Gross and tragic.

How about BP sweep this mess under its own rug instead of sending it to the bottom of the sea.

I was having a discussion about this the other day about exactly what you described, the high winds have churned up the sea revelleaing the mess BP has tried to cover up.

My suggestion is take about 50% of the salaries from the BP executive staff and that should be more then sufficient to clean up not only this spill, but probably half the other ecological disasters BP has been involved in.

I know it happens quite frequently that corporations cover up ecological damage they have been respondsible for, but i find myself thinking about how many more of these disasters have been covered up.

How many spills have big oil kept quiet that have not made MSM; could the state of the natural world on our planet be more grave then we are even aware of?

Further, how many re-discoveries of past disasters will come to light through situations like Hurricane Isaac turning up the oil previously found on the sea floor.

Scary stuff

If this weren't so gut-wrenching and enraging it would be comical. I've been seeing tons of commercials all summer telling me how spotless and awesome the gulf beaches are nowadays and how I should vacation there and eat tons of gulf seafood. Sposored by BP no less. They HAD to know that the first hurricane would cheese the whole deal for them.

ETA jeez I need to read and not just look at photos. I just rehashed the whole OP. I vow to pay more attention in the future.

I agree that this is so very sad... and disgusting. I also agree that all involved companies (and governments) should responsible and clean up their messes. But........ I lived on the MS, AL, LA, FL coasts the greater part of my life and oil and oil balls have been washing up since they started drilling in the Gulf. Granted, not to this extent, but I have seen what BP has been trying to do to correct things, help businesses (esp. small businesses), help rebuild the beaches, etc. The spill was so massive that NO ONE knows just how much is really out there nor how long it will take for it to be completely cleaned, if ever. But ask the residents on the coast and most will tell you that they see BP and the other companies that were involved in the spill DAILY still trying to do clean-ups and help the locals.
I'm not saying what happened was right in any way. I'm not saying that there isn't enough blame to go around. I'm not saying that it's just too weird that the week before this happened Obama finally gave in to approve more off-shore drilling and then this 'conveniently' happened, so I can't say that this is ALL BP's fault. But what I CAN say, is crucify them if you will, but at least they are trying to do SOMETHING. If those of you who think they are just 'sweeping this under the rug' were to really understand the physics behind the spill and think these companies can't look out their windows and see the devestation for themselves, you're wrong. (THEY don't even understand all of the physics behind this because nothing of this magnatude has ever happened before.) And many, many of them (esp. the ones who have lived and worked there all of their lives) are just as heartbroken about all of it as you and I are...more-so, actually. This is their home.
My gosh!! This was/is a HORRIBLE thing that happened. Why do people have to add to it and be so negative about it all and not give some positive credit to the progress that HAS been made??
This area is home to me. To see this oil and the devestation grips at my heart and my soul. But progress is happening. I'd prefer to look at the future and how much good is being done, will be done, has been done, than to just sit and point fingers of blame and negativity without the proper insight. But that rarely stops people who know little of situations. It's much easier to armchair quarterback while you sit on your butt and just look at horrible pictures than it is to get off your duff and go help with the clean up, be part of the solution.
I guess I'm just fed up with all of the negativity on here. About this, about everything. I'll stop my rant now.

We all knew this would happen. We talked about it in the BP forum threads.

Has there been a response from BP on this yet? Has anyone gotten enough people mad enough to ask them? How concerned if the LA authorities?