Gulf of Mexico, a smoggy haze blanketed the entire horizon. On a blue sky day, the view of the Gulf of Mexico meeting the brilliant blue of the sky is dazzling.
On the drive home, wherever I glanced on the horizon, a brown haze hugged the ground.

Today, the high temp prediction is 93 degrees.  I pray the powers that be get that oil gusher stopped for good.  Otherwise, if we are projecting into August or September before it is stopped, the Gulf Coast will have such bad air, it may be uninhabitable.

Oil Spill Air Pollution Possible Remedy: Portable Air Purifier

So, now on to some helpful information for Gulf Coast residents. If you have asthma, as I do, if you have children, if you are pregnant, or if you are an older person, you may be at high risk from the air born toxins brought in on the wind from the Gulf of Mexico.  Read more on the health problems at:
Crude Oil Hazards

I am experiencing more difficulty breathing since the oil spill aerosolized the toxic by products of crude oil. The EPA is monitoring air quality on the Gulf Coast and consistently reports air quality is "Good". Good according to what standard?

I am having more asthma attacks since the oil spill. Nothing else in my environment is changed, I am doing nothing differently. I think this health problem is caused by the oil spill.

A temporary alleviation to my increased respiratory problems came after researching home air purifiers. An air purifier with a HEPA filter, a carbon filter, and a CPZ filter seems to be the best bet for reducing indoor air contamination from the air born toxins due to the oil spill.

On an emergency basis, I purchased this combination air purifier - a Honeywell F113C6009-at amazon.com.

The C part is important: the CPZ filter can filter out gas and VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds.) This is not a recommendation for this particular unit. There are other manufacturers of similar portable air purifiers.

The recommendation is to stay indoors, keep all windows and doors closed, run the air purifier 24/7, and run the AC. Keep the AC filter(s) clean. I am cleaning the filters every day. By the way, residents with HVAC systems may be able to find similar filters.

I spoke with the manufacturer rep about this unit. He says that the unit has never been tested for this kind of situation. So, they do not know if it will work to filter out air born toxins from the oil spill. The rep suggested that an air purifier with a HEPA filter alone may work, as well.

The air purifier is helping. I do not know if there is any real protection from the air born toxins from the oil spill, but for now, I can literally breathe easier. While I cry.

Pensacola Gulf Coast Oil Spill

I live and breathe in Pensacola, Florida, USA.

When life got too hard, I use to be able to pack up my little bits and pieces for the beach, head out, then gather strength from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

Now, I dread seeing dead dolphins, pelicans, or some other doomed creature, laying awash with oil sludge, like this photo on Elmer's Island, LA from  A.J. Sisco/ The Times-Picayune:

The day the Deepwater Horizon oil well began gushing petroleum toxins into the Gulf of Mexico, I stopped going to the beach.

The shock of this unimaginable disaster is wearing off. Now I am deeply angry. How could human greed, arrogance, and stupidity be allowed to rule the day? The day that we went too far.

Just because we can think of something to do, does not mean we should go ahead and do it. So many of our most ghastly mistakes fall into this category. We will have to evolve into more cognisant creatures or we are going to kill the entire planet.