Off of the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum Oil Company (BP) has drilled 5280 feet; one mile below the surface of the ocean to drill for oil. During the exploration for oil, there has been a catastrophe. The oil line broke and approximately 200,000 gallons of oil is leaking everyday according to BP. However according to the mathematical estimates of some mechanical engineers approximately 300,000 gallons are escaping daily contrary to BP estimates. The investment of oil exploration is very expensive and costly, perhaps in the hundreds of millions of dollars. We are a country of people who are so stuck on oil that we are allowing this company to pollute the most beautiful waters in our region. Now it has been predicted that by the middle of hurricane season that is just a couple months away that this oil will have circled the state of Florida on it way up the eastern seaboard. Now what exactly does this mean, let us take a closer look. First of all the oil is killing all of the sea life and birds in the gulf.
The people of Louisiana who rely on the gulf to provide food and income from fishing are going to be wiped out. Ask anyone who lives in Alaska who prior to the Valdese oil spill was fishing the Alaskan coast line what the spill did for the future revenue of that area. Ten years later the area is ruined. Now let’s move forward to the next hurricane season 2010 as the water current changes, carrying the oil down the west coast of Florida lucklily the beaches or St. Peters burg, Tampa, Napleswill be spaired. The loop current in th gulf caring the oil circling the Florida Keys , the coral reefs that were once white will be brown and oily, the sand that was white will be oily and brown, the seafood will be deplete because of suffocation. The Miami / Ft. Lauderdale coastline will be ruined, the aqua blue water will be ruined for generations .The beaches that were the jewels of the south will lose their brilliance. Oh yeah you can go to beach on a hot day get in the water jus bring some “Dawn” liquid detergent to cut the grease when you shower. From a economical stand point how much will be lost in revenues from the fishing industry, the restaurant, the hotels, and tourism? How many lives ruined? How many species of fish will become extinct?
In Russia the USSR a major oil supplier to the world has offered a solution after a few similar experience in the gulfs of Russia. What they do is to just drop a strong enough explosion at the mouth of the leak to close it. And if necessary they drop nuclear bombs in the ocean. This is something that is proven to work time and time again. What is the problem with this solution? I will tell what it is the BP will lose 100% of their investment and the privilege of drilling in that area again. The word for today is Aggregation. And since this is a biological issue let us use the biological definition of the word. The definition “A population in a relatively small geographic area can have a detrimental effect on the environment.” The next thing to think about is the population rate and growth in the world and its’s effect on the environment. “Does China have the right idea in implementing population control?”
No comments:
Post a Comment