Political Quotes

“we are now on the 84th day of the Deepwater Horizon spill. Along with the over 175 million gallons of oil and natural gas that have gushed into the gulf, over 1 million gallons of dispersants have been applied, with 700,000 gallons applied under the surface of the water. This is a method of using dispersants that has been likened to a science experiment. With each passing day, we see new images of oil washing up on the shores, onto our beaches, into the wetlands, coating the wildlife. We have all seen it on television, and it is heartbreaking. But I worry more about something else, something we do not see. For 2 months now, academics, the media, and the public have asked about the possibility of vast amounts of oil miles away from the location of the spill. Independent scientists from research institutions in my State, such as the University of South Florida and Florida State University, took to the water early on. They sent their own research vessels out there to find the answers. What they found confirmed the fears we have--what we do not see, and that is detectable amounts of oil and hydrocarbons impacting areas away from the spill. These hydrocarbons may not look like what we imagined. We imagined ominous black clouds. But, in fact, what scientists pulled up from different depths in their water samples often came up clear, but just because you can't see the oil doesn't mean it is not there and it doesn't mean it is not having an impact.”