In this week’s portion of our look into the issues that impact the environment, we are taking a look at one that tends to break all of our hearts (well, mine at least). The problem of oil spills shows up in the media a decent amount, and personally I feel like I often see videos and pictures of the ducks and other animals covered in oil as a result. It tugs at the heart strings a little more than some of the others.

Oil spills can result from any number of reasons, but mostly they are due to the release (whether intentional or not) of petroleum during the production process of oil. Oil spills can happen due to companies being careless with their oil production, or simply by accident. Regardless of how they occur, oil spillage is quite harmful to marine animals, whether they are birds, mammals, fish or otherwise. In mammals with fur, such as otters, the excess oil interferes with the insulation capabilities of their fur. The oil also affects the ability of birds’ feathers to repel water. Without these capabilities in full effect, these animals are at the mercy of the elements and can suffer from hypothermia. Oil can harm fish in ways that affect the normal functioning of their bodies. The possibility of ingesting oil is also a danger for animals, because it can be poisonous. All in all, oil is not meant to interact with marine life in such quantities. It brings about things like those aforementioned little ducks covered in oil- so sad…

Beyond the primary fact that oil is clearly not meant to be spilled in the ocean, there are other reasons as to why it is generally something that we want to avoid. The process of cleaning up oil from bodies of water is quite involved. There are a few different ways this can happen, but they are all large undertakings. Dispersants trap oil in small droplets for bacteria to degrade on its own easier, skimmers can essentially scrape the oil from the surface of the water, burning the oil after it is freshly spilled can get rid of it, etc. Some scientists believe leaving the oil alone is actually the best option. Either way, the spilling of oil requires a quite large amount of thought, time, and potentially money to take care of it. This is just another reason for it to be avoided.

This particular topic is a little different from most of the others that we have examined thus far in this blog. The biggest difference is that with the other topics, there is at least something we as civilians can do to either prevent the long-terms effects or lessen our impact on the environment. In the case of oil spills, unfortunately the prevention of them is essentially up to the companies that produce oil to be more careful with the production process. It is also more of a case-by-case basis rather than a gradual process because oil spills are specific isolated events instead of one constantly growing epidemic. With that being said, it is still an important issue to discuss and still has very serious effects on the environment which is all cause by human activity.

So the question here is this: what can be done to stop the effects of oil spills on our oceans? As I mentioned before, there is not too much that we as individuals can do, but there are a number of things that can be done by people who have a bit more power than you or I. One way to fix this is to determine the best way to clean up the oil spills using the most efficient and safest method possible. As of now, there are a few different ways that oil spills can be taken care of, but finding the best possible option will be very helpful. There are also a few different actions that companies can take to help proactively solve this issue. Some companies are practicing safer behaviors such as obtaining leak detection technologies, introducing training and worker safety programs, and setting spill reduction targets. The control of oil spills requires a large investment, but the companies that are willing to make this investment are building a better future by protecting our oceans and marine wildlife.

Oil spills are a very serious and sad issue to discuss, especially when you consider the life that is affected by them. It is imperative that oil production is improved by companies who care about the environment and the lives of so many birds, fish, and marine mammals that could be impacted by carelessness. The hope is that in the future, oil will only be produced using practices that are safe and careful to avoid spillage, so that we can save our marine wildlife.