Thursday, March 6, 2014

Big Oil Spill, Big Problems

The article Fla. sues BP over oil spill environmental damage by Jennifer Kay, http://theadvocate.com/home/8559098-125/fla-sues-bp-over-oil , written on March 6 2014 is about how Florida is filing for a lawsuit against the British Oil Company BP because of the damage to the natural resources that resulted because of the tragic oil spill back in 2010.

The article states, “Those resources include Florida’s sandy beaches, salt marshes, wetlands, estuaries, submerged aquatic vegetation, deep water communities and coral reefs. As well as wildlife such as manatees, oysters, sea turtles, birds and fish.”  So this oil spill did not just affect the resources but also the wildlife. It has been four years since the spill and they are still trying to restore the Gulf of Mexico.

Not only did this massive oil spill harm many animals and resources but it also triggered an explosion that killed 11 workers. This oil spill clearly had a big effect on the environment and the people living in it.

When I read this article I thought about when we learned about ecosystems in Biology class. I learned that when an organism is pulled out of the ecosystem they have a huge effect on every other organism within the ecosystem. So when all those types of wildlife were harmed from the oil spill it affects the organism that eats it and the organism that it eats. If they go extinct, the organism that eats them will go hungry and die but the organism that they eat will over populate and that will affect other organisms.


I really liked this article because it really explained that they are not filing a lawsuit for economic issues due to the oil spill, but they are filing it because of the natural resources being destroyed. I think that the British Oil Company should be held responsible for the oil spill. 

Fire boat response crews battle the blazing remnants of the off shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon in this April 2010 file photo. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, File)

2 comments:

  1. Good job Emma! The topic of your post made me remember the horrible event of the oil spill and the tragic effects that it caused to the wildlife and ecosystems. It is unfortunate but not surprising that the harmful products from the spill are still in the process of being cleaned up. I agree with Florida's filing of a lawsuit considering the extreme damage of the BP's mistake. I liked how you connected the topic to or studies of ecosystems. Overall your post was well written and easy to follow.

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  2. I really think your summary of the article was very thorough and well-written. I remember hearing about the oil spill in the gulf a few years back and I think that it is a tragic event, not just for the lives lost, but for the massive negative impact on the ecosystems in Florida. I liked your connection to biology as well. Good job.

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