The Gulf Oil spill has been cited as one of the worst drilling disasters in the history of the practice – the scope of which continues to grow. On April 20th, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig experienced what is known as a ‘blowout’ while wrapping up a job off of the Louisiana coast. Experts are saying that a bubble of expanding gas and sparking friction ripped through the pipeline and caused an explosion. The hung heads and embarrassing blushes have come about because the chief safety device, the Blowout Protector, failed to protect against the blowout. A tornado of speculation has ensued about why, at the most dire and critical moment, the device did not work when activated by crewmembers. Scenarios range from a North Korean terrorist attack (aroused by the destruction of a second oil rig a few days later; not heavily covered by the media), to cutting corners, to fear of retaliation by BP for damaging equipment, to just plain old bad luck. Whatever the cause, the effect remains the same; 11 crew members were killed, a huge oil slick lurks ominously by the shores of four states, and 23 sea turtles washed up dead on the Mississippi coast this morning. Though Obama is laying the pressure to ‘fix it, fix it, fix it!’ on BP hard, in this kind of situation it is vital for everyone to lend a helping hand, and you can do so in a very unexpected way. Excess Access is collecting old nylons, hair clippings, and fur to use in booms along the gulf coastline. Booms are used like giant sponges to soak up the oil and block it from spreading to sensitive areas like animal preserves and tourist beaches among other things. Get in cahoots with your stylist and register at Excess Access’ website to get involved!
Above: extent of the oil spill as of today according to Forbes
