Estelle 1

Brandon Estelle
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
22 September 2016
Essential Question: How does offshore drilling affect the ocean and the ecosystem around it?
Working Thesis: Offshore drilling will affect the ocean if a spill occurs and it is not worth it.
Refined Thesis: The effects of offshore drilling can destroy ecosystems if an oil spill occurred,
the risk that people are taking by making these oil rigs is not worth the outcome that could occur.
Annotated Bibliography
Bailey, Ronald. "Offshore Drilling Remains a Risk Worth Taking." Oil Spills. Ed. Tamara
Thompson. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies. Rpt.
from "Weighing the Benefits & Costs of Offshore Drilling." Reason Foundation. 2010.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.
Oil production is an important part of the economy, the current price of oil is priced
around $85 per barrel. The Minerals Management Service estimates that $700 million would be
the cost of the environmental damage caused by producing 10 billion barrels of oil. The damage
is caused by the burning of the oil, which emits greenhouse gases. In April 20, 2010 BPs
Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded and killed 11 workers. When
the rig exploded this caused the spilling of an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil a day. This spill
destroyed ecosystems and ruined the Alabama beaches at the cost of producing oil for the
economy. This article is relevant to the research because the article talks about the pros and cons
or oil rigs and how they harm the environment.

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Kahn, Chris. "The Oil Industry Is Committed to Spill Prevention and Response." Oil Spills. Ed.
Tamara Thompson. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current
Controversies. Rpt. from "Oil companies say they're ready for new spills."
2011.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
Exxon has a group of companies that have a system that can stop an oil spill within
weeks, which could be very instrumental in lowering the risks of drilling for oil. The group of
companies that have made the system have said that the system should be able to handle
blowouts up to 8,000 feet deep, and are able to capture up to 60,000 barrels of oil per day.
Michael Bromwich, the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and
Enforcement, has stated that he would not open the Gulf to another deepwater drill until
companies showed that they had access to the equipment that could prevent further spills. This
article is relevant to the research because it talks about what equipment that is coming out to help
control an oil spill if another were to occur.

"Offshore Drilling Still Urgently Needs Reform." Oil Spills. Ed. Tamara Thompson. Farmington
Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Lingering Threats:
One Year After Gulf Oil Disaster, Offshore Drilling Still Urgently Needs Reform."
Biologicaldiversity.org. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
In May 2010, President Obama said that the government would not be allowed unless it
passed the in-depth environmental review. In the Gulf oil spill hundred of miles of coastline were
ruined, and numerous sea animals died after the oil spill. The dangerous use of dispersants have
been shown to have negative impacts on marine life. The use of these chemicals to control the
spill will also hurt the environment and marine life that live in that certain area. This article is

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relevant to the topic because it shows how the marine life is hurt in the area because of an oil
spill and what types of animals were hurt during this disaster.