The CEO of BP told a British newspaper that the oil flow in the Gulf is ‘relatively tiny’ in a big ocean. Perhaps he hasn’t looked at satellite images. Or maybe there is a language barrier since he’s British. Oh…but wait, they speak English, too.

On a lighter note, the same guy told the newspaper that BP would fix it. He guaranteed it…but didn’t know when. I’m sure that’s a great relief to the residents of the Gulf Coast…humans and wildlife included.

Maybe we all need a dose of whatever this executive is huffing.

Lines from a Jefferson Airplane song written by Grace Slick come to mind: One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small, and the ones that mother gives you don’t do anything at all…..When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead, and the white knight is talking backwards and the Red Queen’s ‘Off with her head”…..

I have two simple questions: 1) Do the BP officials think the American public is stupid? 2) Do they think we’re all in a drugged stupor?

Reporter–So how toxic is this dispersant being used on the oil?

Rear Admiral Mary Laundry–We have approved the use of the dispersant at the source of the flow, subsea, so we won’t have to use as much.

Another Reporter–What are the risks of using the dispersant on marine life?

The Admiral–We have approved the use of the dispersant at the source of the flow, subsea, so we won’t have to use as much.

I’m not sure if anyone else watching footage of the May 14th press conference recognized the dance being done by the admiral and two other dancers, Doug Suttles of BP and Lars Herbst of MMS, but there was indeed a dance happening. They were waltzing around questions they didn’t want to answer.

The fact is this: the dispersant’s toxic effect on marine life is unknown. Is anyone else horrified about the implications of this? From the hearings held this week we know that human error was at the root of the oil rig explosion. Are we not compounding human error with a big dose of stupidity?

Dance baby, dance!

Eighteen birds, 87 sea turtles, 6 dolphins have been recovered dead. Seven birds have been treated and two have been released.

Of course this doesn’t count those creatures whose dead bodies were not recovered. The Gulf of Mexico is a big body of water. I would say it is safe to estimate this is a fraction of the true loss of life thus far.

People are busy filing claims for loss to their businesses and for cleanup costs but I wonder who will file a claim on behalf of the wildlife. Who will step forward and demand that wildlife are reimbursed for their loss? Who will speak for them?

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/6/oooguruk-island-june-23rd-2009-790036

Charles Wohlforth posted this on his blog. It’s ice in the Arctic overcoming a drilling island. His question is great….how would you deal with an oil spill in a place like this?

My favorite ocean creatures are sea turtles. I have observed loggerheads, hawksbills, and green turtles while diving and their slow-moving grace always fills me with awe.

While the plight of all marine creatures concerns me, it is the image of sea turtles swimming in oil-slicked waters that fills me with sadness and causes me to feel helpless with the mega flow of crude into the Gulf of Mexico.

The only thing I know to do is to stay with my feelings and write so that we don’t allow this issue to be pushed to the bottom of the media’s priority list. This is an ongoing lesson as it is an ongoing catastrophe.