"Catastrophic"

It keeps getting worse. Huge amounts of oil continue to gush into the Gulf--maybe tens of thousands of gallons a day--and the wells will not be contained for at least a week, and may not be successfully capped for three months. That's more than enough time and oil to spread the destruction beyond the Gulf and up the East Coast.

Interior Secretary Salazar called the situation "catastrophic." A catastrophe is a disaster with lasting effects, that spreads destructive effects beyond its local origin and for a long time. Homeland Security Chief Napalitano answered charges that the government hasn't responded quickly enough."The physical response on the ground has been from day one as if this could be a catastrophic failure," she said. "Every possible resource was being lined up on shore."

Viewing the situation on the ground, President Obama called it "a potentially unprecedented environmental disaster." He vowed to do "whatever it takes and as long as it takes" to contain the spill. But he warned: "BP is responsible for this leak. BP will be paying the bill."

The oil inundation threatens to play havoc with the Gulf region economy and the livelihoods of people there, as well as the destructive economic ripples through the country and the world. That normally takes attention away from the threats to the survival of other species, and below the photo of President Obama with Louisiana governor Jindal, are several more threatened species: the Pantropical spotted dolphin in Gulf waters, and the Great Blue Heron and Black Skimmer who nest in bird sanctuaries that could well be destroyed. These photos are from a Kos diary by Haole in Hawaii.