When an oil spill occurs, such as the recent one in the Gulf of Mexico, the environment is obviously destroyed. However, it must be noted that the local economy is often destroyed as well. Many individuals depend upon the health and beauty of the ocean, as well as her beaches, for their livelihood. When these are covered with black oil, their livelihood is shattered. There are often warning signs that an oil spill will occur. For oil spill such as the BP one, there are often warning signs on the equipment that might indicate that the pressure is too high. These signs should be taken seriously.
The causes of oil spills are many. It may be due to a ship running aground, such as with the Exxon Valdez, or because of equipment failure that results in an explosion, such as the BP oil spill. However, regardless of the exact cause, the underlying cause tends to be human error. A human ran the Exxon Valdez on the rocks. A human missed the signs that the oil rig was failing. Humans tend to cause these disasters.
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The ways to prevent them are to increase the training and education that humans have on this oil rigs. It is also to increase the safety checks on them as well. Obviously, humans do make mistakes. However, if there are multiple levels of protection, such as two individuals need to engage in the same activity as a backup, it might help to prevent future oil spills.
The effects of the oil spills are devastating. The ocean’s ecosystem suffers an assault that might take centuries to truly heal. Furthermore, nearby beaches become corroded with globs of oil. These have a significant effect on local economies. For instance, there were many fisheries in the Gulf Coast. Shrimping was a large business. The west coast of Florida is known for its tourism, which slowed down considerably after the accident.
