Pensacola is pristine no more . . .

[Deb in IA]

First oil globs found on the beach this morning . . .

And this is such a heartbreaking picture - a bird coated in crude oil:

 

[npmommie]

Oh that just made me cry, I can't even look at that without getting tearful

 

[Silent1CB]

 

[jazzielady]

How awful! I have cousins who live in the Pensacola/Ft. Walton beach area. We were there just a few years ago and it was SO gorgeous.

 

[AshleyW]

That picture (and the others on the ABC News site) honestly make me sick to my stomach. I can't believe how out of control this situation is.

 

[kelann7]

The picture is a bird in Louisiana, not Pensacola. Just wanted to make that clear.

I live in Louisiana and I went to Pensacola Beach last week - it was gorgeous - we had a wonderful, relaxing vacation. I heard they are starting to get oil and tar balls there today. So, I'm glad I went last week and not this week.

Yes, it is heartbreaking. I also hate what this is doing to the tourism industry in all of the gulf coast communities.

Kelly

 

[perdidobay]

no words, just

 

[starrzone]

I live on the East Coast of Canada, and they're saying in our news that the oil may reach our shores this summer...

I want to thank all the people who are helping the land, animals and other people affected by this oil spill. Your hours and hours of hard work are much appreciated, even by those who don't have a voice to thank you .

 

[stevenpensacola]

I live in P'cola (a lifelong native). There have been a few tar balls found on the beach this morning.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100604/NEWS01/100604004/Oil-spill-Tar-balls-found

My parents were at the beach yesterday afternoon...they said it was gorgeous out there.

We spent the afternoon at Fort Pickens (Gulf Islands National Seashore) on Memorial Day. Some friends had their boat out there. We rode just out of the pass...saw more porpoises than I think I've ever seen....were all around the boat. Was a very beautiful afternoon/evening.

It makes me sick to my stomach when I think of what this could do to our beaches. Everyone just seems to be a little glum around town these last few days. Very different feeling than the approach of a hurricane.

If they can keep the oil out of the bay, we'll be ok. The sand is much easier to clean than the marshlands.

Ya'll pray for us all along the Gulf coast.

 

[C.Ann]

I saw similar photos on the Weather Channel this morning and I didn't know whether I should cry or get sick to my stomach..

That is just heartbreaking - the birds; the sea life; the beaches; the ocean that I have always loved so much.. It makes me furious - which takes a lot these days!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

That is just heartbreaking - the birds; the sea life; the beaches; the ocean that I have always loved so much.. It makes me furious - which takes a lot these days!

I completely agree . I just made a donation to the National Wildlife Foundation. It makes me so angry the effect we have on this Earth from being irresponsible. It absolutely breaks my heart that all of these animals are dying and suffering for no reason .

 

[a1tinkfans]

 

[themilesfamily]

That is an awful picture. This whole thing is just devastating. But I have to admit, I feel guilty, too. I'm out there everyday driving my car around, filling up my tank every week. I feel like I've contributed to where we are and our huge need for oil. I'd really like to get an electric car when I purchase a new one -- but are they practical yet? I don't know.

I don't like what's happening to the environment, but I feel like I'm just as much a part of the problem as anyone else and what am I really doing to help?

 

[shortbun]

awful, I wish someone knew what to do. I hope we never have to deal with this again because we've learned from our mistakes. 'We' being society.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Horrific.

 

[hereyago]

Those pictures from the news just broke my heart. A couple weeks ago, they were showing a dead eel and put it in a container. Then while they were out on the water, they noticed something splashing about, it was a shark-ok not a lot of people like sharks, but still the oil was covering it.

Then yesterday on CNN, there was a bird that was lying on it's back with his feet in the air in the oil at shore and then the 3 birds there were caught, one bird was just trying to breath and the people were putting them in a box trying to see if they could be saved.

 

[Aisling]

Ya'll pray for us all along the Gulf coast.

OMG yes! It's been a long time since I've been so upset over something that didn't directly affect me, but this oil catastrophe has my stomach in knots. It's so so much worse than I thought it would be. I sincerely pray that God has put a "recovery mechanism" in the ocean to self-correct somehow. I can't see how anything people do will get rid of all that oil.

I remember the Exxon-Valdez accident, and the workers on the shoreline wiping rocks with paper towels! No amount of paper towels will help this situation, I'm afraid. So many Gulf coast people are going to suffer for years to come.

 

[NikiM20]

Alabama has asked people not to go in the water We were supposed to go in a few weeks.

 

[portocall]

It was only a matter of time before it got there. I am praying they stop the gushing soon so the clean-up can become the priority. It is too sad for words.

 

[autumnpalm]

Oh, that brings tears to my eyes and makes me feel sick to my stomach. What a tragedy.