Slow motion nightmare in the Gulf

Well it's official. BP's giant oil slick has been caught in the Loop Current and reports of tar balls on Key West beaches are coming in. So far there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of oil involved but no one really knows what's going to happen next or how bad it will get before they manage to cap the well. Assuming they ever do.

At this point I'm more freaking out about the long term effects of using the toxic chemical dispersant than I am about the oil. I'm old enough to remember when they thought DDT was a miracle pesticide and look how that turned out. Agent Orange was supposed to be safe. DU weapons are supposed to be safe. GM seeds and Monsanto herbicides are supposed to be safe. There's a price to paid for using all of them, but it takes so long for the bill to come due and for the ill effects on humans to manifest in symptoms, it's hard to get people to see the cause and effect.

I suppose we'll have to wait until the planet is completely ruined for human habitation before the majority of the public understands the urgency. There are days I really do think we're doomed.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]