Offshore Oil Drilling

Introduction

Offshore oil drilling is a process whereby a well is created in the seabed. Under the seabed, there are numerous rock formations that contain hydrocarbons valuable for the oil explorers. The drilling of oil is done not only in the sea but also at the inshore seas, lakes and inland oceans. Oil is an essential component of a human's everyday life. It is also essential for the economic well being of a country. Hence, in an attempt to make US oil independent, the current president Barack Obama opened the East Coast from the northern tip of Delaware to the central coast of Florida for oil exploration through oil drilling (Wall Street Journal., p. 1). For the environmental analysts, the oil drilling is a grave and controversial matter and debated for several years. The following paragraphs discuss the environmental issues associated with the drilling of oil.

Environmental issues of oil drilling

Offshore oil drilling is hazardous and has long been associated with damage for marine life. Some of the marine species on the verge of extinction have been adversely affected due to the offshore oil drilling (Nersesian, p. 124). The exploration of oil in the seabed has not only created health problems for the fish and other marine mammals, but it has also has an adverse impact on their reproduction capacity. A single attempt for the exploration of oil emits about 90,000 metric tons of toxic waste into the sea. This weighs around 25,000 pounds of waste. History has seen many oil spills and the affects of such oil spills are undoable. The oil spill of Santa Barbara is known to date (Haerens, p. 37). Not only the Pacific Ocean but also the surrounding beaches got affected adversely. It is because of this oil spill that had grave environmental concerns for ages that the public today has developed an antipathy for the offshore oil drilling. Offshore drilling is certainly a danger for a safe and healthy environment around us, and this notion is strongly embedded in the minds of the public. The cost benefit analysis of offshore oil drilling reveals that the exploration has more harms than its benefits.

The environmental degradation in the US is the outcome of the US government's attempt to become self sufficient in energy resources. About a quarter of the natural gas produced in the country, and about a quarter production of oil directly contributes to the increasing environmental degradation. US is one of the most oil consuming nation in the world. Out of the 3.5 billion gallons of world oil consumption per day, the US alone uses 818 million gallons of oil on a daily basis. When conducted a survey on the recent expansion of offshore oil drilling, the results revealed that 64.4 percent favored this expansion while the remaining expressed strong disapproval of the President's move to oil self sufficiency (NEHA, p. 1).

Offshore Oil drilling is a debatable issue and has its proponents and opponents. The proponents of oil drilling ...