It's time we sounded off on the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill that has been polluting the Gulf of Mexico.  This environmental disaster is so huge and saddening and enraging and so many other things that we've been really trying to get our heads around it before writing about it.  But the truth is we'll never have our heads around it - the facts are distorted but the plain truth is undeniable: the Gulf of Mexico, the coast of Louisiana, and the planet in general are going to suffer greatly for the future without end.

We're going to state right off the bat that we're encouraging you all to make what contributions you can to the clean up funds that are out there, such as what the National Wildlife Organization is doing.   We also recommend that you try not to buy BP oil products and shop with another vendor.  You can read this article about the oil spill clean up to get more understanding about how BP is paying local fisherman and boating industry workers to help clean up.  There are also hundreds of videos on YouTube about the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill that are very informative, some even have footage of the underwater leak on a daily basis.  There are also tons of photo feeds out there that provide graphic representations of the oil spill over all and its effects on land, animal, and marine life.

Ecosumo knows that the facts around the British Petroleum Oil Spill are murky, so we're going to share what we know in a simple to read bullet format so you can be informed.  Essentially, the BP Oil Spill is just as depressing as it gets - a large corporation has enabled a nightmare environmental catastrophe to pollute our planet and there response, no matter how well financed and intentioned, can never be enough.  And then throw in on top of it all how dependent the global economy is on petroleum products, and the situation quickly becomes overwhelming.  We're trying to manage by getting facts and finding ways to donate.

• Initially BP downplayed the incident; CEO Tony Hayward called the oil spill "relatively tiny" in comparison with the size of the "ocean."
• The fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon reportedly started at 9:45 p.m. on April 20, 2010.  Survivors described the incident as a sudden explosion which gave them less than five minutes to escape as the alarm went off.
• On the morning of April 22, 2010 (2 days after the blowout accident), CNN quoted Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashley Butler as saying that "oil was leaking from the rig at the rate of about 8,000 barrels (340,000 US gallons; 1,300,000 litres) of crude per day.
• BP initially estimated that the wellhead was leaking 1,000 barrels (42,000 US gallons; 160,000 litres) a day.  On April 28, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that the leak was likely 5,000 barrels (210,000 US gallons; 790,000 litres) a day, five times larger than initially estimated by BP.
• On May 27, 2010 the government increased its official estimate to 12,000–19,000 barrels (500,000–800,000 US gallons; 1,900,000–3,000,000 litres) a day. 
• BP, the United States House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and United States Senator Bill Nelson are all hosting live streaming video feeds of the spill from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) below sea level, permitting the public and scientists to see the spill volume and estimate the flow independently.
• On April 29, 2010, Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency in the state after weather forecasts predicted the slick would reach the Louisiana coast.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration increased the area under a fishing ban to 6,814 square miles (17,650 km2) on May 7, 45,728 square miles (118,430 km2) on May 18 and 54,096 square miles (140,110 km2) on May 25.
• The Bay Area Tourist Development Council bought digital billboards showing recent photos from the beaches as far north as Nashville, Tennessee and Atlanta. Along with these and other assurances that the beaches are so far unaffected, hotels have cut rates and offered deals such as free golf.

Ultimately, we feel speechless about this disaster, but it is our duty to speak out and work to raise awareness.  The environmental impacts of this oil spill are staggering and the economic impact is going to wreak havoc with the industry of the Gulf Coast for years to come. 

We found this Facebook group "I bet I can find 100,000 people to boycott BP for life" and we'd like to encourage you to join and read the posts there to learn how to buy your petroleum products elsewhere.

We'll write more in the future.  Keep being Green people - as Kermit said, 'it ain't easy being Green", but it sure as hell beats the alternatives.