Assignment 4- Thomas Ueland

In April of 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oilrig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, beginning a disaster whose effects are still being dealt with today. It has impacted, and continues to impact, the sea environment and the lives of many near the water that depended on the sea. The actual explosion killed 11 people, a tragedy by itself, but then the broken rig began to pump oil into the sea for 87 days. In total 4.9 million barrels of oil flowed through the sea, and the picture below is just a glimpse of the devastation that ensued. Habitats were ravaged, species were put on the brink of extinction, and thousands of people were left without work because of BP’s inability to fix a problem they could have prevented from the start. One specific example of the impact involves hydrocarbons, which are toxic materials that pose a threat to marine and human life and are responsible for the dreaded dead zones. By the end of the spill, it was estimated that the Gulf’s hydrocarbon level was an absurd 40 times what it used to be. Eventually, the leak was fixed and BP was faced with the daunting task of cleaning millions of barrels of oil out of the sea and offering compensation for those affected. Many Americans volunteered to clean up the mess, but public opinion of the company still fell steeply and they dealt with a plethora of lawsuits that still have not been finished.