A day after the oil company BP failed to seal an underwater oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, the White House has given a somber assessment of the likely outcome. President Obama's adviser on energy Carol Browner suggested that six weeks after it began, the leak could continue until August.

"This is probably the biggest environmental disaster we've ever faced in this country. It's certainly the biggest oil spill, and we’re responding with the biggest environmental response. More oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico than at any other time in our history; it means there's more oil than the Exxon Valdez."