An oil spill is a release of hydrocarbons into the environment due to various human activities and is the worst kind of pollution.BP Claims looks at what its all about. This term is often used for the marine oil spills, when the oil is released into the coastal waters or in ocean. The oil spill can occur from the offshore platforms, wells, tankers, and drilling rigs, as well as spills involving diesel and gasoline and their byproducts. The main problem with spills is that it may take years to clean them and remove the degrading affects of an oil spill on the environment.
Though oil is an important natural resource for the mankind, but if not handled in a proper way, it can lead to devastation of ecology. This was certainly the case when huge oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, which led to BP Business Claims being taken out across the Gulf of Mexica.
What makes these oil spills dangerous is the fact that oil spreads at an alarming rate when it find its way in the oceans and waterways. The winds and currents help it to cover great distances within hours, and the oil slick caused by just one gallon of oil can wreak havoc in a vast area spread over acres within few days.
The water and oil mixture is referred to as “mousse”, and is very sticky substance that instantly clings to any kind of marine body or surface that comes in contact with it. Several marine creatures get trapped in this as they don’t know of ways to steer clear of it. Many creatures swim towards it thinking that it is a food.
We are discussing some harmful affects of an oil spill on our environment:
1. Oil is a poison, which causes immediate death on ingestion. It also makes the birds and animals fatally sick and they are mostly consumed by the predators. Similarly, fish and other marine creatures die in thousands.
2. Water is contaminated, as it is covered by the layer of oil. Traces of oil are also there beneath the water surface.
3. The mousse sticks to the bird feathers and makes them heavier and compromises their ability to fly. It also destroys the insulating capability of their feathers and make them susceptible to hypothermia. Most of them drown and die within hours.
4. The plant life on the beaches is affected on a large scale and there is huge destruction of trees and plants. Breeding grounds and habitats of species are ruined and wildlife is impacted negatively.
A BP Class Action Lawsuit cant help the fishes, birds, and various other marine animals. Human populace is also affected adversely by the oil spill, especially all those who live near the shores where the spill occurred. It is obvious from what we discussed above that oil spill has negative effects on the bionetwork of the area where it occurs and reduces food sources at the most basic level, with seabirds suffering most of the fatalities. As environment is greatly affected by the oil spills, it is easy to see the devastation caused to both animals and people at the most basic levels.