A couple weeks ago, I came across a news article from the New York Times that featured a commentary on the disruptive pollution that can be found within bodies of water. This article discussed the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which occurred four years ago on April 20, 2010. Considered as one of the largest accidental oil spills in history, the “Macondo blowout” set off an uncontrollable sea-floor oil gusher for 87 days, killing 11 workers and spilling an estimated 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean water. The contamination was an accident and not caused deliberately by a human hand, but the resulting effect has been extremely destructive, and a neglect of administrative action has been witnessed on fixing the problem. I find it horrifying and shocking how the spill went on for almost three months, without the petroleum industry being able to figure out a way to stop the flow. The article confirmed this belief, (and four years from the initial spill) observes how little action has taken place between the oil industry and governmental administration in how to prevent circumstances like this from happening again. As the writer states:

“As a result, we are on a course to repeat our mistakes. Making matters worse, the administration proposes to expand offshore drilling in the Atlantic and allow seismic activities harmful to ocean life in the search for new oil reserves.”

An expansion of oversea drilling concerns me greatly, when taking in consideration the loss of human lives from the BP oil spill, and the threatening danger that drilling imposes on ocean life as well. The article mentions how this spill has created a long-lasting and harmful impact on the ocean’s natural wildlife: dolphins who were exposed to the oil are suffering from lung damage, while bluefin and yellowfin tuna, and numerous kinds of other fish, are experiencing heart damage and body failures; the spill has even disrupted the growing of sea grasses, which is a fundamental factor in keeping the shorelines of the ocean intact. What troubles me is that these innocent creatures are being affected by the ignorant neglect of humankind, and that the natural world is suffering because we, as humans, are a damning social body. We use sea drilling and oil reserves as a way to gain natural resources for our own commercial use, but do not realize the threatening potentials that we are placing on the well-being of other creatures and forms of life.

The article further emphasizes how administration officials were supposed to create a response (containing new regulations and standards for drilling) to the oil spill at the end of 2012, but have failed to do so. Deep-water drilling is still occurring in the Gulf of Mexico and the risk of another blowout is dangerously high. Another frightening concern is that with the continued expansion of drilling, is the extension of technological appliances being used in the ocean waters. These electrical devices make drilling and finding oil more accessible, but create a greater risk for drilling rig fires, gas leaks, and endangering underwater species. I believe the author of the article can conclude this post best, when stating:

“As we commemorate one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history, we hope our leaders can rethink the expansion of offshore drilling, put real safety measures in place in the gulf and chart a course for safer and cleaner solutions to end the need for this risky business in the first place.”

You can find the New York Times article in its entirety here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/opinion/the-deepwater-horizon-threat.html?src=rechp&_r=1