No Comment Department

I was traveling in the South last year when the massive BP oil spill befouled the Gulf of Mexico, and I have followed the media coverage ever since, including some of the commentary and reporting online. Speaking of which: Here is a brief excerpt from The New Yorker's big take-out on the spill, in the magazine's March 14, 2011 issue:

"At one point during the spill, a blogger wrote on the San Francisco Chronicle Web site, 'I was disturbed to get another anonymous tip that Corexit 9500 (a dispersant used to help clean up) also has dihydrogen monoxide, but I can't confirm this because Nalco will not reveal if dihydrogen monoxide is in fact a secret ingredient in Corexit 9500.' The blogger explained that the chemical was 'really bad and nasty stuff,' used in explosives and poisonous compounds. 'It mutates DNA, denatures proteins, disrupts cell membranes, and chemically alters critical neurotransmitters.' Dihydrogen monoxide - better known by its chemical symbol, H2O - is plain water.''