The environmental disasters this spring seem to know no end. Most recently, the United States is facing the largest oceanic catastrophe ever, as BP’s Deepwater Horizon continues to discharge thousands of gallons of oil into pristine waters of the Gulf of Mexico, threatening to suffocate marine life and contaminate coastal wetlands. Earlier in April the planet’s vulnerability was acutely apparent when the Icelandic Eyjafjallajoekull volcano steadily spewed a cloud of ash into the atmosphere. According to European aviation officials, the April 15th eruption closed 80% of Europe’s airspace for as long as six days, disrupting travel within, and to and from, Europe, causing the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights, disturbing the travel plans for some 10 million passengers and costing the airline industry an estimated 2 billion euros.