Please tell me this ain't so?!?!?! This is one HUGE friggin' mess. The gulf coast cities are gonna suffer huge losses. I pray for them.

There is no doubt the leak is a serious problem and has the potential of causing great damage. However it is important to avoid hysteria, rumors and unfounded speculation.

Jim

Every year there is a new disaster, flooding, drought, poisons from this oil, I wonder how many years straight will there be damage to the farm industry? Now the fishing industry too. It's been a bad 4 or 5 years straight and the prices of everything are skyrocketing. No rumors or theories about that, it's already in the books it's been lots of losses these few years.

If this continues, I wonder how far it could reach? Up the Mississippi? I wonder how long it would take to travel that far? It could be years of damage, there is no predicting what the damages are. I guess composting is the safest route to ensure better soil, if not for this year, for the next. Lots of beds might be the only answer on how to grow in this mess, container gardens even is it's more serious than they thought. I'm talking about home gardeners, though. I wonder what the professional gardeners are going to do?

I hope it ends soon. I'm totally against offshore drilling and this wakeup call should remind people to start incorporating solar panels into their houses, battery chargers for battery run lawnmowers and weedeaters, cars, etc..

If we were to ever go to war, the easiest way to make us loose would be to attack all our offshore oil wells locally, destroying our food industry, our fuel sources, and ruining our water. Can you imagine about 10 offshore oil wells seeping into the ocean all at once? It would kill wildlife altogether in many states for years and there is no way yet to cap them, so what about 10 running all at once? How could you stop them?

I think our country needs to think about independence, but not a such a dangerous cost like offshore drilling, instead it would defeat us.

Here's a link to one of the news videos on you tube so you can watch for yourselves:
crop damage and bird deaths

Send a bill to the Brits.

"If this continues, I wonder how far it could reach? Up the Mississippi?"

Water doesn't flow up hill. Neither does oil. It won't go upstream against a current.

Jim

Jimster,

Actually oceanic waters do enter streams, rivers, inlets and marshes via this thing called TIDAL CURRENTS.

My brother just got from the Florida Keys, and they have oil already in the KEYS. Residents and businesses are complaining of the heavy petroleum smells and slicks around their docks, boats and businesses, been that way for a few weeks now and getting WORSE. Businesses there are already seeing a huge increase in their summer time cancellations. The MSM is not reporting it. WHY?

josko,

Now that was funny.

It's a good thing it's uphill, but the soil will absorb it and the dying wildlife will try to escape diseasing where ever it lands and they can go uphill.

This has to be the biggest catastrophey ever in the United States. I wonder why no reports from Florida? They don't want a panic. They could get more volunteers if they asked so preventing worse problems. It's on them do or not do, they need to shut the thing down permanently. If they can't handle one, they can't handle a few more, why put more of them out there on the waters?

I hope they completely outlaw offshore drilling. If you think now is a catastrophey, what about when 2 or 3 start to gush? It is something to think about.

Haha, send the Bill to the Brits, American Rig, rented, but I do actually agree with that sentiment, BP thankfully are suspending last I heard? shareholders bonus, maybe you guys can clean up Bhopal?
and did anyone seriously know that BP stood for British Petroleum, until Obama's Speech? cos 15 years ago, I visited the US and was asked seriously "do you have gas companies like BP or Shell"???? (Shell is Dutch)
I pick this disaster, amongst many I could, because this is a Garden site, and most relevant, which is why although I am not a tree hugger, I try and stear clear of ago-chemicals
I studied this amongst others as part of my Occupational Health Degree. and obviously this is a basic Wiki Entry, but if you are allowed access as a professional to Pics, (there are some on the web, I suggest you don't look, I have no Idea if they are terrible or not, I just don't want to, again)

Here is a link that might be useful: Makers of sevin

what did I do? you are the guys of free speech and yet time and time again, you don't do it, cos you are scared of it, I told you something, and you shut up? I really don't get America? argue against or with me , I don't care, just for god sake argue, in a good natured way, McCarthyism, buggered up America Big Time!

josko. I hold no brief for BP or any other oil company and the leak in the Gulf is a major disaster. But please don't let's disengage our critical faculties over this. It is a lot more complicated than blaming the evil Brits. Would you like to take moral and/or financial responsibility for US company's mess-ups around the world? As Heather mentioned, a little googling of 'Union Carbide' and 'Bhopal' would provide some interesting information.

Some facts: UK institutions hold 33% of BP shares. US institutions hold 25%. UK individuals hold 7% and US individuals hold 14%. Total: 40% for 'Brits' 39% for 'Yanks'. (If you're wondering about the other 21% they are held by other European and world wide owners). I don't know whether the dividend should be withheld or not but I do know many British and US citizens rely on pension schemes which in turn rely on BP share dividends. So, please can we think a little more deeply about the issues and follow jimster's advice to avoid hysteria?

My apologies if I inadvertedly touched a sore spot or politicized what should have been a gardening discussion.

Not a sore spot, just looking for some balance. So no problem. I'm sure it was just a throw away remark. I've been to Cape Cod and I know that the environment has to be a serious issue there. A few big storms or a couple of feet more ocean and you'd be in trouble. Talking of gardens there were some wonderful kitsch ones in Province Town. I particularly liked the Barbie garden. Is it still there?

Wow, I certainly didn't mean to cause any kind of commotion or political discussion. I even got a personal email scolding me for posting this.
Really, because everyone is so great and friendly and knowledgable on this board, I just wanted to find out first hand if any growers in Mississippi were experiencing this crop damage.

dgbeig,

I appreciated the info share. MSM and big corps cover-up so many things it isn't funny. This thread and any like it cannot help but become political, it's the nature in some that spin it that way.

Happy gardening, and thanks for the heads up :)

In all being fair, it's under American management to make the decision to push for a heavier workload causing the problem, but I might be wrong, assumed it is rented by America, it is under American management.

How could a gardening forum not be informed of this? Not fair and to think people can't hold other information other how to grow a marigold is insulting their intelligence.

Some might not want to read it, but the topic is still there. I wonder how many gardens are dead already on the coast because of it. I wait to see more local damage in Tennessee farther up from this. Every state up and down the Mississippi, Tennessee River, and maybe even the Cumberland will be infected either by nasty water or diseased fish or water wildlife, maybe even into the Ohio river.

This is not a bad topic and not off topic.