Me, too, catmom5.  I can't even listen to the news reports on it any more; I have to turn them off.  I want to cry.  This is so horrible.

For the riggers and their families many prayers coming to all in this very difficult and sad time.

A heartbreaking tragedy for those families who lost their loved ones. This will effect so many people on so many levels from the families to the ones who depend  on the gulf for a living as this oil spreads out more and more. Pray that they can get it contained.

Being witness to the terrible effects of the Exxon Valdez spill, I can only say that when DH and I first heard of this, we knew it was going to be bad.  I dont see how it wont have a devastating effect on the wildlife and ecosystem.  To us, its basically out of control and the only thing that can be done now is clean-up the best anyone can & get the oil leak stopped asap.  In addition, in Alaska, it spilled onto unpopulated shorelines, in the Gulf Coast it will spill onto shorelines that are heavy populated.  I thought they had learned from the Exxon Valdez spill but apparently not.  Where was the disaster emergency plan for worst case scenario such as what if the auto valve shut off didnt work as in this case?  It reminds me in a way of pet food companies.  They all say trust us, everything is under control but its really not. And then we all pay the price for them cutting corners and not wanting to spend the money to have a disaster plan in place or better yet to put technology in place that exists that could have prevented this.   Im not meaning to sound political so if this needs editing, its OK.  My concern is with the wildlife, ecosystem, economy and people affected by this out of control, totally preventable, disaster.

ETA: Another thing that could and more than likely will happen is, it will affect the fisheries and ecosystem for decades to come.  Its not like it gets cleaned up and all is well.  When these things happen, it has the potential to wipe out shrimp, herring, and more, for decades to come.  Multiply this by five or more for the Gulf Coast: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

Both the long- and short-term effects of the oil spill have been studied comprehensively.[12] Thousands of animals died immediately; the best estimates include 100,000 to as many as 250,000 seabirds, at least 2,800 sea otters, approximately 12 river otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles, and 22 orcas, as well as the destruction of billions of salmon and herring eggs.[3][11] The effects of the spill continue to be felt today. Overall reductions in population have been seen in various ocean animals, including stunted growth in pink salmon populations.[13] Sea otters and ducks also showed higher death rates in following years, partially because they ingested prey from contaminated soil and from ingestion of oil residues on hair due to grooming.[14]

Almost 20 years after the spill, a team of scientists at the University of North Carolina found that the effects are lasting far longer than expected.[13] The team estimates some shoreline Arctic habitats may take up to 30 years to recover.[3] Exxon Mobil denies any concerns over this, stating that they anticipated a remaining fraction that they assert will not cause any long-term ecological impacts, according to the conclusions of 350 peer-reviewed studies.[14] However, a study from scientists from the NOAA concluded that this contamination can produce chronic low-level exposure, discourage subsistence where the contamination is heavy, and decrease the "wilderness character" of the area.[

I agree Janet, it makes me feel sick seeing this repeated all over again and what will happen to all the animals and birds.  Even those that survive the initial contact with oil and get cleaned up, are at risk of succumbing later on from the exposure.  

My thoughts and prayers also go out to the families of the workers that were lost.

I dont know Sparty, but its a good idea.  They have had their first affected bird just now, so it appears its starting.  I am angry and sad at the same time.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100430/ap_on_bi_ge/us_louisiana_oil_rig_explosion

An animal rescue operation at Fort Jackson, about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans, had its first patient Friday, a young northern gannett found offshore.

The bird is normally white with a yellow head and long, pointed beak but was covered in thick, black oil. Workers with Delaware-based Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research used Dawn blue dishwashing soap to scrub it.


ETA: If its anything like the spill in Alaska, they are going to need hundreds (at least, perhaps more like thousands due to large area being affected) of volunteers to help with beach clean-up and animal rescue and clean-up.

Janet, Im afraid its because they arent equipped to do so, at least not within a quick timeframe.  I saw on the news it could take them 90 days to get the leaks stopped. I hope they are wrong.  It appears they never considered what would happen if their automatic shut off valves failed....why that wasnt in a worst case scenario disater plan is beyond me.  You would think for a company with so much money and the ability to cause such catastrophic damage, they would have a fall-backplan in case of an explosion that might disable their normal equipment.  I sometimes feel ashamed to be human, all of these innocent creatures that are going to be affected because humans bring their dirt and trash and toxins into everything.  Aaargh, its so frustrating to watch all of this unfold.