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
the oil had spread to and damaged such as Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, and states running along the bottom of the US. The BP Oil Spill was a devastating 87 day accident that affects not only the economy of the US, but also people, animals, and the environment worldwide (“Gulf Oil Spill”).
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
surrounding its beak. This is evidence that humans and animals were both affected by the oil leak. “Over 8,000 birds, sea turtles, and marine animals were found injured or dead in the six months after the oil spill”("How Does the BP Oil Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat? - National Wildlife Federation."). The statistics show that the reason why numbers of dead sea turtles have risen over the years is because of the oil effects. Oil inflames sea turtles skin and eyes mostly. When oil is ingested it causes ulcers in stomachs, and also makes it extremely difficult for animals to reproduce. Not only does it affect adult sea turtles but also babies as well. The oil makes it harder if not impossible for the baby sea turtles to get to the water when they hatch resulting in less babies surviving. Slowing the speed of the turtles working their way to the ocean opens up doors for danger. Sea life population plummeted due to a decrease in reproduction, unhealthy food resources, damage affects from the oil on animals, and the food chain not at its norm. Marine habitats were destroyed and continue to be damaged. “The coral sites lie seven miles southwest of the well, at a depth of about 4,500 feet, in an area where large plumes of dispersed oil were discovered drifting through the deep ocean last spring in the weeks after the spill”(Rudolf, John Collins).
Demolished corals have an unknown affect on the environment and animals in the long-term and continue to be studies. It was not just the surface of the water that was destroyed, but there were coral reefs found on the ocean floor that had been damaged or were found dead. Coral reefs are natural filtering systems to all oceans and the Gulf. These coral reefs found deep in the sea were ages old. Destroying these reefs will have negative affects on the eco system and the water itself. According to Dr. Doug Inkley, scientist for National Wildlife, it will take “decades and decades- if not hundreds of years” to restore our Gulf. British Petroleum, shortened and known as “BP”, is being blamed for the incident. This devastating accident has not only wasted oil, killed animals, but also has had a severe negative impact on the states running along the Gulf. Fisherman catching fish with blackened gills, and other sea animals covered in oil cause a cut in the income for people in that field of profession. Tourism declined because of the oil taking over. Beaches closed and population in the areas around them caused a decline in profit for stores and restaurants. Although the oil spill had a major affect on many places, tourism numbers declined across the entire coastline. “The spill had a negative impact on people’s intentions to visit Louisiana: 26% of people who had previously intended to visit the state had postponed or cancelled their trips”(tourism industry impacts). If 26% of people cancelled or postponed their trips, then the numbers for all states would be much higher affecting the U.S. much more then expected. Not only did the hotels and tourism businesses get affected, but also small businesses had the most negative impact. “The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had the potential to impact 7.3 million businesses throughout Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, affecting 34.4 million employees and $5.2 trillion in sales volume” ("Tourism Industry Impacts: The Deepwater Horizon Spill - Conversations for Responsible Economic Development."). Lawsuits have been filed against BP and the company has been struggling to try and fix the problems caused by the oil spill. Eventually the Gulf should be restored.
There are many ways to clean up the Gulf physically.
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
abundance of money has been lost because of the oilrig bursting, more money has gone and continues to go toward fixing what it destroyed. The gulf is also important because it is ranked in the US’ largest shipping ports, it is home to stunning sea animals, and affects the rest of the world due to the ecosystem. The government has stepped in to help solve the issues from the very beginning. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against “BP” and several other companies involved with the oil spill. “‘We will not hesitate to take whatever steps are necessary to hold accountable those who are responsible for this spill,’ Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said at a news conference” (Schwartz, John). “BP” has problems to fix and many people to make amends with.
Naturally, the thought of how much damage the oil spill caused scares many if not all. While the leak was not fixed, terror ran wild. The only way to fix the past is to focus on the future, which is what all countries involved need to do. Investigating methods and taking action would benefit the ecosystem, oceans, people, and animals of all kind. Raising money, volunteering, or even taking easy steps to better the environment around you will help better the earth. People across the world should help rejuvenate the Gulf because the damage will have an affect on the world indefinitely. What we do know is that on April 20th a devastating oil disaster that seeped into not only pure Gulf water, but also poisoned the economy left its mark forever.