Oil spills: Bad for birds, good for Ethics Mirrors

Ethical Reflections on the Oil Spill

In my previous blog, I talked about the interconnectedness of different countries.  As it turns out, the planet itself is interconnected.  The recent and devastating oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico proves this point precisely.  One incident, an explosion on an oil rig, has had massive implications for several surrounding regions.

The offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon experienced an explosion on April 20.  Two days later, the rig sank.  The sinking caused a major pipe to break, and the breaking caused crude oil to flow out from the ocean floor into the surrounding water (at a rate that is yet to be determined, estimates range from 12,000 to 100,000 barrels per day).  Though owned by Transocean, the rig was being leased by BP at the time of the explosion.   For this reason, the US government has laid the blame on BP.  BP grudgingly accepted responsibility, insisting that Transocean is at fault.  BP argues that, at the time of the explosion, Transocean employees ran the rig.

As the oil gushes into the Gulf of Mexico, its accumulation is twofold.  On the one hand, an oil slick is developing on the ocean surface.  The area of this slick is increasing; it struck Louisiana shoreline in the middle of May; by June, Mississippi and Alabama were also hit.  As of June 4, oil was reported on Florida’s coast.  Surface oil is incredibly dangerous; it can spread to and destroy critical wetlands (including marshlands) along the coast.  In addition to the surface accumulation, the oil is also building up beneath the water’s surface; the oil aggregating into massive, deepwater plumes.  The plumes, like the surface slick, are harmful to the local ecology.  Oil plumes deplete the water of oxygen, ultimately killing organisms in the area.  Furthermore, the high concentration of oil has triggered a fishing ban on almost half of federal waters in the Gulf.  The rig explosion, though a confined incident itself, has had severe consequences for the Gulf waters, precious coastal ecosystems, and a regional economy.  The consequences worsen as more oil escapes into the water.

Because the affects of this tragedy are so large and wide-ranging, they involve people from regions all around the country.  Though the oil spill is causing much pain, it is opening up an opportunity for people to work together and help each other.  The oil spill is actually providing a chance for the Ethics Mirror to shine.

NKONSONKONSON:    community

The oil crisis has defined a community in terms of a shared economic lifeblood.  The Gulf community depends on its coastal access to sustain major fishing and tourism industries.   Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi are currently suffering the consequences of resource misuse.  As oil fills the Gulf of Mexico, fishing and shrimping activities have been severely limited, and tourism has declined significantly.  The spill has revealed the community’s reliance on these industries, and what the Gulf gives to people in the region.  However, the spill is also proving the community’s ability to work together to overcome a disaster (this scenario sounds familiar).  Countless organizations and volunteers are cooperating to remove oil, revitalize local wildlife, and begin economic activities again.

The oil crisis is also expanding the definition of community; the oil spill is affecting people and wildlife from faraway regions.  The spill’s repercussions are rippling through the economy; they can be felt even in New York City.  Migratory species, though only in the Gulf for a small amount of time, are harmed by the oil spill.  The oil’s effects are deep and widespread, bringing our interconnectedness to light.   Likewise, the response to the spill comes from both near and far.  People around the world share the local community’s outrage at the unsafe extraction of oil.  The federal government is working with state agencies to coordinate cleanup efforts.  Though in terrible circumstances, the oil spill underscores the shared interests and responsibilities of the larger, even global community.

BOA ME NA ME MMOA:  cooperation

Though the journey has been a little rocky, people are finally cooperating their efforts to stem the oil spill and complete the cleaning process.  Initially, cooperation was nonexistent, and BP, Transocean, and the US government engaged in much finger pointing.  When BP was deemed responsible, it resolved to clean the Gulf itself.  However, on April 28, the government joined BP’s cleanup effort, officially taking some of the responsibility.

The overall cleanup has taken the form of a “unified command.”  In this way, all involved groups have access to each other and consensus decisions can be made.  The groups include BP, Transocean, and federal agencies (including Minerals Management Service, NOAA, the EPA, Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Department of the Interior, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the US Geological Survey, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration).  Cooperation allows the groups to pool their knowledge and resources.

Cooperation is also present between state and federal officials.  Louisianan state officials favored the construction of sand berms to help shield their wetlands.  However, federal officials questioned both the effectiveness and long term effects of such berms.  Louisiana was unable to build any berms without federal permission, and arguments arose.  Fortunately, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell asserted the state’s right to build berms in the face of possible coastal damage.  The federal government cooperated with the state’s wishes, and the berms were approved on June 1.

ASASE YE DURU:   sustainability

Based on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon leak, offshore drilling is not sustainable (at least not at current levels of investment in spill prevention).  The ecological consequences of the spill are deep and potentially irreversible.  Though the lesson is harsh, the oil spill teaches us that unchecked resource extraction can impact many nonhuman species.  If this ecosystem is to be sustained, the oil extraction industry must be amended.

The Deepwater Horizon spill affects Gulf ecology from the ground up.  Plankton, which are very susceptible to oil, form the basis of the Gulf food chain.  If plankton die, the effects could ripple through the entire ecosystem.   Scientists do not know how extensively the local ecology will change, but it could potentially be weakened for years to come.  Furthermore, the oil threatens coastal wetlands.  Wetlands are important sources of biodiversity as well as storm surge buffers.  Like plankton, such lands are critical components of the Gulf ecosystem.

The spill also poses a direct threat to species in the higher trophic levels.  Oil bogs birds down and renders them flightless.  The sticky stuff is also lethal to turtle eggs.  Scavenger species, including bald eagles, inadvertently ingest oil when they feast on victims of the leak; ingestion can lead to organ failure and other troubles.  These larger animals face a double attack, both direct exposure and indirect loss of their food supply.

AKOMA:   patience ∙ tolerance

Central to the oil spill crisis is the need for a peaceful solution.  The researchers, politicians, and businesspeople involved must be tolerant of each other’s ideas.  Furthermore, people must find patience and humility when their ideas prove unsuccessful.  During such times, it is important to acknowledge failure and allow others to contribute their ideas.  At the spill’s outset, both BP and the Obama administration were looking for someone to blame.  More important, however, was the need for the various groups to recognize a common failure, and to begin the solution process.  Fortunately, they reached this point within a few weeks after the rig explosion.

AYA:   endurance ∙ resourcefulness

Though BP has experienced several disheartening failures in their attempt to stop the leak, they endure; the company is continuously searching for better solutions.  Initially, BP tried to implement the rig’s blowout protector, a set of valves which was designed to stop oil outflow in emergency situations.  When the valve system failed to halt the flow, they tried to build containment dome.  The dome was also unsuccessful.  Operation “top kill,” which was a government-approved attempt to plug the well with heavy fluid, also lead to a dead end.  Insertion of a giant “straw” to suck up some of the escaping oil found limited success.  BP held further consultations with the government, and on June 3 a loose-fitting cap was successfully placed over the broken pipe.  BP is now in the process of building relief wells to reduce the stress placed on the cap.

The oil spill also brings resourcefulness to light; the events of the past seven weeks force us to question our oil use.  Can we continue to use this resource so readily?   We now see the incompatibility between heavy dependence on oil and assured protection for the oceans.  The investment put into extracting oil has not been matched by investment into research on accident prevention (specifically, the federal Minerals Management Service never developed an adequate response plan for spills).  In other words, we are too focused on oil use and have not taken proper safety measures.

The federal government has placed a moratorium on the Gulf, an order which will limit exploratory, deepwater drilling for months to come.  While a reduction in drilling lessens the chance of another spill, it also puts people out of work.  This Gulf community, which has already proved its resilience during the aftermath of Katrina, will again have to endure a period of hardships.  In pursuit of that elusive silver lining, the moratorium may provide a backdrop which shifts the regional economy away from drilling and toward green jobs.

AKOFENA:  moral courage

Though the challenge is daunting and the stakes are high, neither the government nor BP has the option to give up.  This crisis must be handled thoroughly and immediately.  Though some may still be looking to blame others for the spill, people must step up and admit their mistakes.  Furthermore, politicians have to find the courage to pressure giants such as BP and major federal agencies into action.  Many people are under a great deal of pressure to end this tragedy.  Even under such a strain, they have shown a great moral strength in their determination to find a solution.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 9th, 2010 at 1:30 pm. It is filed under Environment, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.