Today [Friday], on Day 109 of the catastrophic BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the “static kill” of the blowout nears completion and the 3-month long disaster seems on the verge of moving into a new chapter. The final solution to stopping the blowout permanently is the “bottom kill” with one of the relief wells now within 30 meters of intersecting the failed well bore down at the top of the oil reservoir (4,000 m below the sea floor). That operation is expected to be conducted in the next 2 weeks, and if it is successful, then and only then will this historic blowout be over.

Today, on Day 110 [Saturday] of the catastrophic BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the “static kill” of the blowout nears completion and the 3-month long disaster seems on the verge of moving into a new chapter. The final solution to stopping the blowout permanently is the “bottom kill” with

[Marine biologist Rick Steiner, whose earlier posts at FDL are here and here, writes this letter to BP asking for the second twenty billion dollars, for a Gulf Restoration Fund]

As the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico approaches its 2-month mark, there are a few points that deserve to be made, as update. The world is now starting to appreciate the enormity of this disaster, which is likely already the largest “accidental” oil spill in history.

Today, as millions of gallons of toxic crude oil continue to spew uncontrolled from the mile-deep Deepwater Horizon blowout into the Gulf of Mexico, we are hopeful that this catastrophe will the be the very catalyst we need to begin to break our century-long addiction to oil. This may be looked at some day as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are to the nuclear industry. Indeed, the Deepwater Horizon disaster may provide our last best chance to hasten the switch to sustainable energy in time to avert global ecological and economic disaster.