What about Mexico's gulf coast?

[niceypoo]

Why do we hear nothing about damage to Mexico's gulf coast from the oil disaster? Is BP being made to pay for cleaning up mexican shores too or are they left to fend for themselves? Obama should force BP to cleanup Mexican shores too. Mexican fishermen have no safety net like we have in the US.

[supernova]

1. I heard some grumbling early on

about what would happen if the oil hit the Yucatan beach resorts.

But that's all that I've heard.

[phleshdef]

2. As far as I've heard, the currents have been bringing the oil our way and not theirs.

[Seneca]

4. Yep

As of now, Mexico is not in any immediate danger.

[niceypoo]

7. But eventually Mexico will be awash in oil

It is inevitable. This thing will be blowing for months to come. I am sure BP will have zero interest in helping Mexico

[rasputin1952]

9. If it were not for the bad PR, they wouldn't care about the Gulf Coast

either.

It's something they generally expect, but no to this magnitude.

[Seneca]

12. I said "immediate"

Not "never".

[arcadian]

3. Last time I checked that country is filled with brown people

:sarcasm:

[tranche]

5. Obama should make BP pay the entire world. The oil will enter the ocean currents.

[lunatica]

6. The currents are going clockwise where the oil rig was

THe Gulf also has a Gulf Loop Current which comes in to the Gulf between Yucatan and Cuba and swirls around and exits the Gulf between Cuba and the Florida Keys.

This is a map of the surface currents in the Gulf



This is a map of the surface currents in the world's oceans



This map is of the Conveyor Belt which is the deep ocean currents. Note how it loops into the Gulf of Mexico.



And this is the Gulf Loop Current - part of the Conveyor Belt

[treestar]

10. Looks like Cuba and other islands could get some damage

[rasputin1952]

8. Currents move in and arond to the Northeast. ..

Unless there is a "spin off swirl" TX and Mexico are pretty safe at this point. That can change dramatically if a hurricane or tropical storm moves in though. The belt this current follows goes around FL, then up the East Coast, crossing the Atlantic and goes to Britain and Western Eurpoe. On the reasons there is wild weather and a lot of fog in England is because of the circuit the current takes...:hi:

[AsahinaKimi]

11. it will probably

end up on the UK shores before it ever reaches Mexico.