Gulf Oil Toxicity ~ An Empowered
Self-Reliant Healing Perspective Part 1

This series of articles addresses, in part, Gulf Oil Toxicity - the toxic environment created in the Gulf of Mexico region of the U.S. by the BP Gulf oil disaster. Included is information empowered, self-reliant healers can use to protect and care for ourselves and others affected by this environmental catastrophe. I am not a licensed medical practitioner and do not diagnose nor treat medical conditions. The information presented here is for educational purposes. You are encouraged to conduct your own self-education and contact a medical doctor when needed.

BP capped the Macando oilfield well (drilled by the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig) in the Gulf of Mexico on July 15th. This well-capping came after 87 days of uncontrolled toxic abiotic oil and gasses had polluted the surrounding environment at the rate of 1 - 2.5 million gallons of oil each day, along with an unknown volume of toxic gases (methane gas released alone is estimated at about 40% of oil volume). Exacerbating this already unconscionable disaster is the addition of almost 2 million gallons of toxic dispersants known as Corexit 9500 and 9527 that BP sprayed into the ocean and air in efforts to minimize the apparent volume of oil released from the gushing wellhead.

Unfortunately, capping the well didn’t end the nightmare by magically eliminating all the toxins thus far released. 100 days after the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sunk into the Gulf waters, massive amounts of toxins are still present in the waters, land and air.

AND, this is added to daily by the countless oil and gas seeps still occurring on the seabed and from the numerous other leaking wellheads that have been brought to our attention as well.

What I understand from the research I’ve done is that oil and various gas seeps occur naturally in the Gulf all the time and that the Earth’s natural cycles and ecosystems have been biodegrading these materials quite handily for eons. More so, natural processes have even been managing to clean up the innumerable smaller leaks and spills caused regularly by the oil industry going about its business.

However, the Earth’s natural systems have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of oil and gasses released by BP and that continue releasing to this day. Add to this the Corexit chemicals that have created unnatural toxic compounds in the environment at unprecedented levels and what we have now is a toxic cesspool, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, emitting fumes that evaporate into the air-water cycle and effluence that continues poisoning the Gulf waters, encroaching upon the land and into freshwater channels.

To summarize, this environmental and economic disaster is very far from being over. The ecology of the Gulf is devastated and won’t recover for generations. The economy of the region – well, that’s anyone’s guess at this point. But, the health concerns of the Gulf coast population (and perhaps the entire southeastern U.S. as well) have only just begun.

In a recent Huffington Post article, Vicki B. Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America, wrote, “Alongside natural disaster, a very real human disaster looms. The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has wrought havoc on sea and on land. But attention is now turning to the long-term effects the disaster will have on the coastlines, on businesses, and on American men, women and children…The immediate effects of the oil spill are obvious. Others, such as its effects on American families, will be hard to measure and will take years to document.”

The condition known as T.I.L.T., or Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance, is only one of the many health challenges Gulf residents and responders now face.

Read full article.

Marine toxicologist, Riki Ott, has been traveling from Louisiana and Florida for the past two months, monitoring the effects of the current Gulf disaster. In late May she began meeting people in the Gulf who have been experiencing numerous amounts of maladies such as: headaches, dizziness, sore throats, burning eyes, deep rashes and blisters that are leaving scars

- The Toxification of The Gulf.

We’ll explore more of the immediate and long-term physical, mental and emotional health issues in the second and third parts of this article. However, it’s important to remember that environmental toxicity and its effects are not limited to the Gulf region alone. With every passing day, this one Earth we have becomes more toxic and less life-sustaining for the incredible abundance and variety of her inhabitants.

I just heard on the news today that the world-wide levels of phytoplankton in the oceans are now at 40% of what they were 50 years ago. Phytoplankton are responsible for producing half of the world’s annual oxygen supply. The decline is being attributed officially to climate change. Really? Seems a simplistic conclusion to me. It wouldn’t have anything to do with our treating oceans as though they are trash bins now would it?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Bigger Than the Continental US: Here's What We Can Do About It

Pharmaceutical drug contamination of waterways threatens life on our planet

I digress. More to the point – oil spills, leaks, seeps and disasters are apparently a daily occurrence. We are (not so) slowly poisoning and destroying the vital life support systems of the world’s ecosystems – the environment we live in and depend upon for our health and vitality.

Michigan Oil Spill Among Largest In Midwest History: Kalamazoo Spill SOAKS Wildlife

Nigeria's agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it

This series of photos of the most recent China oil disaster tell a bleak story.

Cleanup workers have reported using chopsticks and their bare hands to remove the gooey oil from the sea…It said fishermen without equipment were doing most of the cleanup work at one of Dalian's most popular beaches, Jinshitan. “They don't even have face masks, the most basic and necessary of precautions. They don't even know that they need to protect their skin from crude oil,” said Zhong Yu, one of the Greenpeace workers.

- First details on China oil spill's cause emerge

At what point do we cross that line in the sand? When do we reach the point of no return?

You’ll find that some of the articles and videos I have and will be linking to mention various so-called nightmare or worst-case scenarios that some people have predicted will result from the Gulf Oil Disaster (i.e. life-extinction level event, Gulf coast evacuations, etc.). Personally, I feel the situation is nightmarish enough without feeding the fear factor any more fuel. Spirit alone knows how all of this ultimately will play out. Meanwhile, let’s assess the situation as it is now and handle the challenges as best we can, moving forward.

In part 2 of this article, I’ll present information that specifically addresses exposure to the oil, gas and dispersant chemical toxins and what we can do to minimize the damaging effects they can have on our physical health. In part 3, I’ll address some mental and emotional health challenges as well as the spiritual dimensions of our actions as individuals and as stewards of Earth.

Part 2

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