Arun F Xaviour

The hunt for oil: Drilling into the heart of life What is Oil drilling? The process of oil drilling involves drilling a hole into the earth to transport petroleum oil hydrocarbons from under the earth's crust. Depending upon the vastness of the oil reservoir, multiple oil rigs may be deployed in an area to produce maximum petroleum or gas. When the target area is identified, and the extent of the reservoir is calculated, the drilling process could go on for months. By that time, the damage would have been done, and in most cases, it is irreversible. Will more and more drilling reduce gas prices? The answer is NO. It won't. If the demand for oil remains the same, increasing production will cause the prices to fall. But our world is on a speedrun. The ever increasing demand for energy and the greed of the extractive companies are destroying habitats exclusive to those places. The governments have limited capacity to protect those unique and fragile ecosystems. Here are the issues associated with oil drilling, no matter where it is: Disruption of habitats * Drilling is a threat to wildlife and avian species alike. The loud noises of machines and movement of vehicles disrupt the communication of avian species resulting in undesirable breeding, nesting, and migration patterns. * Oil spills are not unheard catastrophes. Remember the explosion of Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010? The spill spread over 68,000 square miles, killing approx. 1 million coastal and offshore seabirds, 5,000 marine mammals, and 1,000 sea turtles. Air and water pollution * The process of fracking contaminates drinking water sources with chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects, and liver damage. * Drilling and oil extraction causes the emission of volatile organic compounds; when it combines with NOx forms ground-level ozone. It also produces greenhouse gases known for climate change issues. Zero concern for environmental impacts Presently, the impacts of drilling and oil extraction are not strictly evaluated. Many companies proceed with the developments disregarding the ecological value of the location. Not even the most basic environmental requirements are followed. References 1.) Brady W. Allred1, W. Kolby Smith1, Dirac Twidwell3, Julia H. Haggerty, Steven W. Running, David E. Naugle, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf - Ecosystem services lost to oil and gas in North America.Link: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/348/6233/401.full 2.) Steve Hargreaves - Drill baby drill won't lower gas prices. Link: https://money.cnn.com/2011/04/25/news/economy/oil_drilling_gas_prices /index.html 3.) 7 ways oil and gas drilling is bad for the environment. Link: https://www.wilderness.org/articles/blog/7-ways-oil-and-gas-drillingbad-environment# 4.) Summary of Information concerning the Ecological and Economic Impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster. Link: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/gulfspill-impacts-summaryIP.pdf