The Environmental and Economic Consequences of Oil Spills

This essay delves into the multifaceted impacts of crude oil spills on the environment, focusing on their detrimental effects on marine life and ecological balance. The essay argues that oil spills contaminate water bodies, reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic species, including mammals, birds, and various plant life. It highlights how oil disrupts nesting grounds, damages animal insulation, and alters water salinity, leading to coral bleaching and global warming. The essay acknowledges the economic significance of oil trading but emphasizes the necessity of preventing spills. It concludes by reiterating the devastating consequences of oil spills on both marine life and the economic aspects of the oil industry, underscoring the need for careful transportation and preventive measures. The provided references offer further context to the discussion.

Running head: OIL SPILL
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Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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I. Introduction:
The aim of this essay is to discuss the refraction of the crude oil is affecting the lives
underwater. The oil trading which has become one of the most important business in all parts
the earth, is encouraging the transportation of oil through the water ways. These oils in case is
spilled due to the leak in the tankers or by any way gets mixed with the water of the ocean,
seas and rivers, is contaminating the waters of these water body making the aquatic flora and
fauna abolish within few days (Yvonne Chen, 2013). The main argument of this essay is the
negative effect of spoiling oil on the environmental ecology balance. The counter arguments
will be discussing the essentiality of the transporting of the crude oil through water ways for
the promotion of the business in all over the world and maintaining balance in world
economy.
Oil spills around the world in the ocean and seas cause harm to the marine life
around them. Not only is marine life affected, but so is the economy around these spills.
Supporting Paragraph 1:
The first and foremost consequences of transporting crude oil is related to the
endangering the marine life. Not of the ocean and sea animals or plants are being affected by
the crude oil spills but also the aquatic lives of the marshlands, breaches and rivers which
have direct connection with the larger water bodies are being contaminated. As the study by
Beyer et al. (2016) has mentioned the crude oil eventually floats and brakes the connection
between the air and water. Thus the oxygen supply of water gets reduced and the animals like
whales, fish, octopus, turtles do not get proper amount of oxygen hence get chocked to die.
The oils can clog the blowholes of the dolphins and other water mammals making their
breathing impossible. Similarly when these mammals consume fish with contaminated water
get affected.

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Supporting Paragraph 2:
The spilling of crude oil in the surface of the water leads to the damage the nestling
ground of the animals. Along with this, when the oil eventually stops floating on the surface
of the water and either sinks into the ocean bed or deposits in the coastal areas. This affects
the animals and birds with far and feathers. These animals cannot clean themselves up and
fail to fly. These species face problems as their ability to movement gets them food.
Moreover to Payne (2018), the oil coverage on the far destroy the natural water proofing of
these species and insulation that kill them through overheating. The sea turtles who come to
the shore for nestling and hatching their eggs like the seals gather in the ocean shore during
their mating season, record high death rate due to oil spill. These species are killed or
damaged either for their food habits which they collect from the sea shores or for their
inability to grow properly due to oil contamination.
Supporting Paragraph 3:
The salinity of the ocean water gets affected due to crude oil spill in the surface. This
melts the ice and increases heat of the water. This affects the pH balance in water and
eventually kills the fish species. Due to imbalance in the water pH level, the bleaching of the
coral increase endangering their beautiful species. In addition to this, crude oil spilling also
hamper the growth and survival of the plants that live depending upon the salinity and heat of
the marine water as the amount of carbon gets increased in the water affected (Daly et al.,
2016). Along with the process of affecting the lives of the animals and floats, the mixing of
oil in the ocean water is a reason of increasing global warning that is affecting the global
water cycle. The ocean current takes the polluted water to the other parts of the oceans
mixing the water of the earth affecting the air, water, land and every part of the ecosystem
that comes in touch of the crude oil.

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Counterargument Paragraph 4:
The economic requirements of the world is highly dependent upon the trading of the
crude oil from the gulf countries to the other parts. To supports the trading of oil Prince,
(2015) has mentioned the trading of the crude oils is one of the most important factor for the
balance of world economy. As crude oil is an irreplaceable resource with finite supply but
huge application, therefore its demand is high. This is one of the most lucrative investment.
The price of oil affect the stock market and most of the production system is fully dependent
upon this oil. In addition to this, beside petrol, gas and diesel, the crude oil has different types
of by products like cream, paraffin wax, asphalt, tar, petroleum coke, perfumes, soap and
fertilisers. Therefore, it gives a huge scope for the countries to invest in the oil refineries
where these oils are found and import of crude oil in the countries where the crude oil is not
found as pointed out by Ge et al., (2016). These are the reasons why the transporting of the
crude oils is a necessity. It is a costly product therefore prevention of the spilling has to be
started by the Crude Oil trading board along with the government controlling the
international water territory (Cope et al., 2016).
Conclusion:
Therefore, it can be concluded that crude oil affects the animals and birds with far and
feathers. This melts the ice and increases heat of the water. The oil soils can coat everything
which this touch and become a long term part of the ecosystems. The salinity and heat of the
marine water gets increased and hamper the lives and growth and survival of the plants.
However, oil trading is a necessity in balancing the world economy and business. Therefore
the authorities must be more careful about the transportation. Finally it can be stated that not
only the marine life but also the costly oil gets wasted harming the business of the
organisation or country.

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References:
Beyer, J., Trannum, H. C., Bakke, T., Hodson, P. V., & Collier, T. K. (2016). Environmental
effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: a review. Marine pollution bulletin, 110(1),
28-51.
Cope, M., Slack, T., Blanchard, T., & Lee, M. (2016). It's Not Whether You Win or Lose, It's
How You Place the Blame: Shifting Perceptions of Recreancy in the Context of the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Rural Sociology, 81(3), 295-315. doi:
10.1111/ruso.12096
Daly, K. L., Passow, U., Chanton, J., & Hollander, D. (2016). Assessing the impacts of oil-
associated marine snow formation and sedimentation during and after the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. Anthropocene, 13, 18-33.
Ge, J., Zhao, H. Y., Zhu, H. W., Huang, J., Shi, L. A., & Yu, S. H. (2016). Advanced
sorbents for oil‐spill cleanup: recent advances and future perspectives. Advanced
materials, 28(47), 10459-10490.
Payne, J. R. (2018). Petroleum spills in the marine environment: The chemistry and
formation of water-in-oil emulsions and tar balls. CRC Press.
Prince, R. C. (2015). Oil spill dispersants: boon or bane?. Environmental Science &
Technology, 49(11), 6376-6384.
Yvonne Chen. (2013). A Biodiversity Indicator for Economic Analysis: Assessing the Gulf of
Mexico Oil Spill. Journal of Applied Business & Economics, 14(1), 49.