As always, there are lessons to be learned in even the most negative situations, and here are nine lessons from this one.

1. An event hundreds of miles away can directly impact your life.
Initially, those living closest to ground zero, so to speak, are the ones most impacted.  However, this oil spill is having a long-term affect on the livelihoods of thousands of people, and over a period of time, thousands more will be affected in a chain reaction.  In this highly inter-connected world of ours, we no longer have the luxury of saying, “Whew!  I don’t have to worry about that event!”  This is why it’s vital to stay up to date with current events.  Threats by North Korea against South Korea and deals being made between such diverse countries as Brazil, Turkey, and Russia may very well develop into events that have repercussions a lot closer to home.  Keep your eye on the news, preferably from several different sources.

2. You cannot count on government assistance, and, in fact, the government may very well make a bad situation worse.
This is happening in the Gulf, and is more likely than not to happen in an event affecting you and your family.  As government agencies dilly-dally and fret over following thousands of regulations, sea life and invaluable ecosystems are being destroyed.  The more self-reliant you can be, the less help you will need from government agencies bogged down with red tape and politics.  Research, plan, and prepare as though you will be completely on your own because you very well may be.

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