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The out-of-control oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is now setting records. The leak is "the biggest eco-disaster ever" in the U.S., says Carol Browner. She is the director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy.

The spill has already leaked between 19.7 million and 43 million gallons of oil, according to government estimates. "More oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico than at any other time in our history," Browner notes. The largest oil spill in the U.S. before this was from the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker. That took place in Alaska in 1989.

This leak off the coast of Louisiana began on April 20. On that day, an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon rig and killed 11 workers. Since then, the oil has been leaking into the Gulf 24 hours a day.

British Petroleum (BP) is the company that leased the Deepwater Horizon rig. BP has already tried six times to stop the oil from gushing into the Gulf. For its seventh try, BP is using underwater robots to make a clean cut to the leaking pipe. Once that is done, a dome will be lowered atop the pipe. BP hopes that this dome will collect much of the oil. BP will also use two relief wells to help seal the leak, but those will not be ready until August.

Other efforts to stem the flow of oil have not been successful. On Saturday, BP tried a plan called "top kill." This method attempted to plug the oil leak with mud and rubber. It did not work. Meanwhile, forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warn that the leaking oil may reach the barrier islands of Mississippi and Alabama and the coast of Florida this week. The flood of oil endangers sea animals and fish in the Gulf and nearby areas. "We just have to keep fighting it," Jane Lyder of the Department of the Interior told National Public Radio. "We are looking at it like a war, and we have to keep fighting."

Links:
U.S. Coast Guard pilot Larry Chambers: Seeing Gulf Oil Spill "Stops Your Heart": AP Video

Marine Scientist: Oil Plumes Under Gulf: AP Video

See the size of the oil spill vs. the size of your home town (as well as live video feed from BP): Click here

Think About It:
Conserving energy is one important step you can take to help reduce the need for oil. What steps can you take right away to help conserve energy? How else might people reduce the need for oil?