People Get Ready, There's A Change Acomin'

BP recently relocated the oil contaminated boom cleaning operation from Pensacola Naval Air Station to a Bayou Chico setup in Pensacola, Florida.

For those of you unfamiliar with Pensacola metro areas amorous relationships with major polluting industries, here is a summary:

Pensacola has five super fund sites, some so toxic that the surrounding neighborhoods were condemned and the residents forced off their property.

Bayou Chico continues to be contaminated from years of rampant polluting by industry.

Evidently, the powers that be decided "Hey, Bayou Chico is already contaminated, we can set up our operation to decontaminate used booms there, no problem." And, sure enough, there were a few feeble squawks from the Pensacola citizens,but otherwise, it is a green light.

So, stay with me on this one:

Lovers of the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and our way of life successfully stopped full exploitation of the rich oil resources beneath the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Those damned Environmentalist!

BP creates an unstoppable oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.

So, say this oil gusher kills every living thing in the water and along the coast.  Then big oil can say, just like Bayou Chico "Hey, it is already contaminated, no environmental problems now.  Let's go! Drill, Baby, Drill! Hurray!"  And who is to say differently?

Too bad, so sad. But whateryer gonna do, huh? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO, PEOPLE? GET READY, THERE IS A CHANGE COMING.

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.