As the environmental nightmare that the ruptured BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has unleashed upon humanity becomes more apparent, there are some burning questions that we desperately need answered.  The truth is that it has now become exceedingly obvious that BP has been lying to us all along.  Researchers have doubled their previous estimate and now say that up to 1.7 million gallons a day may have been escaping into the Gulf of Mexico ever since this disaster began.  If this new figure is correct, that means that over 90 million gallons of oil have gushed into the Gulf of Mexico in the 53 days since the rig exploded.  To put that in perspective, that would be eight times the amount spilled during the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989.  The truth is that we are looking at the end of the world as we know it for those living along the Gulf of Mexico.  It is hard to even put into words how horrific this nightmare is.  But the sad thing is that there is still a lot about this oil spill that we do not know.

The following are 17 questions about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that we desperately need answers to....

#1) Why is the FAA shutting down the airspace above the Gulf of Mexico oil spill?  Do they not want anymore pictures taken of the area?

#2) What is BP doing so much to keep the press away from the oil spill?

#3) Should we be concerned that birds are flocking north by the thousands?

#4) If the smell of the oil on some beaches is alrady so strong that it burns your nostrils, then what in the world is this oil doing to our wildlife?

#5) When BP officials say things like "we discovered things that were broken in the sub-surface" and when they say that the damaged well was leaking "out to the side, into the formation", what does that mean?

#6) Is there evidence of multiple oil leaks possibly coming from other rigs?

#7) Has the Gulf of Mexico oil spill caused additional ruptures in the sea floor?

#8) Why are scientists finding concentrations of methane at up to 10,000 times normal background levels in Gulf waters?

#9) About a third of all rescued birds have died so far - but what is the death rate for the birds that have not been rescued?

#10) BP is being accused of trying to manipulate the search results on sites like Google and Yahoo.  So what is it that they are trying so desperately to hide?

#11) If "70% or 80%" of the protective booms are doing absolutely nothing at all, then what is going to stop the millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf from eventually reaching shore?

#12) If BP starts burning a large amount of the excess oil, won't that be really bad for the air?

#13) Houston attorney Tony Buzbee claims that he has new evidence which shows that Deepwater Horizon’s managers knew that the oil rig had major problems before its explosion on April 20th.  Does that mean that there is clear negligence involved here?

#14) If Kevin Costner's oil-cleanup machines work so well and could have kept the oil from getting to the shores of the Gulf coast, then why did BP wait for so long before purchasing some?

#15) Why are three states along the Gulf of Mexico preparing for a massive call up of thousands of National Guard members?

#16) If the primary dispersant that BP has been using, Corexit 9527, ruptures red blood cells and causes fish to bleed, then why are they continuing to use it?

#17) Is there a serious risk that the entire Gulf of Mexico could become one gigantic dead zone if the oil is not completely stopped soon?

With each passing day, the environmental horror being caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill becomes more apparent.  Some of the most unique wildlife habitats in the world are being obliterated, entire species are being threatened with extinction and scientists are telling us that the Gulf of Mexico will never be the same again during any of our lifetimes.  This is not just another Exxon Valdez or Hurricane Katrina.  This is the end of an entire way of life for millions of people and for millions of birds, animals and fish.  It is impossible to even put a price tag on what we are all losing as a result of this spill.  BP will never make enough money to repay the damage that has been done already.  And yet the oil just keeps gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.  It is a nightmare that we can't wake up from and from which there is no escape. 

Each day the news just seems to get worse.  In fact, if you really dig into the news reports that are coming out about this spill it quickly becomes apparent that there is a whole lot more going on than we have been told.

The following are 9 horrific facts about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that will blow your mind....

#1) According to an iReport on CNN, "significant amounts of oil" are floating ashore in the Florida Keys.

#2) Some workers are now finding dead dolphins rotting in the shore weeds along the Gulf coast.

#3) Scientists are telling us that the primary dispersant that BP has been using, Corexit 9527, ruptures red blood cells and causes fish to bleed.

#4) Professor Prosanta Chakrabarty of Louisiana State University says that she believes that "every fish and invertebrate contacting the oil is probably dying".

#5) There are new reports that fishermen all over the Gulf of Mexico are becoming seriously ill from breathing the toxic brew being created by this oil spill and BP's response to it.

#6) Transocean, the firm hired by BP to operate the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, recently announced that it will distribute $1 billion in dividends to shareholders even as oil continues to pour into the Gulf of Mexico.

#7) Not only that, but Transocean also has announced that it will make a $270 million profit on the insurance policy for the damaged oil rig.

#8) Matt Simmons, an energy adviser to former president George W. Bush, recently went on national television and claimed that "there's another leak, much bigger, 5 to 6 miles away" from the leaking riser and blowout preventer which everyone has been watching on the underwater cameras.

#9) Unfortunately, this disaster is far from over.  In fact, some experts are now warning that the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico may continue gushing until December.
 

Americans have been used to having a seemingly endless supply of fresh, clean water for their entire lives.  For decades we have been able to waste it, pollute it and use as much as we wanted without ever thinking that we could run out of it.  But along the way something funny happened.  We did start to run out of it, and as of right now the United States is officially facing a very serious water crisis.

Today severe water shortages have become a way of life from Georgia to Texas to Nevada to California.  Reserves continue to dwindle as public officials scramble to try to find some solutions.

The truth is that Americans will not be able to continue to recklessly waste water the way that they always have in the past.

According to CBS News, the average American uses 150 gallons of water per day.  When compared to residents of the U.K. (40 gallons per day) and residents of China (22 gallons per day), the average American appears to be a huge water pig.

But those behaviors are going to have to change or America is simply going to run out of water....

*The number of states facing a water crisis is now far greater than the number of states without one.  In fact, a total of 36 states face severe water shortages in the next three years.

*A federal judge recently ruled that Georgia has few legal rights to Lake Lanier - the main water supply for Atlanta.  With 2 million more residents expected to move into Atlanta over the next couple of decades, officials there are scrambling to try to figure out how in the world everyone is going to be able to have enough water.

*In Texas, farmers and ranchers were absolutely devastated in 2009 as the ongoing drought cost the agricultural sector billions of dollars.

*Every single day Arizona and parts of New Mexico use 300 million gallons more water than they get in renewable supply.

*Lake Mead is the primary supply of water for the city of Las Vegas.  But since 1998, Lake Mead's capacity has plunged by more than 50 percent- down 5.6 trillion gallons.  Nobody is quite sure how Las Vegas is going to continue to have enough water.

*The water crisis became so serious in California this past year that Barack Obama actually requested that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger call state lawmakers into a special session just to deal with the situation.

*Other states are so concerned about the national water crisis that they are determined to hold on to the supplies that they have.  In fact, 8 states surrounding the Great Lakes have signed a pact banning the export of water to outsiders - even to other U.S. states.

The truth is that without enough water you cannot grow food.  Without enough water you cannot live a normal life.  Without enough water you cannot flush your toilet or take a shower or wash your clothes or make yourself a cup of coffee.

The United States does not have unlimited natural resources.  We are now bumping up against our limitations and we are bumping up against them hard.

If fundamental changes are not made quickly, the majority of states are simply going to run out of water.  When that happens, it will not be a pretty situation.

Urge your local officials to do what they can about the water crisis, but the truth is that all of us need to prepare individually as well.

It is imperative that we all make sure that we have a dependable source of clean, fresh water for our families.  As the U.S. economy continues to crumble and as water supplies get tighter there is going to be a scramble.  Don't let yourself end up in a situation where you are holding the short end of the stick.