Oil Spills in Some Form

Oil Spills

In some form or another, whether it be from seepage, minor accident or outright oil spill, the entrance of oil into the natural environment is extremely problematic. It is a major form of pollution and one that is more common than most people realize. Though major oil spill disasters such as the famous American example of the Exxon Valdez and the more recent disaster in the San Francisco Bay tend to suggest that the oil spill is a terrible but rare occurrence, it is instead fair to say that the violation of our natural habitats by the presence of oil is an all too common reality. One of the biggest considerations on this subject is the relationship between the amount of oil that Americans consume and the heightened danger that is created for some type of accident or an ongoing exposure of the environment to the toxin in question. The fact that it is necessary for our waterways to be constantly consumed by this usage has placed in peril our environment, our wildlife, our primary sources of water and our own health and safety. This is the problem at the basis of the thesis argument of this research, that oil spills are a terrible ecological hazard which justify such dramatic resolutions as the establishment of a global ship safety standard for qualifications to haul oil and, even more aggressively important, to find ways to reduce America's dependency of fossil fuel and foreign oil.

The November 2007 tanker spill in the San Francisco Bay will serve as the primary case example in this study given its recent impact and its occurrence in an area marked for its diversity of species, its aesthetic beauty and its popularity for recreation. Here, we are given a perfect example of many of the aspects of the oil shipping industry which are problematic. Particularly, there is evidence in reflection of the disaster that a number of aspects of federal management had failed, even in addition to the preventative steps which should have been taken. In the instance of a major oil spill, the "EPA is the lead federal response agency for oil spills occurring in inland waters, and the U.S. Coast Guard is the lead response agency for spills in coastal waters and deepwater ports." (USEPA, 1) in the case of the San Francisco disaster, the U.S. Coast Guard is said to have initially reported a 'minor' oil spill of no more than 150 gallons of crude fuel released into the water. (Tanner, 1) When that number was later corrected and said to be over 58,000 gallons, not only had the scope of the incident become clearer, but the degree to which government incompetence and no small degree of elusiveness with regard to the substance of oil, California and San Francisco official spoke with anger about the Coast Guard, noting that this originally grossly underestimated report on the extent of the spill had been intended to disguise the enormity of the ecological crisis which had occurred and had served to hamper clean-up efforts by limiting initial response, the gathering of resources and the approach first taken toward clean-up. (Tanner, 1)

The tanker, which ran afoul of a support girding for the Bay Bridge, released the remarkable amount of oil into an area which is highly populated by plants, animals and people, and is also incidentally ensconced on three sides by the now tainted Pacific waters. In the immediate aftermath of the event, it was clear that such areas as San Francisco had taken the brunt of this poorly administered ecological threat and that there sacrifice should be seen as a justification for such steps are attempting to gain a global standard on ship safety, guidance and insulation from rupture. The degree to which the spill was destructive and centered in a place of import or public note -- as opposed ot the Alaskan remoteness of the Exxon Valdez spill -- should help to highlight a clear need for a change. Indeed, "the oil spill in San Francisco Bay is a cause for grave concern by all who value the resources of our marvelous bay and Pacific coastline,' Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who represents San Francisco, said in a statement." (Tanner, 1) This statement underscores an important sense of loss which must drive forward the demand for change.

The animals, wildlife and pristine waters of the Pacific have so long been sullied by this type of overuse. Today, the oil spills both small and negligible and those large and disastrous will have a devastating impact on certain species which rely on the water for food and habitat. For instance, in the case of waterborne birds, once physically exposed to oil, "as they attempt to preen, birds typically ingest oil that coats their feathers, causing kidney damage, altered liver function, and digestive tract irritation. This and the limited foraging ability quickly causes dehydration and metabolic imbalances. Most birds affected by an oil spill die unless there is human intervention." (Wikipedia, 1)