The U.S government under the leadership of President Donald Trump has just made moves that are certain to hurt the oceans, marine lives, coasts, and other aquatic features by intending to render all of U.S coastal waters to oil drilling shores.
This move made by Trump is sure to assault the marine life and also put the American residents that live in the coastal regions at great risk. However, Trump has made it known on Thursday that he will convert the coastal regions (including the eastern Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans) into an oil and gas company.
Furthermore, if the current United States president succeeds, places like the George’s Bank, Florida Straits (which is an important recreational arena), and other aquatic areas like the California coasts would be destroyed by explosions, oil spillages, seismic blasting, etc. it is important to note that these industrial activities will cause more hazards. It also inherent that this will make oil rigs go up in federal waters across various parts of California.
However, it is important to note that Trump’s plan comes in two different ways that will make sure these hazards are increased. Recently, the U.S government projected that it will decrease offshore drilling and the manufacturing of safety methods, these measures were done as a result of the lessons learned from the BP tragedy. Also, the American government hid an independent research that was done to assist and enhance an accountable public overview of the oil and gas activities at these shores. These activities on sea shores are disheartening and dangerous to the American residents that live close and away from these places.
We haven’t forgotten the BP disaster in 2010 that took the lives of 11 workers, and also deposited more than two hundred barrels of lethal crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. However, this incident took lots of people off work, while observing the oil spillages into the uncontaminated ocean waters for eighty-seven days, thus, making the industry fumble. The oil and gas industry were unable to stop this incident.
The images of pelicans, dolphins, turtles, and other aquatic bodies that were affected due to the intense oil spillage that polluted more than a thousand miles of coast were reprehensible. Although, several reports from the U.S government stated what went wrong and what is needed to prevent the occurrence of such incidence.
President Trump wants everyone to forget about the incidents that occurred so as to let the oil and gas sector of the country operate freely and successfully into the wildlife and waters. In this view, we aren’t protected from the next type of BP disaster that might occur again, and who knows? This might be deadly than the previous disaster that occurred.
However, if the U.S presidency has its way, we will have less information on the detrimental effects of offshore drilling. We will also have lesser facilities to combat these risks, and also, our waters will be exposed to these risks, which is not a good news for every American resident, due to the effects that may befall them.
Why are these activities on our coasts and oceans? It is important also to know that the rate of oil production will be increased in the U.S, about 9.2 million barrels- more than ever since the early 80’s. However, with the addition of refined natural gas liquids, the U.S will be producing about 12.9 million barrels every day, which is the highest production recorded in the past few decade.
Many people think that the production of oil in a country ensures national security. The U.S now exports 6.2 million barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products daily (more than 300%) since 2008. This level of production is more than sufficient to meet the demands of every U.S resident daily; the oil and gas sector of the country also exports the product to other countries.
The increased exploration and production of crude oil is not for the security of the country or some dreams to dominate the world, this is about personal gains and profits, thereby putting the American residents in grave danger. This is wrong, and unacceptable!
The essentiality of preserving and supporting our natural life and ensuring that we have healthy oceans cannot be overemphasized. The production of oil and gas at the coasts puts every resident in the country in danger which includes, explosions, disastrous spills, and sonic blasts. The production of oil and gas is also hazardous to aquatic animals. Burning of oil and gas results to the emission of carbon into the atmosphere, which drives climate change, increasing the temperature of water bodies, and rising sea levels.
President Donald Trump is driving us away from the right direction. The assault on these waters is wrong, and this is due to the fact that these public waters belong to you and me, thus, we are entitled to protect them. It’s about that time that business leaders, elected executives and everyone who understands the importance of these public waters to collaborate and support the movement against the production of oil and gas on coastal areas and seas.
