Oil wastes that enter the sea or the ocean come from many sources, some being accidental spills or leaks, and some being the results of chronic and careless habits in the use of oil and oil products or simply companies that don’t care about the environment nor its social responsibility.
When oil is spilled in the ocean, it initially spreads in the water, depending on its relative density and composition. The oil slick formed may remain cohesive, or may break up in the case of rough seas.
In the last few months, Shell, the gas company, was accused for the spilling over 90,000 gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This act will, without a doubt, affect negatively the ocean itself (slightly according to the WMNF Radio) and the marine life (such as coral, dolphins, whales, and whale sharks). This is a huge problem that may lead to severe consequences, however, some activists say that no government took any decision yet because this problem and this spillage of oil hasn’t reached the US shores.
Stating that we can’t overlook the fact that Shell also leaked 20,000 gallons of oil in California in less than two weeks. After being asked the company claimed that the reason behind this leak was a broken pipeline that has been fixed and Shell is still assessing the damages it has caused.
Regardless of the explanations Shell owes the public, serious measures should be taken in order to clean the affected areas. The ocean and the marine life have been seriously harmed and that will take a lot of time to eliminate the negative effects that this company caused. Not to forget that 100,000 gallons of oil (a nonrenewable resource) have been lost.
This problem wasn’t breaking the news nor the social medias, people should be aware of what is happening to the environment in general. Rumor has it that a potential corporate corruption is the reason behind the government overlooking this issue.
