One of the most significant human-caused ecological disasters of all time is currently unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.

What are we to do in the face of it, knowing there is really no end in sight for its completion?

With the arrival of hurricane season in the Gulf, what further horror is yet to reveal itself?

And even if the current gusher were to stop tomorrow, what are we to learn from this disaster?

As you ponder these and other questions like them, you may find it helpful to visualize the extent of the oil mass that is developing. This image, for example, places an estimation of the current mass over our own geographical area. The image has been screen-captured from an interactive website that facilitates such exploration. Click here to access it yourself.