It seems that no one really knows the extent of the damage (or the potential extent of the damage) from the Gulf oil spill, because it's essentially impossible to know how much oil has been spilled.
Contrast this photo from the news article (as well as others now floating around -pardon the pun) with the photos posted below. The environment here is largely pristine; there are no oil wells or toxic waste dumps (besides Vermont Yankee); the prospect of local environmental degradation is slim- especially if people remain vigilant. I'm fortunate to live where I do.
