It has become common, far too common really.
2021 Huntington Beach Oil Spill from Amplify Energy.
2021 Mediterranean Oil Spill from Emerald Marine Ltd.
2020 El Palito Refinery in Golfo Triste Venezuela from Petróleos de Venezuela.
2020 Colonial Pipeline Gasoline Spill from Colonial Pipeline.
2018 Sanchi oil tanker collision from National Iranian Tanker Company.
- August & November 2012, November 2013, August 2020 just from Petroleos de Venezuela.
- September 2016 and August 2020 with over 39,000 tonnes of oil lost (Colonial Pipeline).
- October 2019, November 2017, and April 2016 with over 2,500 tonnes of oil lost (TransCanada).
- Matching the 126,000 gallons (476.66 tonnes) of crude oil that was lost on October 3rd, 2021. Polluting the areas of 8,320 acres of land and sea. While also infiltrating a 25-acre natural reserve in Huntington Beach.
We can blame it on anyone who did something wrong, we can blame it on anything that malfunctioned or seized. Truth is, we can blame it on the consumers, on the transporters, on the processors, on Earth, but blaming any one person, any one corporation, any one situation, will not help in progressing the cure to the problem.
So, what is an oil spill and why is it harmful for the environment? An oil spill, by definition, is the release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbons into the environment, usually the oceans. “Thousands of minor and several major spills related to well discharges and tanker operations are reported each year, with the total quantity of oil released annually into the world’s oceans exceeding one million metric tons. Combined with natural seepage from the ocean floor, these sources add oil to the world’s waterways at the rate of 3.5 million to 6 million metric tons a year.” [1]
It is harmful for the environment for a multitude of reasons. Let’s start with the most commonly affected from oil spills; marine birds, mammals, fish and shellfish. “Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water repellency of bird’s feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Without the ability to repel water and insulate from the cold water, birds and mammals will die from hypothermia.” with other marine life, such as fish and shellfish, it may be a longer process in their demise, but from the accidental ingestion of these oils, it will kill them. [2] The components of liquid petroleum give it the ability to completely smother a living organism to death. With thinner oils that may be released, this is no longer a concern, however, the concern becomes the level of toxicity of the oil and its ability to seep into tissues and cells, which prove to be lethal to the organisms that come into contact with it. Aside from marine life, these effects reach the grander scheme of the environment. If oil reaches beach lines or marshlines, every grain of sand will be coated. Every plant is coated. It is not an easy process in the aftermath of an oil spill and can take years.
With the crude oil that was just lost on October 3rd, 2021, it has the ability to cause long-term effects and contamination on the ground it breaches.
Though published in 2010, a good summary of the effects of oil on wildlife and habitats can be found here.
So, now that we know why oil isn’t good for the environment. What can we do to help change it? Most of the time, it takes trained professionals to be able to partake in the clean up of large-sized oil spills and helping marine life in the process. However, you can support organizations that lead in the cleanups, aid in revitalizing animals and taking care of the messes made.
You can help in eliminating your own potentially hazardous small-scale oil spills from your boats, jet skies, etc.
When it Comes to Oil and Fuel Spills, Prevention is the Best Solution
Read up on some reasons to advocate for safer transportation of oil, not just what is “cheapest”.
Oil Spills and Marine Shipping (Canada)
The Impacts of Oil
[1] “Oil Spill.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed October 4, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/science/oil-spill.
[2] US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “How Does Oil Impact Marine Life?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, March 14, 2019. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oilimpacts.html.
With love from San Diego <3
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