Gulf Oil Spill Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gulf Oil Spill - Case Study Example These kinds of natural disasters damage property, displace lives, as well as, harm and kill. These events are bad enough, but there are other disasters have nothing to do with nature. They are the product of man-made structures, facilities, or endeavors. Human error or mechanical failures have resulted in devastating disaster with unbelievable immediate and long term effects and consequences. Chernobyl in Russian, for example, which leaked nuclear radiation for miles and miles. Plants operated in multiple industries all over the world have had failings that have resulted in dangerous toxins, chemicals, or substances to be released into the environment and human society. The British Petroleum oil spill is one such example. History On April 20, 2010 the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig, owned by the British Petroleum company, exploded where it stood. Spreading smoke and burning chemicals into the air. As can be seen in the pictures above, the fire was massive. Worse the oil being relea sed was spreading across the water, blackened ooze. Located 250 miles south of Houston, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico, it, also, threatened coastal Louisiana and Florida. As it spread the malfunctioning, damaged machinery, was forcing gallons upon gallons of oil directly into the ocean waters. Below is an example of the what it looked like under the waves and on the surface when this disaster occurred (The Daily Green, 2013). As it spread, it began to cling to and hinder the marine life and birds, as can be seen in the images shown below. These animals are hardly recognizable, coated in thick goo that renders them, essentially, helpless. The first initial explosion took the lives of 11 workers and seriously injured, nearly, twice as many (British Petroleum, 2013). However, the damage of the BP oil spill would have far more reaching ramifications than most people would have ever expected. Oil is made up of carbon and hydrogen molecules. Their states allows it easily to â€Å"goopâ₠¬  together and stick to anything that it comes in contact with. This is dangerous enough, but because the incident occurred in the mid-ocean it allowed it to move farther and faster than spills in the past. The effects of the spill could be felt immediately by the neighboring environments; be it plant life, animals or human beings. It, also, nearly economically crippled the populations living and working in and around the Gulf, which lead to serious economic hardships (Tiffany, 2013).The entire ordeal continued for weeks, but the ramification may be felt for some time. Discussion The ecological ramifications are, essentially, obvious. The number of animals trapped in the sludge and coated in thick, blackish-brown goo is not acceptable. This exposure prevents the animals from functioning, but, also, it can be incredibly damaging to their internal health as well. However what could be seen was only the beginning. Underwater plant life and animals, like fish and shellfish, were, also , suffering. Approximately, 8,000 animals died as a result of the spill, many of which were species already considered endangered. Human beings were, also, having serious immediate responses. People were experiencing respiratory issues, skin rashes, serious headaches, and confusion or disorientation. They, also, were quickly starting to get sick from eating the fish procured from the Gulf (Tiffany, 2013). This is how the spill represented a