Yesterday morning my nephew got up early to do his excercise as normal. I was actually awake because I had a job interview. He came running back in the house saying something was on fire. I run outside but do not see flames or smoke. The smell in the area was strong. It smelled like burning oil. I ran around to the back yard expecting to find flame but didn't. I thought it must be a neighbors house so I look at their houses to see if I saw smoke or flame but I didn't.
I ran inside the house to turn on the local news. I thought something must have gone horribly wrong at Port Tampa and the smell had blown our way. The port has big chemical containers so I was worried that what I was breathing was harmful. Nothing on the news either!
I ran back outside and thought it may be a gas leak, so I ran back inside and called the fire department. They told me not to worry. Everyone could smell it but nobody knows what it is.
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This morning I smelled it again. I finally got an idea of what it could be this morning. The oil rig explosion in the gulf. I had no clue the smell could've blown this far. Of course, the National Weather Service and the Coast Guard deny that is the cause, but what else could it be? I've heard it has been reported up and down the coast, and as far inland as Lakeland.
According to a local news reporter:
Still, analysis of wind trajectories show air parcels originating from the west to northwest. The air we're smelling in the Bay area now quite possibly, did originate near the area where the oil rig sank.
They say that it isn't dangerous breathing in this air or these particles but I'm not sure I believe that! The meteorolgist says further that
We likely have a weak temperature inversion from overnight cooling, which might enhance the smell in the early part of the day as pollutants are trapped beneath the temperature inversion and winds to start the day are fairly light.
The St. Pete Times reports that the Pinellas County Environment Control air quality division manager says it is possible the odor is from the rig in the gulf.
Now according to CNN they may set the oil slick on fire! Now I am sure we'd smell that too.
Meanwhile the Florida GOP still wants drilling off the Florida coast! They have said they plan to drop the bill for 2010, but will bring it up again in 2011. Even Charlie Crist is changing his mind on drilling. He supported it until now. (Is this further sign that he will become an Independent?)
If this doesn't give somebody pause, there's something wrong. This is, as I understand it, a pretty new rig with modern technology. As I've always said it would need to be far enough, clean enough and safe enough. I'm not sure this was far enough. I'm pretty sure it was not clean enough. And it doesn't sound like it was safe enough. It's not a great situation.
The drill baby drill folks say if an oil spill happens they can clean it up quickly. Well this may take months to stop the leak! This is crazy!
Let's end our nations dependancy on oil!