oil and hurricanes, together at last ...

One thing I haven't seen anyone mention is the potential of the rather strong albedo effects of the oil producing a knock-on warming of the Gulf of Mexico. It was already looking hottish earlier in the year, and now surface temperatures are hitting 30C.

The oil can only make this hotter, fuel for stronger hurricanes, which will wreck even greater havoc with "clean up," containment, and relief drilling, which in turn ensure that even more oil is shat into the sea, helping warm up things even more. Oh, yes, and let's do keep burning globs of the stuff on the surface. That'll help, too. Tremendous. Another gw positive feedback loop, with both horrific short and long term consequences.

The oil helps the hurricane get strong by trapping gobs of heat energy for the system. The hurricane helps the oil keep that go-juice flowing by fucking up all efforts to stop and contain the oil. And it will all come to a literal head midst hurricane, as Cat. 5 winds and pounding oily waves conjoin midair, like whales, and blow their wad in a finely aerated mist of moist, oily, toxic sludge all over everything.

This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship.