Rev. Francine Hernandez addresses BP oil spill

Rev. Francine Hernandez, a doctoral student at New York Theological Seminary, discusses the ongoing BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP, U.S. Gov't disagree about amount of oil pouring into Gulf

According to BP, the company is capturing about 1,000 barrels of oil every day from the ongoing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The company reports that figure represents about one-fifth of the oil leaking from the 21-inch severed pipe near the gulf's floor, severed in the wake of an April 20th explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon.

Contrasting these numbers are U.S. Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that assert BP's accounting represents only one-tenth of the total amount of oil being released into gulf waters daily.

NYTS Students Speak Out about Gulf Spill

New York Theological Seminary has recently created a page for students to speak out regarding the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster. The new page presents seminarians offering commentary about a catastrophe that is shaping up to be the most significant in U.S. history.

Rev. Wanda Lang discusses consequences in the Gulf of Mexico

The Rev. Wanda Lang, a Doctor of Ministry student at the New York Theological Seminary, in Manhattan, discusses the impact of the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rare species in peril as a result of leak; lawmakers lay blame

According to CNN, some of the early victims of the ongoing BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico include wildlife ranging from oyster beds to pelicans and delicate marshland. Among the wildlife casualties from the spill is the Louisiana pancake batfish, known as halieutichthys aculeatus.

The list of environmental victims mounts as the U.S. Government squarely lays the blame for the gulf's environmental catastrophe at the feet of British Petroleum.

BP to establish $20B Fund for Gulf spill victims

According to NPR, on June 16, the Federal Government released that British Petroleum will place $20 billion into a special fund to compensate victims of the company's Gulf of Mexico oil spill and leak, which is ongoing at this point.

This action comes two months after BP's deepwater drilling rig exploded, sending untold deposits of oil into waters off Louisiana stretching to Florida. Notably, as recent as two weeks ago, oil deposits began washing ashore along Florida beaches.

A way of life disappears along Gulf Coast

The P and J Oyster Company has called New Orleans home for the past century. It's the oldest continuously operating oyster processor in America, according to some reports. However, according to oysterman Mitch Jurisich, oil leaking from the BP spill site has contaminated oyster beds his family has leased for many years. And, where it involves working the Gulf of Mexico for oysters, Jurisich said, "It's over."

As BP scientists and engineers, along with the U.S. Government, seek to stem the oil leak, already communities are seeing their way of life disappear before their eyes, as in the case of P&J.

Groups offer prayer for the environment in the wake of BP calamity

Well before some other groups began praying for the environmental catastrophe surrounding the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there was this group (which posted its video on May 8th).

Since then, groups around the country have joined together to offer prayer for an the end to that oil leak, and for relief to the communities, residents and wildlife that call the Gulf of Mexico home.

Religion Link: Religion, the Environment and BP

According to Religion Link, the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is becoming both an environmental and social disaster. As this ecological catastrophe continues, national soul-searching is being sparked where it involves energy needs and preserving our natural resources.

Additionally, according to ABC News, with five-times more oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico than originally projected, British Petroleum is scrambling to find answers about how to stem the leak.