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Bp Oil Spill
Amanda Ortiz
Period 9
5/21/13
Environmental Issue Essay
Pollution is the mix of contaminants and the natural environment that create damage. It can be chemical substances, noise, heat or light. Pollutants can be either foreign substances that humans created or even contaminants in nature. Environmental issues are damaging parts of human activity on the environment. Environmentalism addresses all of the environmental issues that we face and decide what qualifies as an environmental issue.
The BP Oil Spill has been a huge environmental issue; it was the worst oil disaster in US history. The government estimated up to 2.6 million gallons per day with a total of 205.8 million got into the gulf. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida all had miles on miles of surface oil problems. BP put nearly 2 million gallons of chemical “dispersants” into the ocean, which actually make the oil more toxic to ocean life. It’s considered and environmental issue because of its massive amount of damage and was caused by humans, the oil company. The spill made more than 1,000 miles of shoreline covered in oil.
It mainly affects the coasts of the states named above but all in all it ends up affecting our country as a whole. Aside from the economical aspect of it, it’s an ocean we share with the world and affects the species we love and need in the ecosystem. A study showed us that more than 82,000 birds, 6,000 sea turtles; 26,000 marine mammals; and an unknown massive number of fish have been harmed by the spill and its aftermath. The gulf oil disaster happened during a lot of species mating season, which means it could have wiped out a few generations. Even plants such as deep sea corals were affected and being found miles from the horizon. Mammals who swallowed this oil were found to have internal bleeding and birds covered in it couldn’t regulate there body temperatures. This spill didn’t just make a mess it damaged and took many lives; ruined a habitat that is crucial to the
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