Drill Baby Drill

"Drill Baby Drill" will always sound stupid from here on out. Anybody who grew up in Alabama, Mississppi, Louisana or the panhandle of Florida thinks of the Gulf Coast as our own. I am no different. When I was in seventh grade my class went to spend a week at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. We waded through marshes, collected specimens seined the bay etc. About half way through the week we had a classmate kill himself while we were there. It was a defining moment in time for me. And like everyone, where you are when you start to grow up becomes a part of who you are.

When I was in college Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Bon Secour were my playground. Hunter and I honeymooned in Seaside and watched storms come in from the Gulf from our villa. I have vacationed in Appalachicola and Destin and SeaSide with my best friends when we started having kids. Fort Morgan is one of my favorite places in the world, there are prettier beaches but that's the beach my babies play on....its where we go as a family to leave the rest of the world behind. And now all of them are threatened in a way no hurricane ever could.

Did you know that the Gulf Coast represents 20 billion in tourism, 640 million in seafood production? Over 70% of oysters and over 60% of shrimp come from there. Every oyster shucked on Bourbon St., every grilled grouper sandwich or shrimp cocktail served anywhere is going to cost a fortune for the next 5 to 10 years. And of course the people who depend on the water for their living are going to be hit the hardest.

The ecological impact is going to be horrific as well. For example. now is the time when migratory birds are stopping off along the coast on their way to the rest of the country. There will be fewer songbirds this year and next.

People in New Orleans will tell you the real disaster of Katrina was man made...this one is too. After a hurricane you rebuild, you can't rebuild oysterbeds or grassbeds...

Of course oil can be safely harvested and refined even from the Gulf...but why was no one prepared for what would happen if there was an accident? BP downplayed the possibility of this scenario and apparently didn't bother to prepare for it. Meanwhile, everyone here just watches the oil inch closer to a piece of our heart. Here's hoping its not as bad as hyped...but I plan on having seafood every day this week. It may be a while before we do again.