Must Read - Startling New Images

I have been writing frequently about the Gulf Oil Spill for two reasons. 

First, I believe it may be one of the worst disasters/events to ever befall mankind.  The potential devastation is at yet unknown but may last generations and forever change portions of the Gulf, one of the most productive fisheries and marine habitats in the world.

Second, it may profoundly change how we view oil and certainly off-shore drilling.  I for one had assumed that safeguards were in place to protect against this sort of disaster, but it turns out that NO ONE has any idea how to properly safeguard deep-sea, offshore drilling.  It begs the question whether the price of extracting the oil can ever be worth the risk!

Now the latest today.

A startling new image released by NASA today shows a massive column of oil extending out Southeast towards the open ocean.

This column has not been visible in any satellite photos taken so far and will no doubt change the estimated extent of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

 According to NASA the column is visible because it was taken when the sun was reflecting off the oil making the sheen much more prominent. The photo was taken by NASA's Terra satellite yesterday (May 18th, 2010). 

This is starting to look like America's Chernobyl--regional annihilation.