Oil: Is Black Gold Worth It?

This image is an image of the affected area of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill 2 months after the initial spill began. This image is courtesy of http://paulrademacher.com/oilspill/

This video was created in 2010 shortly after the oil spill since then BP has found a way to stop oil from entering the gulf. This does not mean, however, that the effects from this disaster has subsided.

My research topic is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; how it began, its short term effects on the environment, its long term effects on the environment, and how a disaster like this can be prevented in the future.

My paper will explore the causes of the BP oil spill and how the mass flooding of oil in the gulf will continue to effect the environment and the economy of the Gulf of Mexico. I will focus on the long term outcomes of the spill, for example how the oil spill will continue to effect fish populations for future generations. The catastrophe that occurred has been blamed by some on the short cuts that BP seemed to take when creating the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, and so I would like to explore the validity of these claims.

My two audiences which I would like to connect with are the BP oil company, and the Surf rider foundation. I would like to create a letter that would double as an interview with the BP oil company asking them what are they now doing differently, and how are they helping the gulf cope with the long term effects of the spill. For the Surfrider foundation I would like to propose a fundraiser in order to continue to spread the word about the long term effects of the oil spill.