BP Oil Spill

A Sticky Disaster
News broadcasts and radio stations ran rapid on April 20th 2010 releasing emergency news. News of eleven people killed and complete destruction of the oceans from a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, perhaps the largest in history, spread expeditiously. Due to cameras, leaks in the pipe buried on the ocean floor had been discovered. By the time the pipe leaks had been revealed, barrels of oil had secreted into the Gulf ruining reefs, destroying habitats, and killing animals in its path that dispersed throughout the Gulf by the wind and waves. The BP Oil Spill, also known as the Deepwater Horizon Spill, has cost billions of dollars for rejuvenating habits, purifying the water, washing animals, and cleaning up the areas
Not only did this horrifying disaster affect the United States, but it also affected several other countries involved/invested in BP. Tourism slowed along the whole coastline of the United States. This surprising tragedy killed eleven innocent people in its path to killing numerous animals and the beauty of the Gulf.
This Gulf Oil Spill happened to have negative effects on countless animals. For example, birds were layered with sheets of oil, consuming oil, and food deprived. “Oil coated birds’ feathers, causing birds to lose their buoyancy and the ability to regulate body temperature” ("How Does the BP Oil Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat? - National Wildlife Federation."). Since the birds then cannot regulate body temperature, the birds have a high chance of overheating or becoming very cold. This exposes the birds to dangerous situations that could and are lethal. Unable to fly, the birds cannot catch fish swimming in the water therefore; the birds are deprived of food. Hungry, the birds will try to oust the oil from its feathers, resulting in consuming the oil, which then is harmful to the digestive system. As you can see in the photograph below, the bird is coated in oil and has oil
There have been teams sent out to start controlled fires to burn up areas of immense amounts of oil. Burning oil that has conformed together in large areas will stop the oil from spreading to the shores and beaches. Skimming is another easy technique that removes oil from the surface of the water allowing to decrease the amount of oil floating in the oceans/ Gulf. Another technique talked about is using sorbent materials. A sorbent absorbs liquids or gases, such as oil. “Sorbent materials absorb oil in varying degrees, with some materials swelling more than 50 percent”(“17 ways to clean up the spill”). This technique has been carefully looked over and is an option. The only problem with using sorbent materials is that the materials have to be retrieved. This raises questions as to how it will be possible to collect the materials across such a large body of water. Not only can people help by physical help as mentioned, but also donations are immensely appreciated. I’m sure over the years the Dawn Soap commercial has become familiar. For some time, Dawn played commercials showing volunteers bathing birds and other sea animals that had been covered in oil. It showed volunteers rescuing/ saving the animals. The commercial attracts all viewers and offers a variety of reasons to buy Dawn Soap, such as donations made from bottles bought. Other companies have helped raise awareness, raise money, and gather volunteers. Given an