May 5, 2010 – Flooding in Rhode Island. Flooding in Boston. Flooding in Tennessee. Tornadoes in Mississippi and Tennessee. Once upon a time, this would have been considered a thoroughly miserable confluence of events. That, of course, was before British Petroleum decided to do for oil exploration what Goldman Sachs did for banking.
Come to think of it, this darn business of Climate Collapse was taking too long, anyway. Who needs all that suspense? Let’s get it done with, once and for all!
Think I’m kidding? Here’s an email that was sent to a friend of mine by her nephew-in-law. She thought it was important enough to share, and he has graciously agreed to let me post it. Don’t bother thinking “I’m glad I’m not him.” We’re ALL him.
“HI all
Thanks for the concerned letters and Facebook notes. The progression of the oil spill drama has gotten rather scary. We were first told the oil was only from the platform itself. At that point we thought we might be able to help in some way. Things have gotten more serious as we found that the well is leaking. Then the rate of oil was 5 time[s] as [much as] first reported. Now it has come out that three of the wells (maybe more) are leaking and a lot of oil, but no one seems to know how much is coming out. Rumor has it that the rig sank on the well heads and the robots cannot even get to the leaks. What is known is that at 5000 ft. water pressure is extreme. This is pushing the oil out of the subterranean cavern it is encased in. BP officials say there may be as much as 11 billion barrels of oil at this location. None of the authorities believe all of it will leak out. The spill is about 20 miles south of us at this point, but the oil in the air reached us around 11:00 AM.
We are now looking at a continuous flow of oil to shore for months or
longer. Due to this possibility, and the fact that neither Darla nor myself qualifies for training to help with wildlife has limited our options. The oil is not even here and we are being affected by it adversely -cough cough- and I believe that very soon everything here will be coated with the mist.
We may be leaving for a while but Alex needs to get his braces on and
adjusted periodically. WE also have other commitments that must be dealt with. The thing to keep in mind if anyone decides to come down here to help is that classes are required to receive the safety training to deal with this very toxic oil. It Must Not Touch Your Skin. The coast of Mississippi and Louisiana are extreme in that for about 1 mile of coast, there are hundreds of miles of shore with all the canals, bayous, and streams that meander in all directions. Much of this consists of small islands that are swampy and have a grass that is like razors. If you volunteer, ask to go to the barrier islands or beaches. It will be hard work, but not as dangerous as the swamps.
Well, if this doesn’t affect you, you might want to seek professional help. I am sorry to have to write this letter. Most of my friends and family have been supportive as we dealt with the storm for the last five years, and now this area is about to be dealt a death blow to its environment, economy and psyche.
Thanks for listening
love you all,
Pat Shannon”
Funny how the words “Homeland Security” have taken on a whole new meaning, isn’t it? May G-d bless the brave people of the Southern coastal states.
Come to think of it, this darn business of Climate Collapse was taking too long, anyway. Who needs all that suspense? Let’s get it done with, once and for all!
Think I’m kidding? Here’s an email that was sent to a friend of mine by her nephew-in-law. She thought it was important enough to share, and he has graciously agreed to let me post it. Don’t bother thinking “I’m glad I’m not him.” We’re ALL him.
“HI all
Thanks for the concerned letters and Facebook notes. The progression of the oil spill drama has gotten rather scary. We were first told the oil was only from the platform itself. At that point we thought we might be able to help in some way. Things have gotten more serious as we found that the well is leaking. Then the rate of oil was 5 time[s] as [much as] first reported. Now it has come out that three of the wells (maybe more) are leaking and a lot of oil, but no one seems to know how much is coming out. Rumor has it that the rig sank on the well heads and the robots cannot even get to the leaks. What is known is that at 5000 ft. water pressure is extreme. This is pushing the oil out of the subterranean cavern it is encased in. BP officials say there may be as much as 11 billion barrels of oil at this location. None of the authorities believe all of it will leak out. The spill is about 20 miles south of us at this point, but the oil in the air reached us around 11:00 AM.
We are now looking at a continuous flow of oil to shore for months or
longer. Due to this possibility, and the fact that neither Darla nor myself qualifies for training to help with wildlife has limited our options. The oil is not even here and we are being affected by it adversely -cough cough- and I believe that very soon everything here will be coated with the mist.
We may be leaving for a while but Alex needs to get his braces on and
adjusted periodically. WE also have other commitments that must be dealt with. The thing to keep in mind if anyone decides to come down here to help is that classes are required to receive the safety training to deal with this very toxic oil. It Must Not Touch Your Skin. The coast of Mississippi and Louisiana are extreme in that for about 1 mile of coast, there are hundreds of miles of shore with all the canals, bayous, and streams that meander in all directions. Much of this consists of small islands that are swampy and have a grass that is like razors. If you volunteer, ask to go to the barrier islands or beaches. It will be hard work, but not as dangerous as the swamps.
Well, if this doesn’t affect you, you might want to seek professional help. I am sorry to have to write this letter. Most of my friends and family have been supportive as we dealt with the storm for the last five years, and now this area is about to be dealt a death blow to its environment, economy and psyche.
Thanks for listening
love you all,
Pat Shannon”
Funny how the words “Homeland Security” have taken on a whole new meaning, isn’t it? May G-d bless the brave people of the Southern coastal states.
Comments
Post a Comment