Oil Spill Essay

Oil spills are very common, they occur on a daily bases in extremely large amounts since it is often large tankers that cause the spilling. They are hazardous to the marine environments, killing off almost everything from plant to animal. It is in fact difficult and occasionally dangerous to even clean-up an oil spill. Oil spill is liquid petroleum hydrocarbon being released into the environment. It is a form of pollution that can occur when crude oil being released from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs among other things. It mainly concerns the marine environment however it comes about on land as well.

Other than environmental impacts, the pollution can also create economic impacts which can either be long-term or short-term. There are numerous factors that impact the consequences and the severity of an oil spill. Nevertheless, depending on the type and amount of oil being spilled and how the oil interacts with the marine environment, the outcome can differ. Heavy oils persist longer and can therefore create a long-term damage while the lighter oils can evaporate reasonably quickly. However some light oils can ignite or even explode and they are also very toxic so it can therefore harm animals that come in contact with it. Oil spills are known to be extremely difficult to clean up and recover. It depends on for instance the type of oil as well as the temperature in the water. Oil spills are expensive and have a negative effect on economies as well as they pose grave threats to marine

According to these companies, the clean-ups of the oil provide work and business in the local area of the spill which evidently is positive for the economy. Nevertheless, the negative outcomes of an oil spill are relatively more than the positive outcomes, not only economically but also environmentally therefore it is unreasonable to take an oil spill for something that would