How Oil Companies Destroy the Environment - Literature review Example

Oil Spills and Environment Name Course Lecturer Date The question whether oil companies should be perceived as environmental vandals has been debated on in the recent decades. Indeed, the impact on the environment has been documented and studied in technical and scientific literature. This is attributed to the fact that oil spills have a negative impact on the environment; in most cases the media refer to these impacts as environmental disasters. Indeed, oil spills have dire consequences not only on the marine life but also humans through various activities (Aguilera et al. 2010). For instance in major incidents, the impact on the environment is severe, resulting to grave distress to the ecosystem and communities living near the coastline given that the spills impair the life quality. Long term effect of oils spills is characterised with loss of life, permanent environment damage and loss of useful marine resources. The paper, therefore aims at scrutinizing the impact of oil on the environment in order to determine whether the oil companies are environmental vandals. There are several factors that determine the duration and nature of the effects of the spill including type of oil spills, quantity, location and behaviour of the marine environment, biological composition of an environment and the prevalent weather conditions of the affected environment. However, it is important to note that in time, recovery processes may assist in removing the oils through well organized clean ups activities (Efe & Okpali 2012). It is evident that even long term environmental damage, the affected lives recover after few seasons. This papers aims at confirming the fact that oil spills major a major role in the degrading of the environment. This will be proven through various examples of oil spills that have occurred in the world. Marine environment is greatly affected by oil spills and this is worsened by the fact that it takes time for natural recovery to take place. Of important to note is the fact that the damage may persist and continue to impair the ecosystem than expected. This is evident is cases where the oil is trapped in the sediments where it is protected from the usual weathering processes. It is also important to note that intrusion clean up may be seen to be causing additional damages from those caused by the oil (Fingas 2010). Oil spills affect various environments including the plankton that is comprised of zooplankton and phytoplankton. The planktonic organisms are found in the pelagic zones of oceans and seas and include eggs, larvae of invertebrates and fish. It is noted that planktonic organisms are very sensitive to oil and therefore, an oil spill has far reaching impacts. However, the overproduction of the young ones at areas not affected by the spills compensate for the region affected. Sea birds and fish are most vulnerable creatures to major oil incidents (Kaufman 2012). The smell of the birds’ plumage is a direct effect of oil on the birds. Given that the plumage keeps the bird warm and provide insulation and buoyancy, when oiled, the aforementioned functions are disrupted resulting to mortality (Morrissey & Sumich 2011). It is worth noting that any amount of oil spill may cause mortality especially during the breeding seasons. Rehabilitation and cleaning of the birds is attempted in most cases; however, only few birds are able to survive in the wild and be able to breed again. Coral reefs are also highly sensitive to oil. As such, they may take a long time to recover from the oil spills. Indeed, this is dangerous for the environment given that the coral reefs offer a diverse and rich marine ecosystem. Furthermore, they offer protection to the exposed shorelines. Not only are the coral reefs sensitive to the oil but also the habitat that it supports (Juhasz 2011). Mangroves, salt tolerant shrubs and trees offer habitat for various invertebrates. Their locations make them vulnerable to oil spills, which they are highly sensitive to. Oil block the oxygen supply found on the aerial roots causing the death of the trees. Invertebrates living in the mangrove ecosystem are likely to be impacted by the oil spills directly or through the loss of the habitat. Notably, the recovery of this complex system may take s long time increasing soil erosion at the coastline and increasing the deposition of terrestrial sediments on the coral reefs and sea grass beds (Reed & Fitzgerald 2010). Not only do the oil spills affect the marine life, but it also affects the dry environment and people activities on the land. In regions where oil is produced, more so in Africa, there is an increase concern of the effects of oil on the environment. For instance, in Niger-Delta, environmental degradation has been a major concern. According to Uyigue & Agho (2007) people living in this region are rural communities who depend on the natural environment. As such, there are prone to environmental dynamics as they have no choice due to the economic, political and social exclusion. Notably, Kamal et al (2013) assert that this has resulted to the communities to be majorly concerned with increased environmental degradation leading to productivity losses due to oil spills during extraction and transport. Indeed, one may agree to the fact that the spills have degraded the environment in a region where economic activities such as fisheries and farming take place, therefore causing environmental disaster in the area. Consequently, it has affected the socioeconomic of the region (Uyigue & Agho 2007). According to Omofonmwan & Odia (2009) oil spills in Nigeria has also been observed in fresh water bodies whereby the marine life has been severely affected. This has resulted to the decrease of production of food. Furthermore, the people living in the affected regions are prone to health impact. Indeed, one may agree with the authors who continue to argue that being a third world country characterised with poverty and little achievement towards the MDGS, the country is likely to continue suffering from these spills as they have no capability of ensuring excellent clean ups. Not only are the marine environments are affected by the oil spills, as Akpofure (2008) assert many oil companies leave large size of lands profoundly intoxicated with oil. In relation to this, it is worth noting that waste gases from oil industries are flare resulting to air pollution. This is common in Niger-Delta where flaring of waste have been on for the last four decades. Indeed, this is environmental unethical and has significantly contributed to the degradation of the environment in this region. The practice has resulted to alteration of the vegetation replacing the natural one with stubborn vegetation an indication that the soil has lost its fertility. In addition, to this, crops and forest are at the point of destruction due to the acid rains that have been noted as a result of gas flaring (Aaron 2006). Of important to note is the fact that even after cleaning the spills, in some seen cases the dangers of the oil spills has persisted. The Prestige oil spill that happened in Spain aroused public outcry due to the economic and ecological consequences. Indeed, media coverage and political impact played a major role in heightening the public interest. Despite the fact that the beaches have been cleaned up; payment of economic compensation to people affected directly taken place, from an environmental standpoint, the crisis is seen to be far from over (Bernabeu et al. 2013). This is attributed to the fact that the spill was later discovered to be over 59 per cent more than the estimated. Indeed, this means that the affected ecosystems and the environment will more than 10 years to make progress to pre slick condition. It has been reported that there is presence of large amount of hydrocarbon substances at the deep sea floors which is indeed affecting the marine life at this level (Biello 2010). This has resulted to a decrease of a particular species especially in the Galicia Bank. Similarly, the continental shelf where commercial marine life is found was affected. This raised severe risks of contamination through toxic pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Of important to note is the fact that the oil from the Prestige is highly insoluble and viscous, it is expected to degrade slowly; prolonging environment pollution. This will be worsened by the fact that the pollutant toxicity and bioavailability will increase due to the effect of changes that will be brought by biological, chemical and physical factors (Nelson 2011). In conclusion, one may safely agree that oil companies destroy the environment through their activities. The paper has laid several unethical environmental impacts of oil spills on the marine life. Equally enough, it has shown that, not only do oil exploration affect the marine environment but also has profound effects on the dry land. This has been perceived in the Niger Delta which is one of the leading oil producing regions in Africa. It has also been noted that clean ups do not ensure that the environmental effect on oil spills is over. Indeed, with the increased deposit at the oceans floors, the mortality is high. These effects of oil spills and exploration have also resulted to socioeconomic effects including loss of jobs, increased level of poverty especially in Africa, conflict and decrease leisure in the beaches. References Aaron, K 2006, Human Rights Violation and Environmental Degradation in the Niger- Delta in Elizabeth Porter and Baden Offord(eds), Activating Human Rights, New York: Oxford, Aguilera, F, Mendez, J, Pasaro, E & Laffon, B 2010, Review of the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human health. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 30; 291-301 Akpofure, E 2008, Oil Spillage in the Nigeria’s Niger-Delta. Psycho-morphological and Empirical Overview, International Association of Impact Assessment, Opulence Environmental Service Ltd. 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New York: Wiley Kamal M, Kieran J & Eric Kong 2012,’The Quantity and Quality of Environmental Disclosure in Annual Reports of National Oil and Gas Companies in Middle East and North Africa’, International Journal of Economics and Finance, 4 (10): 201-217 Kaufman, L 2012, "Gulf Dolphins Exposed to Oil Are Seriously Ill, Agency Says". The New York Times (Gulf of Mexico; Louisiana). Retrieved 11-09-2013 Morrissey, J & Sumich, J 2011, Introduction to the biology of marine life. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning, Inc Nelson, K 2011 "Spike Reported in Number of Stillborn Dolphins on Coast". SunHerald Retrieved 11-09-2013 Omofonmwan, S & Odia, L 2009, Oil Exploitation and Conflict in the Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria.Kamla-Raj. 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