...Leah Finmark Bus 513 Proposition Paper Drilling off Shore in the U.S. Introduction There is a lot of conflict today about the United States drilling for oil off shore. Oil is a huge commodity of the entire world and is hugely demanded. However, off shore drilling is hazardous to both the economy and the environment and could potentially get worse. Oil spills are a largely known negative externality that is related with offshore development. There will always be pros and cons about drilling for oil. The big question is: should we or should we not drill off shore? Literature Review One reason we should not drill for oil in the United States is because it is dangerous and could be disastrous to the environment. The recent BP spill in 2010 killed 11 workers and caused months of leakage into the ocean. Per Katherine Goldstein “This oil spill has obtained the dubious distinction of being the worst oil spill in US history.” This spill was caused by an explosion while drilling off shore in the Gulf of Mexico. This caused leaking of about 5,000 barrels of oil a day. To try to stop the leaking, several attempts were made which included controlled burning and plugging the leak, both unsuccessful. This has a huge impact on our ecosystems even though it can take months or possibly years to surface. Louisiana was most impacted by this spill. They are the closest to the leaking well and over 100 miles of the coast had been polluted. Per David Adam “State officials have...
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...Offshore Drilling – To Drill or Not to Drill The Effects of Drilling on the Environment and Business Lydia M. Wityk Strayer University Abstract This paper will explore the business of oil companies drilling off the coast line of the United States. It will explore the benefits from the business of oil companies to the detrimental effects of the oil spills from the offshore drilling. Should we continue to drill for oil off the coast with the possibility of additional spillage into the oceans. We know that oil spills damage the environment, and the social and economic welfare of the residents in the area. At the same time the oil companies can positively affect the economy and the United State’s welfare. In comparing both sides of the argument I will look at the past and current oil companies to determine if they acted morally in their everyday business practice. At this post-BP disaster era, the United States is questioning whether we should continue to drill and expand our drilling. I will utilize the consequentialist theory to determine what would be the best next step for the U.S. to take. Using the current information gathered on BP’s business practice and the effects of the oil spill, I will weigh the ratio of good to bad to determine my opinion on whether to drill or not to drill. Off Shore Drilling – To Drill or Not to Drill The Effects of Drilling on the Environment and Business The United States has been offshore drilling for oil since...
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...I believe that the United States should invest money into alternate fueling sources. Off shore drilling at this point is environmentally unsafe. Our environment is changing due to global warming, and off shore drilling makes this worse. I feel very strongly about greedy oil companies destroying the planet in pursuit of more oil at the cost of our endangered species and the health of the American people. Oil companies already hold 5,500 offshore leases that are not being used. I do not know why they need to occupy more space, when they can use what the government has allowed them to use. Now, I do agree changing to solar and wind powered fuel sources will require research and additional funding, however those fuel sources are more eco friendly and in the long run may leave the world in a better position. I must admit, sometimes I fall in to a mindset that is commonly known as stereotyping. As explained in this book “The Art of Thinking”, by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, chapter 3, a stereotype is a fixed, unbending generalization, irrationally maintained. I have fallen in to this on many issues; I do not believe that my stance on off shore drilling is an issue of stereotyping. I have reassured my stance by reading and researching this stance. As stated in a USA Today article (Jervis, Welch, & Wolf, 7/14), “When oil is brought up from beneath the ocean floor, other things are, too. Chemicals and toxic substances such as mercury and lead can be discharged back into the ocean”. The oil...
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...should search for oil in Alaska, the Gulf Coast, and other areas within the country that are currently not being explored. I believe that the United States should invest money into alternate fueling sources. Off shore drilling at this point is environmentally unsafe. Our environment is changing due to global warming, and off shore drilling makes this worse. I feel very strongly about greedy oil companies destroying the planet in pursuit of more oil at the cost of our endangered species and the health of the American people. Oil companies already hold 5,500 offshore leases that are not being used. I do not know why they need to occupy more space, when they can use what the government has allowed them to use. Now, I do agree changing to solar and wind powered fuel sources will require research and additional funding, however those fuel sources are more eco friendly and in the long run may leave the world in a better position. I must admit, sometimes I fall in to a mindset that is commonly known as stereotyping. As explained in this book “The Art of Thinking”, by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, chapter 3, a stereotype is a fixed, unbending generalization, irrationally maintained. I have fallen in to this on many issues; I do not believe that my stance on off shore drilling is an issue of stereotyping. I have reassured my stance by reading and researching this stance. As stated in a USA Today...
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...1/25/13 Angela Funk To Drill or Not To Drill As the population in the United States increases, so is the need to keep up with the energy demand. Developing new energy sources such as solar, wind, clean coal, natural gas and nuclear power the US can become less dependent on foreign countries. Although off shore drilling is a good resource that has been in existence for years, with the recent oil explosion (2010) and 11 lives and a massive spill of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, that had a major affect on the economy and the wildlife caused the US to take a look at alternative resources for energy. The option of alternative resources allows the US to be more self- sufficient and could overall be less cost effective for the US. The perceptual blocks that I am experiencing with these assignments is the various pros and cons that come with both off-shores drilling & using alternative resources. Off –shore drilling already in place and with the drilling moratorium expanding into the Mediterranean and off the coast of East Africa after a hug discovery of natural gas. However “Exploration in deepwater fields remains dangerous because of high temperatures and high pressure when drilling 6,000 feet or more under the sea floor”. (Krauss & Broder, 2012). On the other hand with alternative resources we would no longer have to rely on other countries to supply our energy because it would be created here in the US. Research and testing does take a while before full production would take...
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...Deepwater Oil Spills Deepwater oil drilling has been an issue that continually bothers a great deal of people. Environmentalists are truly concerned with the effects that oil spills cause to the environment and species that live within the seas. There have been many spills throughout the years, but especially since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the Gulf Coast in 2010 that has gotten many concerned. Not only was the event in the news continually, but it was considered to be one of the worst environmental disasters in the United States history. Previously, the Exxon Valdez Oil spill was the worst catastrophic event regarding oil drilling, and I have paid much attention to that over the years, boycotting Exxon and recently learning that some of the original defendants in the lawsuit had died, waiting for a resolution of that incident over 20 years ago. The recent oil spill has been catastrophic, it killed eleven people due to the explosion, but the damage to many of the resident’s lives were unbelievable. In this paper, I will discuss the oil spills within the past few years, especially the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the environmental effects to the species of the sea, and the need for continual vigilance regarding this industry and whether or not it should even exist in this country. In 2011, there were four incidents of oil spills including off the coast of Brazil. In one incident, there was an oil leak, roughly 350 square miles, slowly making its way down the...
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...CIMA Global Business Challenge Case Study YJ - Oil and gas industry YJ - Oil and gas industry case Industry background Oil is a naturally formed liquid found in the Earth’s crust and preserved there for many millions of years. Oil is being extracted in increasing volumes and is vital to many industries for maintaining industrial growth and for nearly all forms of transportation. Natural gas is used in a wide variety of industrial processes, for electricity generation, as well as for domestic heating. Natural gas is described as the “cleanest” of all fossil fuels, as it generates the lowest levels of carbon emissions of all of the fossil fuels. The Middle East remains the region of the world which has the largest proven oil reserves, with Saudi Arabia alone possessing over 20% of the known global oil reserves. Additionally, the UK’s North Sea and areas in USA, Canada and Russia still have substantial reserves. Also there is an increase in oil and gas exploration being undertaken in, and around the coasts of, Asian and African countries. It is not known how long the world's oil reserves will last. The oil industry has stated that there are only 40 years of proven reserves. However, with improved technology, there is expected to be the ability to extract more oil from known reserves. Therefore, the length of time that oil reserves will last is expected to exceed 40 years. However, another factor affecting the life of oil reserves is the speed of consumption. This had been forecast...
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...Offshore Drilling Does anything out weigh the importance of our planet’s health? You would be surprised by the number of people who look the other way when it comes to keeping the planet clean. Offshore drilling is just one of the major environmental issues that has existed for many years and still continues to be a problem. The topic of offshore drilling not only touches on environmental issues but also political, economic, and ethical issues. All of these tie into the huge debate over offshore drilling and its impacts on the environment. But when the human race depends on oil, how can we ignore the fact of drilling for oil off the coast of our land. Investing in greenhouse energy is just one of several ways to help keep the environment clean and continue to get the energy we need. America needs to realize that offshore drilling is a leading factor in pollution and we can’t keep collecting oil like this forever, we need to discontinue this process of drilling off shore and expand our possible options of renewable energy. So you might be asking yourself “how does offshore drilling affect our environment?” It all starts with finding the oil. The oil companies use a system like sonar that sends out waves, these “Seismic waves used to locate oil can harm sea mammals and disorient whales. ExxonMobil recently had to suspend exploration efforts near Madagascar after more than 100 whales beached themselves” (HowStuffWorks). Just the thought of going to your local beach to find...
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...Many people are debating how to best meet energy needs in the United States. Some argue that the country must decrease its dependence on oil and invest in alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar power. Others argue that changing to new power sources is unnecessary and expensive. They state that the United States should search for oil in Alaska, the Gulf Coast, and other areas within the country that are currently not being explored. I believe that the United States should invest money into alternate fueling sources. Off shore drilling at this point is environmentally unsafe. Our environment is changing due to global warming, and off shore drilling makes this worse. I feel very strongly about greedy oil companies destroying the planet in pursuit of more oil at the cost of our endangered species and the health of the American people. Oil companies already hold 5,500 offshore leases that are not being used. I do not know why they need to occupy more space, when they can use what the government has allowed them to use. Now, I do agree changing to solar and wind powered fuel sources will require research and additional funding, however those fuel sources are more eco friendly and in the long run may leave the world in a better position. I must admit, sometimes I fall in to a mindset that is commonly known as stereotyping. As explained in this book “The Art of Thinking”, by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero, chapter 3,...
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...The Bremen et al. v. Zapata Off-Shore Company Supreme Court of the United States 407 U.S. 1; 92 S. Ct. 1907; 32 L. Ed. 2d 513; 1972 U.S. LEXIS 114 Date of argument: March 21, 1972 Date of decision: June 12, 1972 Story: A German company, Unterweser (petitioner) entered into an agreement with an American company, Zapata (respondent) to tow a drilling rig, owned by the respondent, from Louisiana to Italy. During the tow, the rig was damaged in a storm and the respondent instructed the Unterweser to tow the rig to the nearest port of refuge, Tampa. In Tampa the respondent files suit in admiralty against Unterweser. Unterweser request the district court of Tampa to invoke the forum-selection clause, which was mutually agreed upon in the contract and which provided for “litigation of any dispute in the High Court of Justice in London”. (The Bremen et al v. Zapata Off-Shore Co., 1972) Facts: * “In November 1967, respondent Zapata, a Houston-based American corporation, contracted with petitioner Unterweser, a German corporation, to tow Zapata's ocean-going, self-elevating drilling rig Chaparral from Louisiana to a point off Ravenna, Italy, in the Adriatic Sea, where Zapata had agreed to drill certain wells.” (The Bremen et al v. Zapata Off-Shore Co., 1972, p. 5) * “Zapata had solicited bids for the towage, and several companies including Unterweser had responded. Unterweser was the low bidder and Zapata requested it to submit a contract, which it did. The contract...
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...To Drill or Not To Drill Dontavies Newton HUM/114 CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING 2/7/11 Professor Janet Wiedman Drilling for oil is not worth the risk. Oil companies refuse to pay attention to the harm they cause to the surrounding environment. The reason put forth by the oil companies are as follows people have cars they need to be filled with gas; we give people warnings about the harmful effects of the surrounding drilling areas, and it too expensive to change from oil to other clean resources. The oil companies know the harm they cause to the people in the surrounding area. The diseases that come from drilling on land are unsafe drinking water, cancer, and tumors. British Petroleum (BP) is one of the first oil companies that are directly evolved in causing national disaster. The inhabitants of the coast do not want off shore drilling. Many businesses took a deep plunge in revenue because of the oil spill. One oil company mistake cost the state of Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana close to a billion dollars. BP should have known that do to the deepness and pressure of the drill no man can get any near the problem if something were to happen. (Margolis pg. 1) Drilling the earth for fossil fuel is one of worst things people can do the earth. Oil companies only have one thought and that thought is about money. Money is the main power of the oil industry. The oil companies do not care about people lives, animal safety, and environmental procedures...
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...Ethics in the Workplace Case Study: BP Oil Spill On April 20, 2010 off the Gulf of Mexico, there was a blowout of the Macondo well which is owned by British Petroleum also known as BP. When the blowout took place it got immediate media attention because aspects of the event were known over the world. Within events transpiring it was discovered how limited the resources and reaction to the disaster was going to be. This paper will detail aspects of the event from symptoms of the problem, the root cause, important unresolved issues, roles of the organization’s key players and stakeholders, and explain the focus of specific ethical systems. Also discussed in this paper are relevant strategies and alternatives, the effect of globalization on the choice of preferred alternatives, the most valid alternative and resolution recommendations, and an example of a successful implementation of the solution. Symptoms of the Problem Natural disasters or any disaster of any kind is hard to manage just for the purpose that these is no real planning for the situation and there is no real way to say who is in charge when a disaster happens. Concerning the oil spill with British Petroleum (BP) symptoms for the situation was that there was a delayed response, the impact on the environment and the citizens, federal regulations were lax, and the recovery efforts were not adequate. According to Griggs (2011), OPA 90 is a federal statute that holds all the responsible parties in containment, clean-up...
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...a very sensitive one and to be honest, one where my position is almost neutral, but if I must choose a standpoint, I think it is best not to drill. Even though there are some economic benefits as written by Edward Walsh “In a report ordered by Congress to assess the effects of drilling since the discovery of huge oil reserves in Prudhoe Bay in 1968, a committee of the Academies' National Research Council said oil production has transformed life on the North Slope, spurring an economic boom that is viewed by most residents as positive” (Walsh, 2003, Nation, A02). The harm is much greater. My view is assessed through my beliefs, and I do not think that the benefits outweigh the consequences. I believe that if there is a mean to resolve and reach a solution without loss of life, or significant environmental impact; that is the best approach to follow. Relying on foreign oil comes at a substantial price to the country, but it is a price that the men and women which volunteer are aware of. Drilling at home has the potential to impact the lives of many who do not have say on whether it harms them or not. As written in Chris Sorenson’s article about the April 20, 2010 explosion above an off-shore oil rig, 11 workers died, and it cost The United States a $350-million drill rig to sink (Sorensen, 2010). I believe we are close to reaching an alternative source of energy, as the United States and its private sector has invested billions in solar and wind power. Optimistically...
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...Drill 2 We need to get off our dependency of foreign oil. There are two major suggestions on how to solve this issue. One is to follow President Barack Obama’s plan. He proposes that the best way for us to get off of oil dependency is to create alternate energy resources. This would offer more jobs for the people. Most of the Republicans on the other hand, want to do more drilling in the United States and more offshore drilling. They say that having more oil companies will create more jobs. Who is right or wrong? We need to look at the situation for a long term fix. Drilling more yes will offer more jobs but who is to say for how long? Also, as more fossil fuels are being burned, we are polluting our air and our country. Offshore drilling is dangerous to the environment, it is dangerous to the people, and it is not a long term solution to freeing our dependency of foreign oil. When drilling off shore you run into the chance of having another oil spill like we had last year. There were millions of sea life animals that were affected by this event. Fishing companies were unable to fish in those areas because of the oil contaminate in the fish. How many lives are we going to put in danger by drilling offshore? If there is another accident like last year can be we really be sure that it will be stopped right away or will it take up to three months to get through the red tape from another country to fix it? By drilling and mining for fossil fuels, we are destroying...
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...Recently the United States had the worst oil spills ever in history, and yet we continue to keep drilling and harming human life, animal life and nature as we know it. I do however understand that accidents do happen, but this was a 100% preventable accident. I am curious what the government and British Petroleum are doing to prevent a further situation like this from happening. I do understand that unfortunately this country is so depend on crude oil. However, I think that is the problem to begin with, we rely too much on crude oil. There are many other alternatives in the environment that can be further researched but I think the government is more worried about the dollar figure than our eco system. The United States is one of the biggest and most dependent countries to oil. History itself has shown us the affects of drilling offshore, yes they are rare but, they are very deadly. Oil spills can kill within a matter of minutes. It can take years or even decades to clean up and see rebuilding of its affects. We could put a man on the moon, make cell phones which talk, watch 3D television, but yet we cannot find another source or way to free ourselves from the dependency on oil. My viewpoint on life has always been the same, human life, animal life or even plant life deserves a chance to survive. As a child I was always worried about the environment and our eco system, what will happen to the next generation? If we don’t take care of it now what will it be like when I have...
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