Specifics of the BP Oil Spill

                On April 20, 2010 the deep water horizon oilrig exploded and more than 200 million gallons of oil was spilled. High-pressure methane gas from the well expanded into the drilling riser and rose into the drilling rig where it ignited and exploded. Oil flowed for 87 days and covered 180,000 km2 of ocean water. It has impacted over 8000 animal species as well as the global economy and policy.
We are affected by this economically because, the gas prices increase with the loss of so much oil that could have been used as gas. Politically this brings up questions regarding should we import oil from other locations instead of drilling in our own land or should we move away from oil into another way to make cars run. Methane from the gas also depletes oxygen from the ocean suffocating marine life. A total of 11 people were killed and 17 injured from this explosion. However it has shown that those who have come in contact with the toxics and contaminants have suffered long-term health consequences. Efforts have been made to clean up the oil spill including containment, dispersal, and removal.

   

     Reference:
"The 7 Stupidest Statements Made About the BP Gulf Oil Spill." TreeHugger. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.

Photography from Treehugger