Offshore Oil Drilling
Checking the general impacts of offshore oil drilling to the environment, I become angry by the topic to be seeing the little that is being done by the various responsible authorities. I am thus convinced that I should persuade people to believe in the claim that offshore oil drilling is not a healthy action to take. The world is on the verge of battling the negative impacts of climate change. Ranging from global warming to food insecurity, the effects of climate change are not ones to overlook. Human activities have contributed immensely to such occurrences. Yet, the human race does not appear to pay attention to the required course of action when the climate is at stake. However, the recent bills passed by Congress to avoid new offshore oil and gas and gas drilling operations across the Pacific and Atlantic coastline give hope for a change. Offshore oil drilling presents more harm than benefits and should be checked to assess whether the government should continue with the activities. Citizens should respond to changing the decision of the government by advocating for environmentally friendly activities. Offshore oil drilling is a threat to the environment in that it impacts wildlife, causes climate change, and impacts the local communities.
One of the most important causes of concern is the impact of offshore oil drilling on the global warming issue. Like most oil drilling activities, offshore oil drilling activities contribute to a large volume of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is known to contribute immensely towards global warming, which eventually contributes to the disruption of the ecological balance (Betts, n. p). Furthermore, global warming impacts mainly the ice caps that form a habitat to wildlife by melting away the caps. An immediate outcome is that human beings find themselves in the middle of a crisis with wildlife that has lost habitat due to human activities. The impacts may not be immediate, but at least the human race has witnessed a taste of such impacts, and the situation continues to get worse. Any responsible human being should get a sense of knowing that the next generation may face deadly impacts due to the present activities. Thus, the government should check the extent of offshore oil drilling activities. Moreover, climate change is the eventual outcome when global warming is triggered.
The world has been facing unreputable impacts of climate change in the recent past — the impacts of climate change range from prolonged droughts to irregular weather patterns. Also, flash floods and hurricanes have become regular, leading to a concern about the safety of the human race amid the growing risks of weather changes. Climate changes are, however, subject to leading to unpredictable outcomes in terms of preparedness for disasters and calamities. One of the most pressing issues associated with climatic change is the issue of food security. The US has been struggling to maintain food security for its population. The trend is worrying, pointing to the fact that the changes are occurring faster than the measures being put in place. Besides, the US has been on the spot for being among the highest contributors to carbon dioxide emission that is responsible for such climatic changes. Also, offshore drilling is known for the significant contribution towards the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Therefore, offshore oil drilling should be stopped if the government will not come with adequate measures of containing the negative impacts of the practice on the environment. Additionally, offshore oil drilling has negative impacts on wildlife.
The primary recipients of the negative impacts of offshore oil drilling are wildlife. For example, offshore oil drilling is responsible for global warming that impacts the wildlife at the ice cap, while oil spillage affects both marine and other wildlife along the shores. The primary impact occurs on the wildlife habitats, and offshore oil drilling has not acted to the benefit of any known wildlife. The situation is made worse by the fact that the government puts little towards addressing the issue of the negative impacts of offshore drilling. Oil spillages, which could significantly destroy habitats as well as leading to the death of animals, go unresolved for several years. For example, the spillage at the Gulf of Mexico took over fourteen years before being addressed by the government (Fears, 2). Such slow responses lead to further impacts on the harm that such spillages have on the wildlife. Generally, the release of oil products into the water bodies leads to the death of animals, while other habitats are filled up by the spilling oil hindering the reproduction of animals. Moreover, offshore oil drilling has negative impacts on the local communities.
Offshore oil drilling is always done to benefit the government from revenues at the expense of the local communities. The fact that offshore oil drilling is responsible for air and water pollution leaves several unanswered questions on the credibility of activities. Most offshore oil drilling activities are done near human settlements, and the government does not make sufficient investments to relocate the affected communities to safer areas. Therefore, the communities end up suffering from the negative impacts of the drilling activities. Besides, oil spillage accidents are common around the drilling areas, and the spilled oil finds its way into the water bodies. The pollution of water bodies always has severe health impacts on the local communities since oil is not health-friendly. For example, the Deep-Water Horizon Oil disaster has remained an issue of concern among the locals for several years (Marsa, 3). The disaster has been associated with the occurrence of an untreatable health condition that has remained a nightmare for the locals. Besides, water pollution is equivalent to breaking a lifeline because such disasters directly target local communities. Also, the spillage may lead to the death of fish, which may be a source of employment or food for the local communities. Also, the recent bills by the Congress aimed to stop the introduction of new offshore drilling activities has received challenges from President Trump’s push for new drilling activities. Generally, offshore oil drilling activities have negative impacts on the individuals, but the government has done little to put the situation under control.
In sum, offshore oil drilling is a threat to the environment in that it impacts wildlife, causes climate change, and impacts the local communities. Congress has come forth to pass new bills on attempting to put the situation under control. Still, the federal government has continued to push for further funding towards improving oil drilling activities. Generally, offshore oil drilling activities pose more harm than benefit and should be stopped.
Works Cited
Betts, Megan. “Proposed State Offshore Oil & Gas Legislation and Resolutions: 2017-18.” (2019).
Fears, Darryl. “The U.S. government has studied the longest oil spill in history — 14 years after the leak began.” (2019)
Marsa, Linda. “Deepwater Horizon oil disaster extends its toxic reach. Newsweek.” (2016).