Oil Disaster Spreads to Beaches & Marshes

Oil rig engineers are running out of options for stopping a deepwater oil well from gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico. As of press time, more than 6 million gallons of crude oil has spewed into the ocean from the well. At stake are marine habitats, all sorts of sea creatures, commercial fishing, tourism and Southern coastal areas that include important wetlands and beaches.

The disaster started April 20 after a deadly explosion sank the Deepwater Horizon oil rig about 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven workers died, and the well—almost a mile underwater—began spewing more than 200,000 gallons of oil a day.

Oil and energy giant BP is responsible for the damages. And if the flow of oil isn’t stopped soon, this could be the worst oil disaster to ever hit the United States.

BP is heading up the cleanup efforts, which include more than 1,000 boats and ships and 22,000 people. Amazing amounts of chemical dispersants are being added to help break up the thick and sticky oil. Still, the oil slick covers a large area of the Gulf of Mexico and can easily be seen by satellite.

So far, nothing has worked to stop the gushing oil. As of press time, BP is trying to pump a safety fluid called heavy mud down to the well to create enough pressure to end the flow.

Despite the efforts of crews to contain the slick, oil has hit beaches and started to invade sensitive marshes and swamps.

“We’ve focused on containment and elimination of the leak on the seabed, and containment and collection of the oil on the water, and the defense of the shore,” said BP head Tony Hayward on the “Today Show.” “I was on the beach yesterday. I felt devastated and gutted about what I saw. I feel that we’ve let people down in our defense of the shore.”

Hayward promised that BP is “going to redouble our efforts in that endeavor.”

13-Year-Old Youngest to Summit Everest

A 13-year-old kid from California followed his dream all the way to the top of the world on May 22.

Jordan Romero, an avid climber, summited the 29,035-foot Mount Everest with his dad, his dad’s girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. Jordan is the youngest person to ever make it all the way to the top!

The eighth-grader from Big Bear, Calif., was turned away on the Nepal side of Mount Everest because of his age (you have to be 16 or older to ascend from Nepal). So Team Jordan decided to go up the Chinese side of the mountain—the more difficult North face.

Jordan may look like your average California teen, but he has a mountain-size heart. In fact, one of the biggest goals of this record-setting climb is to inspire young people everywhere to set big goals and take the steps necessary to reach them.

He’s also concerned with the alarming number of obese kids in America and hopes that he can motivate young people to get outdoors and lead healthier lifestyles.

Climbing Mount Everest is technically, physically and mentally demanding. It’s a dangerous mountain, which has claimed the lives of many climbers. The mountain definitely got to Jordan. On the final ascent, Jordan suffered severe stomach pains and doubted if he could make the summit. But as he neared to top of the world, happiness overpowered the pain.

On the summit, he used a satellite phone to share the big news with his mother in California.

Jordan’s overall dream is to summit the highest peaks on every continent (called the Seven Summits). Mount Everest was his sixth. Now he only has Mount Vinson in Antarctica left, which he hopes to climb in December or January.