<p>Good question, martinigirl. There were Fundraiser concerts after the Nashville flood. This surely deserves a more organized relief effort. Perhaps it is because the effect of the oil damage is slow and steady, rather than an acute incident (like a flood, earthquake, hurricane, etc) that it isn’t getting the emergency aid and attention it deserves. Heck- those poor 11 workers who were killed on the platform. They didn’t get the attention the coal miners got. That seems to be an unkind oversight.</p>
<p>I think the other difference is that the flood, earthquake and hurricane were basically natural disasters with some man-made component (levee failure, poor construction in Haiti) while the oil spill is entirely due to human activity. But probably the biggest difference is that with the oil spill, people expect BP to pay, maybe as much as $30 billion, although it will probably be less. Tons of people have in fact jumped in to help on the ground, although even there it is difficult because of the fragile ecosystems involved.</p>
<p>One news report said that to put it into perspective, every 8 days the oil leaks into the gulf it is equal to 1 Exxon Valdez</p>
<p>Interesting article in Tulane’s online newsletter today [Tulane</a> Oil Spill Response](<a href=“http://oilspill.tulane.edu/]Tulane”>http://oilspill.tulane.edu/)</p>