Witness for the Ocean

Testimony from Dr. Sylvia Earle before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 19, 2010. CSPAN shows her saying:

It seems baffling we don't know how much oil is being spilled. We don't know where the oil is in the water column. (8:48)

Not only is the unruly flow of millions of gallons of oil an issue, but also the thousands of gallons of toxic dispersants that may make the ocean look a little better on the surface, where most of the people are, but make circumstances alot worse under the surface, where most of the life in the ocean actually is. Cosmetic clearers do not solve the problem. They are almost certainly making matters worse for life in the ocean. (10:50)

The flowchart below Dr. Earle's picture is from the report on the consequences of Australia's Montara rig blowout. The image highlights the toxic impact of dispersants under long term use.

The House Committee heard only one witness for the ocean. They endured a line of corporate and government officials dispersing risk management from "a unified command."

Such testimony won't come close to balancing out, much like BP's reported numbers. News updates indicate the siphon is pumping 5,000 barrels a day into the tanker. That's BP's estimate for the whole spill.

A month into the spill and the Obama team still can't tell the public the truth.