The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research yesterday released computer modeling that depicts oil from the Deepwater Horizon blowout making its way around the Florida peninsula and up the Atlantic Coast.
UCAR goes out of its way to make clear that "this is not a forecast, but rather, it illustrates a likely dispersal pathway of the oil for roughly four months following the spill.
"It assumes oil spilling continuously from April 20 to June 20."
That's a pretty conservative assumption, based on BP's total inability thus far to stanch the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
So what happens if the oil is still flowing July 20 or Aug. 20? Where will it be then? We have now been told Dec. 20 is not out of the question.
The answer is things will go from bad to worse to impossible.
I can comprehend an oil spill, but every day since April 20 has become more incomprehensible to me.
We have known from the beginning the chances of turning off the oil spigot are slim and none until the relief well is drilled — top kills, top hats and the current dog-and-pony operation (oops, I mean containment cap) — notwithstanding.
But why has there been no all-out assault on the mess? BP's cleanup efforts certainly aren't fooling anyone.
President Obama should be leading the cleanup charge with no less vigor and moral certainty than President George H.W. Bush displayed when he formed the Coalition of the Gulf War following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Yet instead his administration seems more of a conduit intent on legitimizing BP's PR efforts.
To say nothing of its own. Later today Obama is traveling to Louisiana and will presumably exult that the government has sent BP a cleaning bill for $69 billion.
Trouble is, nothing's clean.
Regardless of the accuracy of the UCAR model with respect to latitude and longitude, the truth is unassailable: the spill is getting bigger and spreading farther.
Mr. President, oil does not respond to speeches or charms or whirlwind visits to Louisiana.
We need boats and booms and brushes and rags and a million arms with sleeves rolled up. We need anything and everything we can throw at it.
We need you to marshal all the forces only the president of the United States can muster in this effort.
This is not a campaign, Mr. President.
This is a war.
Thank you for your time.
Jerry Fraser
Editor & Publisher, National Fisherman
www.nationalfisherman.com
