My thoughts on the oil spill in the gulf

Above are some chilling satellite images of the oil spill...

While keeping up with the major oil spill in the gulf, I can't help but be reminded about that Saved by the Bell episode, called "Pipe Dreams."

In the episode, Zack and his friends are working on a school science project in the pond next to their school. Zack discovers an injured duck so he brings it in to help it heal. Later, oil is found on the property after some construction, and an oil company comes in to drill for oil in the pond. Many of the animals are harmed by it, too. All I can think about is the scene where Zack is trying to save the duck (that he named "Becky") and clean all of the oil off of it with dish soap..it's sad.



What happened to that duck on the show is happening to thousands and thousands of other animals out in the gulf area...and it's like a million times worse. And, it's really happening, it's not a tv show.




Pelicans, sea turtles, dolphins, crabs, shellfish, shore birds, tuna, and other animals are all suffering because of this disaster. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the oil spill could affect up to 20 national wildlife refuges, and four covering more than 70,000 acres are in immediate concern. "Every fish and invertebrate contacting the oil is probably dying. I have no doubt about that," said Prosanta Chakrabarty, a Louisiana State University fish biologist.





The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported 522 dead birds — at least 38 of them oiled — along the Gulf coast states, and more than 80 oiled birds have been rescued. It's not clear how many of the deaths can be attributed to the spill. Dead birds and animals found during spills are kept as evidence in locked freezers until investigations and damage assessments are complete, according to Teri Frady, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Here is a link to a slideshow of some of the gulf animals in peril (warning, some of these images are graphic):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/03/gulf-oil-spill-photos-ani_n_560813.html#s87649

I remember how beautiful the gulf area is, since we were there for our honeymoon. We are going to be close to it again in July, and I am afraid the beaches will all be covered in oil. I really hope this gets resolved soon....not for me to be able to go to the beach, but for all of those animals and the regular people who live nearby to be able to have their normal lives back. I can't imagine going outside to see oil like that every where.