Humans value crude oil for its ability to fuel global commerce, yet fail to acknowledge until they’ve had the experience that too much oil under uncontrolled circumstances — a flood — is catastrophic for all concerned. “You want oil? We’ll give you oil!” may be Nature’s response to yet another gross example of arrogant human taking with careless disregard for life.
The Gulf of Mexico is a major drainage for dozens of rivers in the Americas — a meeting ground for Water. But the Gulf oil “flood” is a multi-element event including not only Water but also Earth (the oil itself) and Fire (timing of the initial event, the year waxing toward summer solstice; anger/other hot emotions; fire used as a tool to burn off oil on the water’s surface, producing a hellish vision of giant flames and towering columns of black smoke). In hurricane season, Wind from storms will be added to the mix.
Other forms of taking in the Gulf region have created additional toxic layers that require cleanup. For example, native peoples were decimated by Europeans and, later, the US government via the classic story of disease epidemics, genocide, slavery, and forced eviction from homelands and resettlement elsewhere.
The Gulf is hardly unique in its disharmonies. But for the moment, it serves to deliver Nature’s message. (7/10)