Since I am abroad, it doesn't affect me as much as it should, and it is far too easy to ignore. 

Still this oil spill is hauntingly real, a reminder not too put blind trust in the systems that ultimately fail us. I can take pride that I don't drive a car here, and stay clear of any BP stations. But I own a car at home, and I have spent thousands of dollars on gas, and it's disheartening to see that my choices as a consumer are helping to destroy a part of my country I have never seen, and will probably never again see as it once was.