5 Things To Think About When Talking About The Gulf Oil Spill
I’ve been hearing so much about the DeepWater Horizon oil spill over the past two weeks I wanted to point out a few simple things that may not have caught your attention:
1) Halliburton was celebrating on the Deepwater Horizon when the initial explosion hit:
According to several news reports Halliburton (yes that Halliburton) had just finished cementing the rig and were on board celebrating this huge task. Remember, this platform was the biggest/deepest in the US.
2) This is not the Exxon Valdez, yet.
Many people have been comparing this to one of the largest ecological disasters, The Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989 when 10.8 million barrels of oil spilled into Prince William Sound. The Deepwater Horizon spill is still active (as of now) but not spewing out as much oil as the Valdez. The Valdez hit all at once as the ship ran aground. The DWH is slowing trickling out oil.
3) Size isn’t all that matters.
Many news reports, to make the size of the spill relative to their audience are comparing the size of the spill to geographic areas, such as “big as Deleware” or as big as the Houston/Beaumont area of Texas. While this helps people relate, it’s not truly precise. When discussing the size of this spill, one should talk about volume, not area. Below the surface of this spill is oil. Comparing this to the swimming pools may be a better measure.
4) There is a Christian perceptive on the spill.
I kid you not. Here is an article called: The Gulf of Mexico and the Care of Creation. We exercise dominion over creation not only when we use it, but also when we conserve it.
5) Oil dispersants are toxic.
Although they will help break up the DWH spill, the dispersants are toxic. This may make the surface appear to be clean, the chemicals will still impact wildlife for years to come.