There is also a major concern of what it would do globally to the permafrost. With the world already concerned with shrinking of the ice and the glaciers, environmentalists are concerned that the steam from the oil drilling would also do damage to the already shrinking glaciers. The arctic refuge which is considered a majestic area and the last true frontier would also have to have a pipeline running through the area to help with the transportation of oil. (Mouawad
“Apparently the mass of the plastic particles is six times more than the mass of the natural plankton in the area.” This large expanse of ocean has become unhealthy for the animals that feed around the Gyre. “The plastic is found at depths of up to 30 meters. It is literally creating a landmass.” Because not all the plastic’s as it breaks down, and releases large amounts of toxic substances into the water of the Pacific Ocean. Not to mention that the Sea birds and other marine animals mistake these sand like plastics as food, and aren’t able to digest the plastics resulting in a large number of deaths of these animals. We all can contribute in helping the slow the growth of “trash Island” so some call it.
There have been reports of the well collapsing and creeping into other water sources where the ecosystem around it has become a ‘dead zone’ for any type of life animal or vegetation. With the wells and the run off of the chemical brings up health and contamination concerns for the people close to these drill sites. The top three issues are currently drinking water, air pollution, and general health concerns. These problems are
Drilling the oil and cleaning the oil from the underground wells, is not something that will be done overnight as it will take several years just to take the oil out and a few more years to clean it out of which the forest will be exposed to many toxins through this process. This will affect and change the pollution, and the weather and health conditions of the environment. The rainfall will be exposed to this toxins and pollution, which will in turn harm the animals that will drink from that water. Once the forest has been touched with the drilling of the oil, it will permanently damage it, as the forest will never return to being like it originally was as if nothing had ever happened there. The last and final step is “Risk Characterization.” I believe that the damage to the Bridger Teton National Forest will be inevitable based on the information we have gathered in the two steps “Dose-response Assessment” and “Exposure Assessment.” As mentioned before, it will take many years for the forest conditions to return to its normal stage and these will affect every species in the
This region of land has been set aside for the purpose of a wildlife reserve for the protection of many species of animals occupying the land. However, this region is thought to contain over ten billion barrels of recoverable oil, making it an interest to many for the development of this land. The decision to extract the natural resources has been fought over by many, making it a highly controversial topic. Drilling in ANWR is a controversial issue having pros that include the America’s dependency on foreign oil being lowered, no negative impacts on animals, and only a small portion of the area would used for exploration. Cons on the subject include the wildlife and environment being hurt or disturbed, the oil not being ready to be used for many years and not knowing the exact amount of oil present, and that it would be very expensive to do and the amount of oil believed to be found in ANWR is relatively small compared to the needs of America.
It needs to come to the end and the only ones that can stop this epidemic is “us”. Global warming may have disastrous results in the future as the glaciers may melt down thereby making the levels of the oceans to rise. If this is not checked, then it would lead to floods and cities along the coasts will be the worst affected. Whole cities would get submerged under the seas in the next 30 years. Research suggests that the effects of this warming are irreversible.
The Gulf of Mexico oil leak has fired up arguments against offshore drilling. After decades of heated debate, this incident shed light on its dangers and impact on the environment. Offshore drilling, the process of extracting oil and gas resources from underwater locations, including lakes, has been conducted at increasingly deeper and farther off shore sites in recent years, as shallow fossil fuel reserves and near-shore drilling locations have become exhausted. But with deeper drilling depths comes increased danger – including higher risks of accidents, spills and fires, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Why is it so dangerous?
During these journeys, many polar bears either drown or get lost. Scientists predict that if the movement of sea ice continues, many bears will drift off to an unsuitable habitat, making it impossible for them to return or survive. Polar bears are already suffering the horrible effects of global warming: bears are drowning, birth rates are falling, and fewer cubs are surviving. If global warming continues polar bears could become extinct by the end of this century (Polar bear SOS). Global warming is the result of greenhouse gases.
“residents exhibited a ‘disturbingly high rate of miscarriages ... Love Canal can now be added to a growing list of environmental disasters involving toxics, ranging from industrial workers stricken by nervous disorders and cancers to the discovery of toxic materials in the milk of nursing mothers.’ (Love Canal). All of the people deserved a very safe environment to live in, but there were much too many toxic chemicals that were once underground. As you can see Love Canal’s land doesn’t look like a very safe place to start a community. If you think
Fracking is inherently risky, there is extensive evidence to suggest that fracking can contaminate groundwater and that it causes significant air pollution. For the first time in history, smog has become a major issue in many rural communities in the US, with some villages in Wyoming experiencing worse smog than downtown Los Angeles and an increase in lung cancer cases of over 500%. Since 2005, 1.2 trillion litres has been wasted in the fracking process creating toxic waste which cannot be recycled and must be disposed of very carefully to avoid danger to humans and the environment. In addition, one in six deep injection wells examined have an integrity violation leading to the leaking of toxic waste into the environment – more than 17,000 violations in the US alone. Such is the desperation for energy in the US, fracking has had to be made exempt from parts of at least seven major national statutes, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act in order for it to be made legal.