Gulf of Mexico: Send Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Hair, Fur and Panty hose

This isn't intended to be a flip post. But I am so frustrated with BP's oil spill in the Gulf. And, I did hear a story on the BBC about people collecting hair and fur to stuff into pantyhose to make booms to sop up the oil.  Here's a link to the podcast.

Here's the frustration:

• Why isn't there a huge effort being made to protect the shoreline?  
• Why didn't they start that protection an hour after the oil spill happened?  Like there was ever any question that the oil would sooner or later make it to our wetlands, beaches and ports.
• Why is there no call to inspect every drilling site in our waters?
• Why is there no government demand that before you have a license to drill, you have a vetted plan to clean up your mess and prevent it from reaching shore??
• BP is responsible for the spill and fixing it and paying for everything.  But isn't the government responsible for protecting our coast line?  If the Mexicans had invaded would we be satisfied with the government saying "well they're responsible and will pay for the damage caused"?

Since none of that has been done, we need the federal government to organize all entities -- state and local governments, noncommercial and commercial companies and we the citizenry at large to do something to clean up the current mess and try to keep the rest of the oil from coming ashore even if all we can do is cut our hair and send it to Alabama.

This summer hair will be worn very short and dogs will be sheared. Where's Beau?