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Off Shore Drilling

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5/4/2014

Should the Government Expand Off Shore Drilling in the U.S.?
The crude oil industry has become prominent since mid 19th century. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the development of drilling methods has brought oil into a drastically larger extent of mass production. Petroleum is one of the important extracted compositions of crude oil in the U.S. Until today, it is globally used mainly as fuels in transportation. Other uses include heating homes, powering industry, and providing raw material for plastic manufacturing. The great importance of oil to the country has led to the exploitation of its resources in the past century. Not only exploiting land resources, the government
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This is because the thick layer of oil tends to spread very quickly under the influence of wind, waves and currents. The Exxon Valdez oil spills spread approximately up to 1300 miles of the shoreline. Even with the latest technology, the rate of removing the oil from the sea is much slower compared to the rate of the spreading of oil. It is very rare to have more than 15% of the total spill being recovered. Oil spills occurring in regions of extreme climate, such as Alaska, are even exceedingly difficult to recover. It is almost impossible to soak up heavy crude oil trapped in waters covered with icebergs and sea ice. Thus, the impact will be much long lasting and at worst, irreversible. Despite the improvement in technology, off shore drilling is still highly risky because even the finest technology may fail. Once it fails, the cost to the environment is tremendous.
The operation of the rig is also associated with the production of toxic wastes and many other long lasting forms of pollution. The drilling muds contain mercury, lead and cadmium that may accumulate inside the bodies of marine organisms. In addition, some traces of this pollution may be found in seafood that people consume, therefore, creates serious health consequences for them.
Next, another reason why some people support off shore drilling is because they believe that it will ensure the national security of the
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