Why you shouldn't care about the Gulf oil spill

By Dayne,

So a big oil spill happened (again), this time off of the gulf coast. While the media has absolutely blown up over the whole ordeal, I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t care.

The BP Gulf Coast oil spill is expected to surpass the Exxon-Valdez spill in scope.

You probably think it’s terrible that we should write something such as, “Don’t care about such a huge impacting event on the environment!” It’s true, this oil spill will play a huge part in the environment, but did you know about the other millions of gallons that are spilled into the ocean each year? Here are some numbers to help you put things in perspective:

Estimated Oil Pollution numbers in millions of gallons:

Routine Maintenance: 137
Up in Smoke: 92
Offshore Drilling: 15
Natural Seeping: 62

Only 5% of oil pollution is caused by tankers in giant oil spills, leaving the rest of the oil pollution to other causes we don’t notice because they happen everyday – slowly and subtly. An estimated 13,000 spills happen each year, the exact amount unknown as not all oil spills are reported. Many of these oil spills aren’t even required to be reported under the current legislation. The circumstances of the spill (indoors, outdoors, contained, non-contained, barren area, or sensitive areas), the magnitude of the spills, and the reporting jurisdictions requirements all play a part in the reportabilitiy. Industrial associations and environmental agency data often provide spill numbers which meet their criteria only.

Animals are going blind, freezing to death, and being poisoned by the oil spill.

Oil pollution is one of the key problems we face with the environment that most people aren’t truly aware of. Sure, everyone is told that oil is bad and we need to change, but not much attention is paid until a major incident like the Gulf Coast Oil Spill or the Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill happens. We need to stop this, but how?

Offshore Drilling

Reducing the amount of oil spills is only a small part of the problem. The American government is in a struggle with offshore drilling, but will that really solve anything? The short answer is no, it won’t solve anything. When you prevent offshore drilling in the U.S. you’re basically shifting the resources to another country, not taking away the problem. Just because drilling was stopped in American territory doesn’t mean the drilling won’t happen. Humans have a dependence on oil that spreads far beyond its use in cars. In the end, there really is no difference whether the drilling happens off of American shores or the shores of another country. If we need the oil, we’re going to get it regardless – we’re just deciding on which region of the world will be the most affected.

The only true solution to oil pollution is switching to a cleaner and reusable energy source. The change we need can’t be done overnight, and it takes nations of people working together to make a difference. If you’re satisfied by the way the oil companies and the government’s policies regarding oil spills work, I expect you to pass by this article without any sense of responsibility or guilt. However, if you see the extensive damage our reliance on fossil fuels has done to the environment, I ask that you change your ways, and do your part in making the world a better place – a place you can be proud to live in.

If you’re looking for ways you can help change the world and change your reliance on fossil fuels like oil for energy, take a look at our guide to going green for solutions and plans to cutting down your share of oil pollution in the world.

For an even better way you can help, use Dreamer, a non-profit search engine, offering you a way to give to charity without spending any money or taking any time. 100% of our profits go to make the world a better place.