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Crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Yesterday, Shell Oil became the latest company to spill oil into the Gulf, releasing nearly 90,000 gallons from a platform of the coast of Louisiana. (Photo: (c) Daniel Beltra / Greenpeace)
Another Reason to Keep It in the Ground: Shell Spills 90,000 Gallons of Oil Into the Gulf of Mexico
In case you needed another reason to join the movement to keep fossil fuels in the ground, Shell Oil is here to give you one. Yesterday, the company spilled nearly 90,000 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana.
May 13, 2016
Just weeks after commemorating the six-year anniversary of the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon blowout, the Gulf of Mexico is once again the site of a major oil spill.
Yesterday evening, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) reported a 36-square-mile oil sheen visible about 97 miles off the Louisiana coast near Shell's Brutus platform. As of this morning, no injuries had been reported. The Coast Guard says the source of the spill has been secured and that a cleanup crew has been dispatched to the site.
But it will likely be days before we understand the full extent of the damage done.
When We Drill, We Spill
In a statement issued yesterday, Shell executives said that "no release [of oil] is acceptable, and safety remains our priority as we respond to this incident."
If safety was truly the company's priority, it wouldn't be drilling for oil in the first place. History has proven that the more fossil fuel infrastructure we have, the more spills and leaks we'll see -- whether it's Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf, the Exxon Valdez in Alaska, or the Santa Barbara oil spill almost exactly one year ago at Refugio State Beach in California.
The only way to prevent an oil spill is to keep oil in the ground. That's what communities in the Gulf and other coastal regions, which were quick to condemn the spill and call for an end to fossil fuel exploitation, want and deserve.
On top of the impacts for coastal communities, continuing our reliance on drilling and burning oil comes at a high cost for the climate. In fact, a 2015 study in the journal Nature revealed that we need to leave at least 80 percent of the world's known remaining fossil fuel reserves in the ground to prevent runaway climate change.
More drilling in the Gulf, the Arctic, or anywhere else isn't going to get us there.
While it's likely we won't know the full extent of the damage from this spill for weeks, one thing is clear. From the Gulf to Alaska and everywhere in between, the path to a sustainable future does not include fossil fuels.
President Obama can put these leaks, spills, and climate disasters behind us by stopping new offshore drilling in the Gulf and Arctic. Our oceans are not a sacrifice zone for oil profit -- take action!
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
© 2023 Greenpeace
Ryan Schleeter
Ryan Schleeter is an online content producer for Greenpeace USA interested in cities and sustainability. Follow him on Twitter: @ryschlee
Just weeks after commemorating the six-year anniversary of the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon blowout, the Gulf of Mexico is once again the site of a major oil spill.
Yesterday evening, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) reported a 36-square-mile oil sheen visible about 97 miles off the Louisiana coast near Shell's Brutus platform. As of this morning, no injuries had been reported. The Coast Guard says the source of the spill has been secured and that a cleanup crew has been dispatched to the site.
But it will likely be days before we understand the full extent of the damage done.
When We Drill, We Spill
In a statement issued yesterday, Shell executives said that "no release [of oil] is acceptable, and safety remains our priority as we respond to this incident."
If safety was truly the company's priority, it wouldn't be drilling for oil in the first place. History has proven that the more fossil fuel infrastructure we have, the more spills and leaks we'll see -- whether it's Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf, the Exxon Valdez in Alaska, or the Santa Barbara oil spill almost exactly one year ago at Refugio State Beach in California.
The only way to prevent an oil spill is to keep oil in the ground. That's what communities in the Gulf and other coastal regions, which were quick to condemn the spill and call for an end to fossil fuel exploitation, want and deserve.
On top of the impacts for coastal communities, continuing our reliance on drilling and burning oil comes at a high cost for the climate. In fact, a 2015 study in the journal Nature revealed that we need to leave at least 80 percent of the world's known remaining fossil fuel reserves in the ground to prevent runaway climate change.
More drilling in the Gulf, the Arctic, or anywhere else isn't going to get us there.
While it's likely we won't know the full extent of the damage from this spill for weeks, one thing is clear. From the Gulf to Alaska and everywhere in between, the path to a sustainable future does not include fossil fuels.
President Obama can put these leaks, spills, and climate disasters behind us by stopping new offshore drilling in the Gulf and Arctic. Our oceans are not a sacrifice zone for oil profit -- take action!
Ryan Schleeter
Ryan Schleeter is an online content producer for Greenpeace USA interested in cities and sustainability. Follow him on Twitter: @ryschlee
Just weeks after commemorating the six-year anniversary of the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon blowout, the Gulf of Mexico is once again the site of a major oil spill.
Yesterday evening, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) reported a 36-square-mile oil sheen visible about 97 miles off the Louisiana coast near Shell's Brutus platform. As of this morning, no injuries had been reported. The Coast Guard says the source of the spill has been secured and that a cleanup crew has been dispatched to the site.
But it will likely be days before we understand the full extent of the damage done.
When We Drill, We Spill
In a statement issued yesterday, Shell executives said that "no release [of oil] is acceptable, and safety remains our priority as we respond to this incident."
If safety was truly the company's priority, it wouldn't be drilling for oil in the first place. History has proven that the more fossil fuel infrastructure we have, the more spills and leaks we'll see -- whether it's Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf, the Exxon Valdez in Alaska, or the Santa Barbara oil spill almost exactly one year ago at Refugio State Beach in California.
The only way to prevent an oil spill is to keep oil in the ground. That's what communities in the Gulf and other coastal regions, which were quick to condemn the spill and call for an end to fossil fuel exploitation, want and deserve.
On top of the impacts for coastal communities, continuing our reliance on drilling and burning oil comes at a high cost for the climate. In fact, a 2015 study in the journal Nature revealed that we need to leave at least 80 percent of the world's known remaining fossil fuel reserves in the ground to prevent runaway climate change.
More drilling in the Gulf, the Arctic, or anywhere else isn't going to get us there.
While it's likely we won't know the full extent of the damage from this spill for weeks, one thing is clear. From the Gulf to Alaska and everywhere in between, the path to a sustainable future does not include fossil fuels.
President Obama can put these leaks, spills, and climate disasters behind us by stopping new offshore drilling in the Gulf and Arctic. Our oceans are not a sacrifice zone for oil profit -- take action!
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