A large issue America is facing is the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill and its effect on the environment. The beginning of this crisis took place on April 20, 2010 and has yet to come to an end concerning the devastation to wildlife and the Gulf’s inlands. To recap the event, an oil rig located in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, catching the rig on fire and causing thousands of gallons of oil to leak from the ocean bottom. Eleven workers were killed and seventeen injured due to the explosion. To contain the oil, a temporary cap was placed on top of the well in mid-July. Once the leak was stabilized, the cap was removed. In total, more than 200 million gallons of gas gushed into the Gulf of Mexico.
The BP oil spill is an incident that has largely affected the lives of many Americans, and moreover greatly impacted the conditions of the environment. As a whole, Americans seem to be very upset with BP as the cause of the tragedy, and even more displeased for placing blame on others and taking only a fraction of the responsibility for what happened. Coastal businesses and residents were severely damaged by the oil spill; businesses, especially restaurants and eateries, had limited access to seafood, fishermen were out of work, and locals had to prevent the oil from devastating their homes and health. This does not even begin to breach the toll the oil took on wildlife. The oil has killed and harmed birds, dolphins, seals, fish, turtles, and other marine animals.
The environment is a vital source for survival. Therefore, I believe this should be a topic to be researched and discussed among Americans. How badly has the oil spill affected wildlife? Is America really concerned? What has already been done and what more can we do to recover and preserve our environment?
