Keep it in the Ground

Governments around the world, backed by large fossil fuel companies, have now set their sites on exploiting the oil that lies deep in Arctic waters. Major companies like Shell and Exxon are making aggressive moves to usher in a new “oil rush” in the Arctic. In some places it has already begun. For example, Russian oil giant Gazprom has already begun extracting oil from the Arctic Ocean north of Russia.

When they Drill, they Spill

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The Valdez spill is the second largest in U.S. waters. The ship was carrying 53.1 million US gallons of oil, of which about 10.8 million U.S. gallons were spilled into the Prince William Sound. The catastrophic effects the Valdez oil spill included the deaths of 100,000 to as many as 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 or more Sea Otters, 300 Harbor Seals, 247 Bald Eagles, and countless Orcas as well as vast amounts of salmon. Species as diverse as sea otters, harlequin ducks and orcas suffered immediate as well as long-term losses. Furthermore, fragile ecosystems and tidal shoreline habitats will take decades to recover, if at all. Despite the extensive cleanup attempts, less than ten percent of the oil was recovered. Scientists that have monitored the spill area for the last 25 years report that concern remains for one of the two pods of local orca whales, with fears that one pod may eventually die out. Following the collapse of the local marine population particularly clams, herring fish and seals, the spill had both short and long-term economic effects. These included the loss of recreational sports, fisheries, and reduced tourism.

Irreparable Harm

Catastrophic oil spills like the Exxon Valdez oil spill are not only deadly and costly, they also can forever change sensitive ocean ecosystems up and down the food chain. Unfortunately, many governments refuse to learn the lessons of this disaster. Instead, current officials have rolled back most offshore drilling safety rules adopted in its wake — meanwhile proposing to drastically expand offshore drilling. So it’s more important than ever to remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its consequences. Our long history of oil spills around the world has made one thing very clear: the only way to prevent an oil spill is to keep oil it in the ground.