BP Oil Spill

In an article posted by CNN, it is revealed that "BP was ruled responsible for the release of 3.1 million barrels" (Griffin et al). The process of removing the oil is in progress, but there is still a magnitude of oil to be cleaned up. This disaster did not only affect the environment, but it also affected the workers involved. It is also mentioned in the article that eleven workers died. The disaster affected the lives of many people other than the oil rig workers, however. There have been some concerns about the quality of seafood being produced from the area, along with the health effects it had on the community. The New England Journal of Medicine mentions in their article that " Louisiana reported 415 self-identified health problems believed to be related to the Gulf oil spill" (Goldstein et al). The oil spill has had a profound effect on the gulf coast community and will continue to for many years to come. Hopefully, this horrible event can be a lesson for the future, so that more precautions are taken to benefit nature and

Oil covered everything: beaches, animals, plants, bottoms of boats. Approximately 205.8 million gallons of oil leaked into the ocean and toward the Louisiana shoreline. To put the amount in perspective, that oil could be used to drive a Toyota Prius around the earth 184,181 times (Repanich). All of this pollution and destruction because of one singular company: British Petroleum. Needless to say, the image of BP was tarnished because of this. What can a company do to come back from such a serious setback? This was the question that was faced by the company in 2010 (when the spill occurred), and is still being wrestled with today. By analyzing BP’s “Commitment to the Gulf” ad campaign, the brand’s desired identity is made very apparent. When it comes to oil, nearly all consumers are involved. However, BP does take specific steps in order to narrow down a target audience when it comes to advertising its product. Despite the hardships faced by BP stemming from the spill, consumers still have an addiction to oil. BP, the fourth largest oil company in the world (“Biggest Oil”), has such a firm hold on consumer society that it is a necessity in today’s consumer landscape. By pushing the brand’s identity to its target audience, BP used branding to overcome a severe controversy and rebuild the image it hoped to convey to consumers.

The biggest industry that was affected because of the 2010 BP oil spill was the seafood industry. The gulf coast is where majority of the U.S seafood comes from, and the oil from the

One of the most endangered species of the sea were also affected by the oil spills of the gulf, sea turtles. Turtles covered in oil were at risk of breathing the toxins of the oil, potentially damaging their respiratory system. Texas residents report that dead sea turtles continue to wash up. Although it is estimated that about 6,000 sea turtles have been harmed by the oil spill, only 1,146 have been officially collected.

How did the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 affect our economy and environment, and what does the future hold, with regard to the environment, oil drilling, and sustainability?

Loss of market confidence in the fishing industry can lead to price reductions or rebuff of seafood products by commercial buyers and consumers. When it goes viral and acquires media coverage and attention it looks down poorly on the marketability of seafood. Oil contamination will forcibly close some fishing grounds. Tourism in these areas will also lessen as a consequence, out of all threaten states Florida has the most to lose. 80 million visitors a year and generating $60 billion in spending, tourism is its most prevalent industry based on studies. According to the article Factbox: Gulf oil spill impacts fisheries, wildlife, tourism, officials say, “even the mere threat of oil pollution from the spill is enough to make a significant "dent" in the tourism industries of Florida and other Gulf states”. Expanding the industry will only surge the process and rate at which these businesses lose

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also referred to as the BP oil spill) occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in April of 2010. The spill had detrimental physical, chemical, and biological effects throughout ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill being the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the United States, makes it a very important event in US history. During the event many coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico were coated with oil, including the plants, animals, beaches, etc. This directly affected coastal ecosystems in the Gulf, and as a result, impacted many coastal economies: fishing industries, restaurants/food industries, tourism, and real estate. Many coastal species were also affected (e.g. dolphins, shorebirds, and phytoplankton). These issues that are associated with the spill, along with technology and the media, helped to support the anti-BP movement. Much research is still being done, and many long-term effects of the oil spill are still uncertain.

In Santa Barbara, California, in 1969, even though the spilled oil was not even very large, thousands of dolphins, seals, and birds were killed (Ivanovich, and Hays, 2008). Moreover, in the Gulf of Mexico, 82,000 birds, roughly 6,165 sea turtles, approximately 25,900 marine mammals, and indefinite amount of oysters, fishes, corals, and crabs have been harmed or killed by the spilled oil. Additionally, the spilled has killed many aquatic plants. ( A Center for Biological Diversity Report, 2008). As a result, vegetation, which are the most essential part of the ecological pyramid, and other animals will be affected negatively by the dangerous impact of the spilled oil, which probably is going to cause some problems in the ecological pyramid. In fact, any defect in the ecological pyramid may become a dreadful problem that occurs an ecological

Many have described the post-spill Gulf as a gigantic chemical experiment, with as yet unknown effect on its delicate ecosystem. By July 2010, one third of the Gulf’s fishing area—more than 80,000 square miles—had been closed, affecting the livelihood of thousands in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.

With the huge impact of the oil spill on marine life and coastal regions, fishing and tourism industries of the places affected in the Gulf Coast severely declined. In the fishing industry, the incident led to an approximate $2.5 billion loss, while tourist industries experienced a loss of a predicted $23 billion (Jarvis, 2010). In addition, the moratorium placed on deep water drilling left 58,000 workers unemployed (ibid).

The oil spill undermines the reputation and market position of British Petroleum, thus its stock prices decline dramatically. Even though BP took measures for resolving these problems, its way was not beneficial enough and therefore, it still requires more advantageous resolutions.

The BP oil spill, also known as the deep-water horizon oil spill is one of the worst oil spills in U.S History. On April 20th, 2010, a fire broke out on the platform resulting in an explosion that claimed the lives of eleven workers as well as severely injuring seventeen. Also because of the explosion, an estimated 3.19 million gallons of crude oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico wreaking havoc on the ecological system as well as the human population that inhabited those affected areas along the coastline. Not only did the deep-water horizon oil spill prove to be detrimental in retrospect to the human and wild life communities, the oil spill also had a negative impact economically as well. According to an article written by David Butler and Edward Sayre at the University of Southern Mississippi, from May-August of 2010 they estimated revenue losses to be about 119,413,000 which is about a 5% decrease from the same time in 2009. Also, according to the article this estimate includes tourism as well as hotels and restaurants in those areas. This paper is intended to analyze the impact of the deep horizon oil spill on the economy.

The oil spill has also caused a lot of harm to the wildlife. Most of the animals immediately affected were sea creatures – from fish to turtles to marine mammals – and as the oil reached closer to the land, and other animals – nesting and migrating birds, especially – began to feel the impact of this environmental catastrophe (Edweirdo, 2010).

Over 8000 animals were reported dead 6 months after the spill, including many that were on the endangered species list (7). Subsequently, seafood prices increased affecting restaurants and supermarkets. People abstained from going to beaches covered in oil, water sports and other aquatic attractions which meant that all organisations involved in tourism such as hotels, tour operators, restaurants and boat rental companies were affected (1). Furthermore, the method of cleaning up the oil by “in-situ burning” (burning oil in a contained area on the surface of the water), had adverse effects on the environment as the burning off of the oil led to mutations and increased mortality due to pollution.

Oil spills can impact the environment greatly. Since the oil boats are on the ocean if the break and start to leak it goes into the ocean where it can harm the ocean and those that make their home in it. “That spill caused an immediate and significant impact to the ecosystem, with sightings of birds and turtles washed up on beaches covered with oil, as well as an increase in the deaths of other marine life” (Sinclair, 2017). The oil spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico was the biggest since Deepwater Horizon. It caused harm to the ecosystem around it because technology came in so it could pump oil out of the ground under the ocean. There is no way to know the impact that oil spill and really every oil spill has had on the marine ecosystem.