Gulf oil spill five years later

Today is the fifth anniversary of the oil rig explosion that led to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  CNN summarizes the effects of the disaster in Revisit the BP oil spill, 5 years later.

Remnants remain five years after a BP oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people.

Follow over the jump for more videos from MSNBC and National Geographic.

MSNBC got a jump on the five year anniversary with BP Oil Spill 5 Years Later: Wildlife Still Suffering, originally posted in February of this year.

Ed Schultz continues his investigation into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill five years on, as it continues to wreak havoc on the Gulf Coast.

National Geographic revisited Cat Island in The Gulf Oil Spill Disintegrated This Island, posted last week.

Cat Island was once one of the four largest bird-nesting grounds in Louisiana. But the Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed the mangroves growing there, destroying the root system that held the island's sediment in place. Since 2010, the 5.5 acre island has been washing away into the Gulf of Mexico, and migratory birds find their home disappearing before their eyes.

The effects may not be as fatal for humans or potentially as long lasting as that of the Fukushima triple disaster, but they serve equally well as a cautionary tale about how we produce our energy.