The Gulf of Mexico oil spill that started on April 20, 2010, and ran 86 days was a terrible disaster, but is was also a grimly informative experiment. In its wake, scientists are learning many lessons about deep-drilling technology, the environment, and the ecology of the Gulf of Mexico. Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you answer the following questions: Identify the types of air and water pollutants that occurred because of this oil spill. Are these primary or secondary pollutants? Explain. What are the short- and long-term effects of this spill on the environment and wildlife? Describe how the different layers of the atmosphere interact with different pollutants. Will the identified pollutants from this disaster affect the atmosphere? Why or why not? In the face of such disasters, what are the different cleaning procedures, including bioremediation, that can be undertaken? What are some of the new regulations and safety measures for oil drilling? As the world is running out of oil, what are some other technologies or alternative energy sources? What would be your first plan of action if you were to identify possible solutions to this crisis?
