How Oil Exploration and Offshore Drilling Affect the Environment - Essay Example

Securing our Future through Sustainable Solutions Oil is presently one of our primary sources of energy. It gives power to our cars, our ships, ourplanes, and our various industries. We have made it indispensable to our daily activities. As our oil demand is increasing, so are the oil exploration efforts by petroleum corporations. Everyday we encounter news reports of how oil exploration and offshore drilling practices of various oil corporations have resulted to oil spills and billions of dollars worth of socio-economic and ecological damages. As was mentioned in the previously submitted essay on the causes of oil spills, oil spills have been largely attributed to lack of proper maintenance in oil tanker equipment, tanker collisions, carelessness in loading and unloading oil, and other errors in human judgment. The previous essay also discusses that oil is slowly seeping into our oceans through improperly disposed motor oil from our vehicles and land-based drilling operations. This problem is of great concern to many people because of the immense damages that oil slicks can bring. Many environmental organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have pointed out that oil spills destroy our coastlines and deprive many coastal communities of their livelihood. Based on the previous essay on oil spills, this student learned that oil spills kill our fishes and other marine creatures and they contaminate our waters. These are the problems we now face for the many luxuries and conveniences we now enjoy. The problems that oil spills initially bring are mostly to our marine life- fishes, corals, and other marine creatures. Our birds, seals, otters, and other marine life suffer because “[w]hen oil coats birds’ feathers and mammals’ fur, they lose their insulation, suffer hypothermia and can experience lung, liver and kidney damage” (“Impact of Boat-related Discharges”). The Office of the New York State Attorney General also warns that exposure to petroleum and its chemical components are also damaging to humans because they increase our risk for not only gastrointestinal diseases, but also cancer, liver, and kidney problems (“Oil Spills: Big Problem from Small Leaks”). These problems exemplify that the oil spills affect not just marine life, but human life as well. Our domestic supply is not sufficient to satisfy our demand for oil. The “United States is the largest importer of oil, followed by Japan and China” (Shin). According to a research on United States oil sources done by William Goerold, much of our oil is imported from the Middle-East, the Arctic Circle, Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico (“Sources of United States Oil Supply”). Consequently, as oil is sourced out from other countries, transport of oil across oceans becomes inevitable. Hence, the transport of oil from these countries and from offshore drilling platforms has made oil spills prevalent in our seas. If this dependence for foreign oil is not stopped or even minimized, the traffic of oil tankers in our seas will increase, the incidence of oil spills will intensify, and our sea water will become too polluted to support any marine life. Many more coastal communities will suffer economically and will give birth to more impoverished families. The grave effects of oil spills are already felt by many lives, from human, to animal, to plant life. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) specialists, “it will take at least 5 to 10 years for the marine environment to recover” in the Black Sea oil spill (“Black Sea to take years to recover”). Many communities and lives never fully recover from oil spills. And. if other oil spills were to follow, full recovery will take more years, more money, and more lives. This fact has been proven by other areas and coastlines that have experienced oil spills. According to an article by Sarah Graham in the Scientific American, the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 were still felt even decades after the spill. She goes on to say that the water still remained toxic for many sea creatures despite clean up efforts and despite the application of chemical and biological dispersants (“Environmental Effects of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Still Being Felt”). With these thoughts in mind, this student is certain in thinking that the next generation will still suffer from the effects of oil spills which have and will happen before their time. The United Nations opines that the effects of oil spills are not only humanitarian concerns, but they are also potential “environmental catastrophe[s]” (“Oil Spill Reaches Syrian Coastline”). The United States Coastguard also stresses the importance of immediate clean-up and the relevance of a planned response for volunteers, environmental groups, and members of the Coast Guard during oil spills. They further explain that the damage of oil spills can be reduced with quick and appropriate response from volunteers and clean-up crews (“Oil Spill Early Action Task Force”). The World Wildlife Fund has continually issued warnings about the environmental repercussions of oil spills. They maintain the position that “[t]he consequences [of oil spills] will persist for many years to come” (Kramer). News reports often present many more environmental groups and experts like the Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the National Wildlife Federation, expressing the importance of facing the problem of oil spills. They are one in saying that we are not only risking our future, but the future of our children as well. At present there are many solutions being adapted to manage oil spills. This student believes that most of these solutions come after the fact. They are curative, not preventive. Some of these range from manual and chemical clean-up of oil spills to civil penalties sanctioned on oil companies. The WWF believes that manual clean-up has proven to be effective especially in getting to areas which cannot be reached by machines and other equipment (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). However, this student believes that this method is too tedious and requires a lot of manpower. Chemical clean-up has also proven to be damaging to coral reefs. Scientists have “evaluated the effects of both crude oil and six commercial oil dispersants under laboratory conditions on the growth and survival of two important species of reef corals. The dispersants and dispersed oil droplets were significantly more toxic to the coral than the crude oil itself” (Lovely Book Lilly). With both oil spill and clean-up methods proving to be damaging to marine life, the value of prevention is all the more vital to the preservation of our environment. There are various measures we can adapt to help reduce, if not totally eliminate oil spills. We can help reduce the demand for oil by minimizing our car use. Minimizing our car use can be accomplished in many ways. One is opting for public transportation. “Public transportation saves more than 855 million gallons of gasoline a year or 45 million barrels of oil” (Shapiro, et.al, 1). Global Stewards, a website offering environmental tips for sustainable living suggests that using public transportation can reduce our fuel consumption (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). This student believes that public transportation is also cheaper. The website goes on to say that using public transportation eases air pollution and minimizes traffic. Public transportation should be encouraged especially for those who live within the vicinity of cities and towns. Global Stewards goes on to discuss that another way of reducing fuel consumption is by setting up car pool with our co-workers. The same site discusses that if a car pool is not yet set-up in our work places, then we should take the initiative to set it up with our workmates (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). As in the use of public transportation, car pools can help reduce pollution, oil usage, and traffic. It is simple enough to suggest car-pooling in our office. It is economical and environment-friendly. Global Stewards also suggests that another way of reducing oil usage is to adapt the ‘two-mile challenge’. The site discusses that the two-mile challenge entails walking or bicycling to and from places we need to go to which are within two miles from our homes or places of work (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). Not only does this help reduce oil usage and air pollution, but it also helps keep us healthy. Global stewards also puts forth that combining errands can save us time and mileage. The site discusses that in running errands, planning our routes before we drive off can reduce doubling back and ultimately reduce oil consumption (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). Global Stewards suggests that in choosing cars, we can choose those which are more environmentally friendly (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). According to Microsoft Network (MSN), the Automotive Environmental Index (AEI) and the United States Environmental Protection Act (EPA) has come up with several recommendations of these types of cars based on their fuel economy (“Top Environmentally Friendly Cars”). MSN discusses that these cars include Ford Escape Hybrid, Lexus, Mercury Mariner, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, among others. MSN also discusses that, among the top companies recommended by the AEI and the US EPA are Honda, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen. MSN discusses that based on the recommendations of the AEI, pick-up tracks and minivans are not considered environmental friendly by the AEI. MSN further claims that the AEI highly recommends hybrid cars because they can run on alternative sources of fuel (“Top Environmentally Friendly Cars”). Opting for an environmental friendly car can help reduce our domestic oil usage. It can also help reduce the necessity of having to import oil from other countries. According to Global Stewards, proper maintenance of our cars can help reduce our fuel consumption (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). The site goes on to discuss that not idling our vehicles for longer than a minute, keeping our air conditioning off when not necessary, using cruise control, keeping tires inflated can also help reduce our fuel consumption. The website suggests that dispensing used motor oil through sludge barges and not via drains and gutters will help reduce land seepage of oil. They also mention that drip pans placed underneath the motor while re-filling or changing motor oil can also help reduce oil spillage (“Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”). In the end, these measures will help reduce seepage of oil from our lands onto our seas. These are simple enough measures that we can adapt in our daily routine. We should make these practices a habit whenever we clean our cars or change our motor oil. These precautions undertaken will go a long way in reducing oil seepage into our waters. The above solutions are sustainable solutions because they are practical and doable. The best part about these solutions is that, everyone can participate in them. The beneficial consequences may not be felt now; however, their long term benefits are more than worth the wait. Decreased demand for oil will help reduce oil exploration and offshore drilling. A lesser demand for oil will also mean a diminished dependence in foreign oil. “[T]he root cause of our continuing vulnerability to catastrophic spills is our need to transport so much oil. Cutting oil demand through better vehicles and fuels would reduce the need to traffic so much oil across the seas” (Doniger, et.al., 10). Drilling in our own shores will hopefully be sufficient to supply our oil demand. The World Wildlife Fund suggests that another way of reducing oil spills is to increase sanctions for companies involved in oil spills (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). They discuss that with the billions of profits that oil companies make each year, the sanctions presently being issued by governments and international organizations seem to be insufficient in reducing oil spills. According to ABC News, last year Exxon Mobil posted profits of $7.6 billion, BP made $6.7 billion, and Conoco Philips posted $3 billion (Muir). Every now and then, as we open our newspapers or listen to the news, we keep reading or seeing these oil companies being involved in oil spills-both major and minor. According to an environmental researcher, in 1999 BP agreed to pay a $22 million penalty to Alaska for the Prudhue Bay oil spill. Despite such steep penalties, they still made about $5 billion in profits for that year, and in 2001, they had “four substantial oil spills” (Manuel, 3). Money is something that these oil companies have, and as part of corporate practice, most of them probably set aside funds for such contingencies. Many environmentalists like the World Wildlife Fund believe that monetary sanctions are not enough to teach oil companies a lesson. They believe that both criminal and civil charges should be brought against oil companies for their actions and inactions which are damaging to the environment (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). According to Nalder, a columnist with SeattlePi, in the ConocoPhilips Vashon Island oil spill, criminal liability was brought against the company. (“ConocoPhillips oil spill case will make the states waters safer”). As a result, “the companys five huge tankers will operate under the collective gaze of a court-appointed monitor, officials from the U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Anchorage, an independent auditor and the Coast Guard. Every aspect of ship operations is due to be scrutinized, recorded on paper and observed…” (Nalder). Every country needs to come up with sanctions against oil companies for environmental violations. This student believes that with the cooperation of many nations, oil spills can be reduced. International organizations like the United Nations and the European Union can help other member nations come up with regulations to control and monitor oil exploration, processing, and transport. Regulations such as the Environmental Protection Act and international laws can be used as basis for subsequent legislation. “WWF believe[s] the long-term solution to reduce the risk of oil spills is through more stringent regulations and monitoring of shipping lanes in Arctic waters, particularly the designation of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA)…which requires ships to take special care when navigating through areas of ecological, economic, cultural, or scientific significance…(“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). This student suggests that refusing patronage of companies that are widely involved in oil spills can also be done as a form of sanction. This crude form of embargo will hit oil companies where it will truly hurt them-right in their pockets. This student believes that one customer lost will not exactly lose these oil companies millions of profits, but when combined with other boycotting customers, profits and reputation lost just might make them sit up and listen. As part of good corporate practice, this student suggests that for oil tankers transporting oil, proper and thorough inspection of ships before getting underway can help prevent possible spillages. Information for Action, a non-profit environmental organization says that proper training of personnel in maintenance of equipment can help prevent spillages attributed to faulty or worn down equipment (“Oil Pollution”). This student believes that regular maintenance of equipment includes regular check of oil pipelines for leakages and ‘wear and tear’. This student also suggests that regular assessment by independent inspectors can help establish equipment quality and ultimately reduce the possibility of oil spills. According to World Wildlife Fund, training on oil spill response for those working in oil ships can also help minimize and contain the damage wrought by oil spills (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). The above measures are mostly preventive. Prevention is still the best cure. Some environmentalists have stressed that “once oil has affected the environment, no matter how well it is cleaned, it has already taken effect and the environment will take many years to return to its original state…” (“Oil Spills”). The sustainability of these solutions lies in their preventive nature. Some of these solutions are not as easily manageable as the suggested solutions for reducing oil consumption, but they are still long-term solutions that will yield vast benefits for future generations. In our own way, we can help lobby the government through signature campaigns. With enough signatures, we can eventually gain the much needed attention towards improved legislation and increased sanctions for oil companies. When prevention of oil spills fails, there are various measures to reduce the disastrous effects of oil spills. The World Wildlife Fund recommends a properly prepared team for coastlines exposed to oil spills (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). They further recommend that countries have sensitivity maps for their coastlines to determine which areas should be protected first. According to them, this will help minimize damage to the coast and coastline communities. World Wildlife Fund puts forth that clean-up of oil spills is dependent on a quick response from the clean-up teams. Quick clean-up will therefore help contain oil spill disasters and minimize their environmental effects. “Cleaning the shoreline is a very time and resource consuming activity and it requires competent personnel and basic safety equipment” (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). This student believes that immediate clean-up can also prevent spreading the damaging effects of oil slicks. Delaying clean-up can further spread oil slicks thereby killing and destroying more coastlines and marine life. EcoChem, a leading producer of eco-friendly products discussed the effects of bioremediation to oil spills. In studies they have conducted, they were able to establish that bioremediation can help degrade hydrocarbons. They also discussed that hydrocarbons are one of the primary chemical components of oil and that surfactants and bio-stimulants can reduce hydrocarbon levels by 40% in 5 minutes. Based on their studies, they were also able to establish that bio-stimulants reduce vapors through microbial formulation. They also discussed that oil pipe leaks were reduced in 28 days from low thousands to low hundreds. They showed that in a crude oil spill, micronutrients and stimulants reduced toxic chemical levels from low thousands to low hundreds (“Bioremediation”). With the many benefits of bioremediation discussed above, this student believes that bioremediation is an effective and environmental friendly way to clean-up oil spills. This student believes that bioremediation can dissipate oil spills while not inflicting damage to the coastlines, corals, and other marine creatures. Their effects are also friendlier to our environment. They do not damage the naturally occurring and essential components of our seas. According to Information for Action, booms can also help contain spillages during oil tanker spills. They further discuss that skimmer boats should be on the ready to scoop up oil from the surface of the sea. Information for Action also puts forth that ‘sorbents’ like sponges and feathers may also be used to soak up the oil from the sea (“Oil Spills”). Hair was recently discovered as an effective medium for mopping up oil spills. “[A]bout 1.4 million pounds of hair could have snatched up the 11 million gallons of oil leaked by the Exxon Valdez” (Rozell). According to science writer Rozell, oil clings to hair (“A Hairy Solution for Crude Oil Spills”). He further discussed that hair mats were later conceptualized to soak up oil spills. This student believes that there is a huge resource for hair, hair salons dispose of hair everyday. Therefore, salons can be tapped to contribute their daily hair waste for oil clean-up crews. Instead of hair being dumped in land fills, they can instead serve more productive purposes. Not only is oil pollution reduced, but land fill waste can also minimized. “The most powerful weapon to fight oil spills is people” (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). According to World Wildlife Fund, the best method of cleaning up oil spills is by hand. WWF discusses that people can pick out areas which are specifically affected by oil spills. They further state that areas that cannot be reached by machines can be easily reached by humans (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). The above suggested solutions are sustainable because they are long-term, they are doable, and they are practical. We can all participate in these solutions. The preventive measures suggested do not require us to manually help in the clean-up of oil spills, but we can easily adapt them in our daily activities until they become part of our daily routine. When all else fails and we still see images of floating dead fish and blackened coastlines, quick response by highly trained clean-up crews using bioremediation, sorbents, and hair mats can help reduce the damage of oil spills. Some methods of clean-up such us dispersants are not sustainable solutions; “[t]he main potential disadvantage of dispersion of oil is the localized and temporary increase in oil in water concentration that could have an effect on the marine life within the immediate vicinity of the dispersant operation” (Baker, 7). This student believes that distributing the viscosity of the oil, instead of cleaning it up is not actually solving the problem, it only spreads it. Our environmental problems like oil spills can only be solved by doing our part in our own little ways. These ways may seem, to our eyes, inconsequential in the light of the bigger picture, but combined with the efforts of other people, they will ultimately amount to clearer and cleaner seas. Works Cited “A disaster waiting to happen: Preparing for oil spills in Norway’s Arctic waters”. 19 January 2006. World Wildlife Fund. 09 August 2008. “A More Sustainable Approach to Everyday Cleaning”. 1 May 2006. Cogent Environmental Solutions. 10 August 2008. Baker, J. “Dispersants and their Role in Oil Spill Response. November 2001: 7. International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association. 10 August 2008. “Black Sea to take years to recover”. 29 November 2007. Science Daily. 09 August 2008. “Bioremediation”. 2008. EcoChem. 11 August 2008. Doniger, D., et.al. “Dangerous Addiction, Ending America’s Oil Dependence”, January 2002: 10. Union of Concerned Scientists. 10 August 2008. “Europe Unites Against Marine Polluters “. 11 July 2005. Environment News Service. 11 August 2008. Graham, S. “Environmental Effects of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Still Being Felt”. 19 December 2003. Scientific American. 10 August 2008. Goerold, W. “Sources of United States Oil Supply”. Lookout Mountain. 09 August 2008. http://www.lookoutmtn.com/Documents/Sources_of_United_States_Oil_Supply.pdf “Impact of Boat-related Discharges”. 2008. Earth 911. 09 August 2008. Kramer, A. “Warnings of Long-Term Damage after Russian Oil Spill”. 13 November 2007. The New York Times. 10 August 2008. Lee, J. Alaska Pursuing Civil Penalties from BP. 6 December 2007. Phillyburbs. 09 August 2008. Lovely Book Lilly. “Oil-spill Clean-up Agents Threaten Coral Reefs”. 5 December 2007. Marine Animal News 11 August 2008 “Management of Oil spills in Nigeria”. 2001. The Association for Environmental Health Sciences. 11 August 2008. Manuel, A. “The Dirty Four: The Case Against Letting BP Amoco, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Phillips Petroleum Drill in the Arctic Refuge”. March 2001:3. Exxpose Exxon. 10 August 2008. McGarigle, B. “Slick Solutions for Oil Spills”. 1 September 1996. Government Technology. 10 August 2008. Muir, D. “Record Prices Mean Record Profits for Oil Companies Consumer Pay More at the Pump, While Firms See Billions in Added Profits”. 11 August 2005. ABC News. 11 August 2005 Naczelnik, S. “The Environmental Benefits of Human Hair”. 2007. Hubpages. 11 August 2008. Nalder, E. “ConocoPhillips oil spill case will make the states waters safer”. 4 November 2007. SeattlePi. 09 August 2008. New York State Attorney General. “Oil Spills: Big Problem from Small Leaks”. May 2001. 09 August 2008.< http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/reports/oil_spills/oil_spill.html > “Non-Point Source Pollution Problems and Solutions”. 22 July 2006. California Green Solutions. 11 August 2008. “Oil Pollution”, 2008. Information for Action. 11 August 2008. Oil Spill Early Action Task Force. Department of Ecology State of Washington. 9 August 2008. “Oil Spills” Information for Action. 11 August 2008. “Oil Spill Reaches Syrian Coastline”. 02 August 2006. United Nations Environmental Programme. 09 August 2008. Posner, R. “Oil Prices, Offshore and Alaska Drilling, and Excess Profits Taxes--Posners Comment”. 22 June 2008. The Becker-Posner Blog. 11 August 2008. “Preventing Oil Spills”. Integrated Publishing 11 August 2008 Rozell, N. “A Hairy Solution for Crude Oil Spills”. 12 August 1998. Alaska Science Forum. 11 August 2008. Shapiro, R., et.al. “Conserving Energy and Preserving the Environment: The Role of Public Transportation. July 2002:1. Bus Rapid Transit Policy Center. 05 August 2008. < http://www.gobrt.org/aptaenergyreport.pdf > Shin, D. “Africa China, the United States and Oil. 2008. Center for Strategic Environmental Studies. 09 August 2008. “Sustainable Solutions for Getting Around Town: Alternative Transportation and Improving Fuel Efficiency”. Global Stewards. 10 August 2008. “Top Environmentally Friendly Cars. 2008 MSN. 05 August 2008 Read More

Consequently, as oil is sourced out from other countries, transport of oil across oceans becomes inevitable. Hence, the transport of oil from these countries and from offshore drilling platforms has made oil spills prevalent in our seas. If this dependence for foreign oil is not stopped or even minimized, the traffic of oil tankers in our seas will increase, the incidence of oil spills will intensify, and our sea water will become too polluted to support any marine life. Many more coastal communities will suffer economically and will give birth to more impoverished families.

The grave effects of oil spills are already felt by many lives, from human, to animal, to plant life. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) specialists, “it will take at least 5 to 10 years for the marine environment to recover” in the Black Sea oil spill (“Black Sea to take years to recover”). Many communities and lives never fully recover from oil spills. And. if other oil spills were to follow, full recovery will take more years, more money, and more lives. This fact has been proven by other areas and coastlines that have experienced oil spills.

According to an article by Sarah Graham in the Scientific American, the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 were still felt even decades after the spill. She goes on to say that the water still remained toxic for many sea creatures despite clean up efforts and despite the application of chemical and biological dispersants (“Environmental Effects of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Still Being Felt”). With these thoughts in mind, this student is certain in thinking that the next generation will still suffer from the effects of oil spills which have and will happen before their time.

The United Nations opines that the effects of oil spills are not only humanitarian concerns, but they are also potential “environmental catastrophe[s]” (“Oil Spill Reaches Syrian Coastline”). The United States Coastguard also stresses the importance of immediate clean-up and the relevance of a planned response for volunteers, environmental groups, and members of the Coast Guard during oil spills. They further explain that the damage of oil spills can be reduced with quick and appropriate response from volunteers and clean-up crews (“Oil Spill Early Action Task Force”).

The World Wildlife Fund has continually issued warnings about the environmental repercussions of oil spills. They maintain the position that “[t]he consequences [of oil spills] will persist for many years to come” (Kramer). News reports often present many more environmental groups and experts like the Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the National Wildlife Federation, expressing the importance of facing the problem of oil spills. They are one in saying that we are not only risking our future, but the future of our children as well.

At present there are many solutions being adapted to manage oil spills. This student believes that most of these solutions come after the fact. They are curative, not preventive. Some of these range from manual and chemical clean-up of oil spills to civil penalties sanctioned on oil companies. The WWF believes that manual clean-up has proven to be effective especially in getting to areas which cannot be reached by machines and other equipment (“A Disaster Waiting to Happen”). However, this student believes that this method is too tedious and requires a lot of manpower.

Chemical clean-up has also proven to be damaging to coral reefs. Scientists have “evaluated the effects of both crude oil and six commercial oil dispersants under laboratory conditions on the growth and survival of two important species of reef corals. The dispersants and dispersed oil droplets were significantly more toxic to the coral than the crude oil itself” (Lovely Book Lilly). With both oil spill and clean-up methods proving to be damaging to marine life, the value of prevention is all the more vital to the preservation of our environment.

Read More