Photo: Charlie riedel-ap
In gulf oil spill's long reach, ecological damage could last decades
Ecosystems can survive and eventually recover from very large oil spills, even ones that are Ixtoc-sized. In most spills, the volatile compounds evaporate. The sun breaks down others. Some compounds are dissolved in water. Microbes consume the simpler, "straight chain" hydrocarbons -- and the warmer it is, the more they eat. The gulf spill has climate in its favor. Scientists agree: Horrible as the spill may be, it's not going to turn the Gulf of Mexico ... Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala - via Slatest, Washington Post , Real Clear Politics, Fabrice Florin (t), Patrick McDermott (t), David Wardell (t), Salvador Sala (t), miker1717 (t), Tobie Openshaw (f)
While much of the coverage of the gulf oil spill has been devoted to the crisis at hand, this story provides evidence through reliable sources that if BP is to "get this right" as it says in its commercials, it will need to invest in cleanup technologies that have gone far beyond those used in the past.