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1)When did we, or when will we, cover this issue in class? In other words, where does this issue “fit in” within the organization of the content of this course?

Bill Moyers

3) What government, non-government, private, academic, and/or non-profit (charitable) organizations are working for and/or against this issue? In other words, which groups would you contact if you wanted to find out more about and become further involved in addressing this issue?

Deep Water Horizon Major Assignment Deliverables

CREATIVITY

We discussed the topic of resources on the first day of class., This topic deals with the ethical implications of producing these resources. This topic also explores what corporations can do to have a positive preventative impact on the world, rather than simply dealing with the fallout of their ghastly mistakes.

This topic also fits in with our discussion of Aquatic Environmental Change and the impact of pollution. During the semester, we discussed trophic cascades, which the spill has the capability of causing. These cascades can occur because the health of many populations of species is declining, which in to affects predator-prey relationships. Species such as bottlenose dolphins, for example have been dying in record numbers since the spill. Also, fish and migratory birds may be displaced as a result of the spill because their environment no longer can support them. Both trophic cascades and displacement of species can have huge effects on biodiversity in the Gulf region. We also discussed the major economic implications that the large fishing Industry has faced as a result of restrictions on fishing due to unhealthy populations.

What steps or actions (if any) are being done to address this issue?

In response of the worst offshore environmental disaster in United States History, many steps and actions from have been put into place by the legal system, the scientific community, government agencies, and big business. Due to the extreme nature of this disaster, premeditated plans of action were nearly obsolete, and therefore required a dynamic approach to solving the problem. Engineers devised many cutting edge-approaches to the problem,. The judicial system sought those responsible through various legal investigations of BP, Transocean, and Halliburton. Also agencies, universities, and others in the scientific community monitored the effects that the disaster had on the water, the surrounding land, and most importantly the animals living in the tainted ecosystem. Furthermore the vast health and economic consequences, had to be addressed from many angles. Despite these actions the recovery process is still ongoing.

BP rushed to fix the problem to avoid further damaging their name and the ethical obligations. On April 25, 2010 they made many failed attempts to turn off the emergency valve deep underwater by using robots (TIME). The next response by BP to contain the underwater leak of oil was a failed attempt to place a containment dome, which was rendered useless after an error, over the leak (TIME). After nearly a month off attempts, BP finally succeeded in capturing some oil from the leak itself by inserting a tube into the leak and collecting it at the surface on a ship at a rate of about 2,000 barrels a day (TIME). Another display of the immense difficulty to plug the leak was the failed three day operation dubbed “top kill,” in which a high pressure mud-like substance was pumped into the hole to counteract the pressure. They finally succeeded after three months in placing the containment dome.


 

The federal government acted swiftly on this tragedy and even barred BP from doing business with the United States temporarily. Agencies such as the EPA and Gulf Coast Restoration Council continually monitors and guides their cleanup efforts and provided sand/soil samples, water samples, and other ecological data (EPA). NOAA also almost doubled the no fishing zone in the Gulf of Mexico, deeply impacting the livelihoods of fishing communities on the coast (TIME).

In regards to the judicial system, the federal government launched a joint investigation on April 27, 2010, only 7 days after the disaster, to locate the cause of the explosion (TIME). Many of these cases are still ongoing, but BP may have to pay a maximum of 13 billion dollars.

Also, biologists throughout the Gulf of Mexico from many Universities study the biological effects of the spill by observing physiological changes in animals and birth/death-rates. Unfortunately it has been observed, even five years later that an abundance of marine life, such as dolphins and sea turtles have been dying in record numbers. Studies by the National Wildlife Foundation and associated investigators have revealed that the oil is still very abundant in the ecosystem of the Gulf.  Senior Scientist for the National Wildlife Foundation stated in an interview with National Geographic in 2014, "The oil is not gone: There is oil on the bottom of the Gulf, oil is washing up on the beaches, and oil is still on the marshes”(National Geographic).
4) What are your thoughts or suggestions for the future of this issue? In other words, how would YOU approach the problem and work toward solutions - if you had access to an unlimited budget (hypothetically)?

In the future, we must focus on more efficient ways to prevent and respond to oil spills. We can always draw from the triumphant successes and grueling failures that engineers faced while during the 87 days the oil was leaking and examples from other spills. However, in my opinion, the strongest tool, is to pass legislation preventing offshore drilling in the Gulf and elsewhere.

Sadly, due to the influence of money in our political system and the constant demand for fossil fuels, many politicians are unwilling to back bans on drilling in the Gulf. This is due to the potential economic consequences of depriving a major industry of a regional source of income. Also, since that the Oil industry is one of the largest Industries in the world, its influence through lobbying is very immense, and therefore its influence on the votes of Politicians. In fact, from 2013-2014, the Fossil fuel industry donated approximately 40 million dollars to political campaigns and spent more that 140 million dollars per year on lobbying (Oil Change International).  On the other side, the Clean energy lobby groups only spent receive a few million dollars in funding per year. Regardless of plans to improve the efficiency of clean-up responses, the already damaged Gulf ecosystem surely should not take any more damage, and it is time to cease drilling for good in the region. Therefore, it is imperative to bypass these political hurdles of capitalistic influence and the seemingly endless demand for oil, and aim to create an influence larger than that of the Oil Industry through the power of business.

One possible way to combat the influence of pro-Fossil Fuel lobbyists, would be to invest millions of dollars of my vast wealth into funding lobby groups advocating clean energy. By aiming to have a larger economic influence on politicians, advocates can in turn impose the importance of environmentally friendly energy, just as Big Oil has imposed their will over politics for decades. The only advantage Big Oil has currently is the influence of the dollar, and thus building the Alternative Energy Industry lobby large enough sway the votes would should be a primary goal.

Given the inherent love affair between Big Business and Politics, the only way to drive away the demand for oil in the region would be to fill the cash void with the promises of a another looming Big Industry: Solar Power and Alternative Energies. With a hypothetical unlimited budget, I would invest billions of dollars heavily in automotive sector of Solar-electric, aiming to create highly affordable vehicles, and would demonstrate to potential customers the savings associated with of owning one of my vehicles. I plan to create a Corporation which will allow customers to trade in their traditional vehicles for solar-electric vehicles, and would recover profits through scrapping and recycling these vehicle parts. In a world where money influences everything, the influence the people to quit their addiction to fossil fuels will ultimately have to be purchased. This could be accomplished by mass-informing people, through advertising, about the vast amounts of money they will ultimately save in their lifetimes, without the expense of constantly purchasing gas.

Hopefully, through the power of business and politics, ending offshore drilling and the end of further damage to the recovering Gulf’s Ecosystems will come swiftly. Other entrepreneurs will undoubtedly join me, given the potential to be a highly lucrative business, and help build an industry that will help drive the need for oil away for good. Alternative energy and alternative transportation must be available and affordable for the average person, while at the same time being profitable from a business standpoint. Ending off-shore drilling will never be an overnight process, but with patience and a strategy based building industry and creating a social norm that will cause political change as the general views of the public regarding the need for oil consuming automobiles slowly shifts. This course of action will most likely take over a decade, but, in my mind, is the only way to prevent another environmental catastrophe elsewhere while protecting the fragile future of the Gulf’s ecosystem.































 

5) Why do you consider this issue to be the single most critical one out of all those we discussed (or will discuss) throughout this course? What is it about this issue that resonates with you?

I think this is the single most critical issue that we discussed in this course because it shows how the demand for fossil fuel has unethically allowed for highly risky business operations like off-shore drilling to continue to this day.  With other vivid examples of other spills throughout history, it seems inevitable that another environmental tragedy will occur.  Being the largest environmental disaster in United States history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill can resonate with all of us personally as a nation and as a generation, and provides a haunting reminder of one of the sacrifices we take as a society for energy consumption.  Furthermore, by studying this issue, we can be better prepared collectively, to react accordingly to our negative impacts on this precious planet. It is also very important because the constant media coverage exposed the public the problems of drilling and hopefully changed the some of the public’s opinion of offshore drilling. This exposure may one day prevent such atrocities from occurring in the first place by passing legislation.

 
Though I have never been to the Gulf or seen the damage in first person, the images of the suffering animals resonated with me the most. One vivid image that I remember most clearly is that of a pelican covered in oil. The most terrifying reality is, according to reports by the National Wildlife Foundation, even after five years, some 20 species of animals, such as  the blue crab, sperm whale, and red snapper are still affected, and the floor of the Gulf is still covered in oil which has dispersed throughout the Gulf.

 
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