June 25, 2010: Environmental Disasters - Larry Schweiger

Art Bell speaks with Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, about the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Broadcasting from Manila, Art notes that the disaster has dominated headlines worldwide. Schweiger, who has made multiple trips to the spill zone, describes raw crude stretching across the water as far as the eye can see, with oil so thick that nothing was visible beneath the surface.

Schweiger explains the controversy surrounding the chemical dispersant Corexit, which BP has been injecting at the wellhead one mile underwater, a use never previously authorized. He describes how the dispersant forces oil into the water column rather than allowing it to float on the surface, effectively bypassing containment booms and making the true scale of the disaster invisible. He recounts how the chemicals bleached the color from his shirt during one boat trip, illustrating their potency.

The conversation broadens to the Gulf's role as a critical food source, producing roughly half of America's shrimp and 40% of its oysters. Schweiger connects the oil disaster to the larger climate crisis, describing how fossil fuel addiction and political resistance to change continue to block meaningful action on alternative energy.