Answer

Article Review

This paper reviews the article entitled, “The Worst Environmental Disaster in United States History”, by Schulman, Engelke, and Dazzo (2013). This article is selected as it relates to the topic, “impacts of the BP Gulf spill”, which is found on page 536 of Chapter 19 of the class textbook. The areas covered in this paper are the land use impacts associated with the fossil fuel energy source discussed in the article, water quality impacts of the fossil fuel energy source addressed in the article, and a summary of the significant points of the articles that support the cons and pros of the fossil fuel energy source discussed.

Land Use Impacts of the Fossil Fuel Energy Source Discussed in the Article

The article by Engelke, and Dazzo (2013) focuses on oil as a fossil fuel source. Oil is considered a fossil fuel that exists in liquid state or form (Withgott & Laposata, 2018). However, even though the extraction of fossil fuel bears a significant impact on land use, Engelke, and Dazzo (2013) not discuss the land use impacts associated with this fossil fuel, as covered by Withgott & Laposata (2018). The land impacts of oil mining discussed by Withgott & Laposata (2018), which are not addressed in the article, are potential for oil spills at well sites, and significant impact of refineries on the land’s visual impact as evident in smokestacks, bright lights, noise, and holding ponds. 

Water Quality Impacts of the Fossil Fuel Energy Source Discussed in the Article

In situations involving major pipeline leaks, the impact of oil as a fossil fuel on the quality of water can be profound.  As in the case of Withgott and Laposata (2018), Engelke, and Dazzo (2013) discuss the water quality impact of the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill within the Gulf of Mexico owing to a pipe failure at the Gulf’s bottom in 2010. The article discusses how the three-month oil spill adversely compromised the quality of water, which in turn resulted in enormous ecological impact.

Summary of the Significant Points of the Article that Support the Cons and Pros of the Fossil Fuel Energy Source Discussed

The article focuses largely on the cons associated with oil as a source of fossil fuel considering that its core theme is the negative impacts of British Petroleum oil spill in 2010. The article indirectly mentions the contribution of oil mining to the economy and revenue by highlighting that prior to the BP accident, the company’s stocks went at $60.48 per share (), Engelke, and Dazzo (2013). The focus on the article is largely on the cons associated with oil mining including environmental impacts, deaths and injuries in case of accidents, decline in tourism operations, and loss of aquatic life due to compromised water quality. For instance, the article discusses the immense water pollution that stemmed from the BP oil spill and proceeds to explain how this event led to the loss of aquatic life in terms of deaths of small fish, dolphins, and sperm whales. The loss of aquatic life also led to the decline in the production of seafood. Moreover, the Engelke, and Dazzo (2013) emphasize the deaths of 11 people and the injury caused to 17 individuals due to the accident. In addition, the article stresses the decline in tourism activities owing to the damages caused to the Gulf by the accident.  

Conclusion

This paper has effectively reviewed the article Engelke, and Dazzo (2013), which relates to the topic of impacts of the BP Gulf spill”, which is found in chapter 19 of the class textbook. The paper has accomplished this goal by focusing on the land use impact and water quality impacts of oil, and summarizing the cons and pros associated with oil mining.

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