Oil Drilling

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Crude oil is black gold that has been even sought out even in the ancient times. The Chinese in the fourth century drilled 800 feet deep oil wells to burn the oil to produce salt. Oil has a long history. America’s has massive oil demands and off-shore drilling has become a temporary solution and scientist are trying to find alternative sources of energy that can last us a very long time. There are many disadvantages and hazards when it comes to offshore drilling. Theses disadvantages can affect the wildlife, animal population, marine environments, pollution and much more. With there being so many disadvantages for offshore drilling, why continue drilling?

Oil that is spilled in the ocean water can kill. When oil is spilled, oil floats on the surface of water because oil will not mix with water. The oil expands and a thin layer called a slick on the surface of the water. Oil then expands more to become a layer, called a sheen that is 0.01 mm thick. Ecosystems can become imbalanced and animals could die and we could be affected because our food sources would slowly diminish. "Over the past 50 years, humans have changed natural ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period in human history," (Dr Lee) The amount of oil we can get by off shore drilling is not worth the cost if it means possible environmental damage.

Many animals are affected in different ways. Oil does serious damage to the bird’s feathers. The feathers are aligned in a certain way to keep the bird warm and waterproof. Birds apply natural oil on feathers to further keep them waterproof, which is called preening. When a bird comes into contact with crude oil, their feathers mat and separate which exposes the bird’s sensitive skin. Automatic...

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• Wieczorek, Mark. "Global Oil Production and Consumption." Marktaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jul 2010. .

• Williams, Ben. "Solar Energy-An environment friendly, non-pollutant energy source." wgc2005.org. N.p., 21 November 2008. Web. 28 Jul 2010. .

• "Wind Power." Alternative-Energy-News.info. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jul 2010. .

• "WORLD'S OIL WILL RUN OUT IN TEN YEARS." The Insider. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jul 2010. .

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