The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: News Media Fantasy versus Reality

“In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources, and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy, and peace (Nobel Peace Prize Medalist Maathai 2004).” A Canadian oil company that goes by TransCanada hopes to build an oil pipeline that would extend an enormous 1,200 miles onto an already gargantuan 2,600 mile long pipeline. Keystone XL represents just under a third of the entire Keystone project, and every other piece of pipe has been built and laid out. In fact, TransCanada 's pipeline system is already shipping hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil from the Canadian oil sands across the U.S. border -- and into Illinois (Diamond). The current proposal would take the pipeline on a journey all the way through to Texas. Extracting crude oil from oil sands would be enormously problematic for the environment as it causes the pumping of about 17% more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than standard crude oil extraction. Tar sand oil has levels of carbon dioxide emissions that are three to four times higher than those of conventional oil, due to more energy-intensive removal and refining processes (Friends of the Earth). The construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would stimulate employment, the effects would be temporary and the whole scheme would produce a negative long term outcome. The construction of the Keystone XL pipeline has caused

Drilling oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a serious issue for environmentalists and for the future of the United States. Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to oil drilling? This paper will debate whether or not we should allow Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be opened to oil drilling. This will also show the impact it has on the environment, and I will show a critical analysis of the current issue of whether or not to drill.

This raises the question of whether media influence can change ideologies and sway communities’ opinions on fracking. A study was conducted on how different types of media on both sides of the fracking debate influenced readers’ perceptions and beliefs about the gas industry. This experiment examined narrative versus informational types of news, meaning whether the information is presented as more of a story or as a more factual compilation. It also examined how participants’ perceptions were impacted when comparing environmental and economic “frames.” Framing refers to the “the process by which the mass media define and construct issues by emphasizing certain dimensions to the exclusion of others” (Shen, Ahern & Baker, 2014, p. 99). The study evaluated how people’s attitudes about fracking changed after reading either narrative or informational news articles on the topic, and framed with either an economic or environmental perspective (Shen et al., 2014, p. 101). The study found a significant relationship between the type of news presented and a change in the participants’ attitudes (Shen et al., 2014, p.

Environmental issues are one of the most controversial topics to argue about. Passions flair when two opposing viewpoints clash together to figure out an environmental problem. Two such problems that many are bantering about are the impacts of two things: the Keystone Pipeline XL and fracking. Richard Korman, the senior editor of magazine Engineering News-Record wrote an article on the Keystone dilemma named Building the Keystone XL Pipeline: A Necessary Evil. His prospective audience were those who would benefit greatly from the pipeline, like construction professionals, as he believes that this pipeline should be made. Tackling the fracking issue, David Brooks, a generally right-wing leaning writer for

After graduating from North Carolina State University with my Bachelor’s in Environmental Technology and Management and a minor in Environmental Toxicology, I knew that I would want to spend the rest of my career being dedicated to the environmental field. With my grandfather and father working in the petroleum industry, the precedents set before myself, I knew I’d like to continue in the industry by combining my family’s history of working the petroleum pipeline industry, with my dedication to the environmental field. The events such as the Exxon Valdez spill and the Deepwater Horizon spill have driven me to want to learn more about the effects left on the environment in which it happened in and new

Americans have been drilling for oil for more than half of their existence. Before the 1850’s oil was of little use and had no market for commerce as there was not one overwhelming use for it. Until around the 1850’s, when technology advanced, with it sparking search for one of the most sought after natural resources that countries would later go to war over, petroleum oil. Early inventions like the kerosene lamp provided a new stable home necessity to live by, increasing the demand for crude oil. This would be met in part by Colonel Edwin Drake, who drilled the first successful oil well in 1858. While Drake’s invention for extracting crude oil from the ground would bring about a new era for industrialization, his “black gold” would bring about an even larger effect, the environmental disasters caused by man. For over one hundred and fifty years of drilling for oil, both on shore and offshore, has led to some of the worst catastrophes to both nature and mankind. While many of these catastrophes have led to the deaths of hundreds of crew members, they have also led to long lasting effects on the environment, local and national economies, legislation, regulations, and human morale. These following effects can be seen in the most recent and most contaminated marine oil spill in history. To the media and public it’s known as the British Petroleum offshore drilling oil spill in 2010.

Davis, Charles. "The politics of “fracking”: Regulating natural gas drilling practices in Colorado and Texas." Review of Policy Research 29.2 (2012): 177-191.

The main issue presented in my research involves the debate between environmentalists and the United States government on whether to open and develop a portion of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the northern coastal plain of Alaska for the purpose of drilling for oil. Environmentalists argue that opening up this region of ANWR to future oil drilling would destroy the current ecosystems, disrupt animal habitats and adversely change the lives of the people in these local communities. Proponents of oil drilling in this region argue that all the issues presented by the environmentalist groups are not valid and they have no scientific facts to support their argument.

As Americans search for alternatives to purchasing oil and gas from overseas, the increase of fracking to extract compressed natural gas has risen dramatically. Remarkably, the public can only access limited research from independent scientists who list both the negative and the positive effects fracking is having on the environment and citizens’ health (Rosenberg, Phartiyal, Goldman, & Branscomb, 2014, p. 75). Moreover, the American public and their elected officials are denied the chance to make informed choices about this undertaking because a fuller analysis is needed (Rosenberg, Phartiyal, Goldman, & Branscomb, 2014, p. 75). Some argue that the lack of comprehensive regulations of unconventional oil and gas development at the federal

· an LA Times article on the “1969 Oil Spill that changed oil and gas exploration forever”

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill occurred on April 20, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. This oil spill was the largest spill in history in front of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. This oil spill released about 4.9 million barrels of oil into the ocean. This spill not only wreck havoc on the marine life but also the economic players that depended on ocean such as fisherman, tourism, and offshore drilling located along the gulf coast. Along will the spill the oil rig which was named Deepwater Horizon also went up in flames. This proved that the issue went far beyond just an oil rig that blew a line. Since this oil spill had drastic impacts all along the coast, BP which was the most liable for this incident faced criminal charges based on what happened. BP which knew the risks of deep ocean drilling failed to take the necessary safety procedures to reduce the risks of such incident occurring, thus was the reasoning behind placing most of the fault on them and not the other companies. The lack of regulatory oversight led to the issues and cost-cutting procedures opened the rig up to possible malfunctions like the one that occurred. During the spill into the gulf, BP sealed the well with cement which seemed to stop a majority of the oil from escaping the well. BP also recognized that the well was “dead” which was proven wrong when scientists still could conclude was leaking minor amounts of oil into the ocean. This spill not only proved to be harmful to the environment but also

The oil industry, though it harnesses over hundreds of billions of dollars’ revenue worldwide, it provides many consequences to ecosystems. They have the potential to kill marine mammals and birds by Direct Toxicty, and weakens the organism’s immune systems. Offshore drilling affects the geological structure of the oceans as the process of it includes drilling into the sedimentary rocks and into the oil reserves. The Exxon Valdez spill is an example of oil contamination that has killed an estimate of 250,00 sea birds, 3000 sea otters, 3000 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, more than 70 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs.

Wildlife is affected by oil spills in many ways and the severity of the impact is correlated with how much oil was released into the environment, the type of oil, the season and the weather, and tidal energy occurring in the environment of the spill, (NOAA, Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife and Habitat: Alaska Region, 2004). The Exxon Valdez oil spill had a numerous amount of impacts on wildlife habitat and marine systems. The oil caused harm to wildlife through physical contact, ingestion, inhalation and absorption. The oil contaminated plankton such as algae, fish eggs and larvae of various invertebrates, (NOAA, Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife and Habitat: Alaska Region, 2004). Contamination through these variables occurred to fish that rely on these organisms to survive, and larger animals in the food chain that rely on fish that eat these organisms such as bigger fish, birds and terrestrial mammals, and even humans became contaminated through ingestion of these animals, (NOAA, Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife and Habitat: Alaska Region, 2004). Fish were impacted directly through the uptake of oil through the gills, which changed their heart rate, eroded their fins, and affected their eggs. As stated above, it only becomes worse due to other mammals consuming the already contaminated

On April 10, 2011, an oilrig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. This explosion killed 11 crewmembers and caused the rig to sink to the bottom of the ocean. This caused an estimated 180-185 million gallons of oil to flow into the gulf. It wasn’t until July 15, 2010 until the oil was contained and stopped flowing. The Gulf was virtually covered in crude oil. There were many effects from this spill and many of them were environmental. Animals had to swim through this oil and birds that landed in it were no longer able to fly because of the heavy oil on their wings. At least a thousand birds died and hundreds of other animal also perished. The oil washed up onto beaches and caused them to close to the public. Some of the effects were even

The e Deepwater Horizon oil spill at the Macondo well began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 20 April 2010 killed 11 people and caused almost 5 million barrels of oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill covered 68,000 square miles of land and sea and triggered a response effort involving the use of nearly 2 million gallons of dispersant chemicals (Pallardy). Considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) resulted in widespread environmental and economic damage, the exact nature of which is only beginning to be understood (Shultz 59). This paper will address the causes of this unmitigated ecological disaster and discuss steps that need to be taken to prevent a similar disaster from occurring again.