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Gulf Oil Spill

Gulf Oil Spill

Update: Aug. 30, 2010 -

The Palm Beach Post reports that tourism in Florida is up, despite oil spill publicity. Jorge Pesquera, president and chief executive of the county's Convention and Visitors Bureau, says he's heartened by recent reports that oil no longer threatens Palm Beach County shores.

Issue Overview

The Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig suffered an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. As a result, oil began gushing into the Gulf at an estimated rate of 500,000 to 4.2 million gallons per day. It has already surpassed the roughly 11 million gallons spilled in 1989 by the Exxon Valdez tanker, long seen as one of the U.S.'s worst environmental disasters. The oil rig operator, BP, has been unable to completely stop the leak, which is located 5,000 feet (nearly one mile!) below the ocean's surface. Long-term efforts to stop the flow involve drilling two new relief wells which will take two or three months to complete.

Why does it matter to me?

If the oil finds its way to Palm ...

...Beach County, our fish, wildlife, and beaches (and therefore tourism) will be adversely affected. The longer the spill continues, the greater the adverse effect to Palm Beach County. Scientists have predicted that the oil will travel from the Gulf of Mexico down around Florida and then up the U.S. east coast. The threat is potentially so serious that Palm Beach County has formed a Deepwater Horizons Planning Task Force to address response and recovery options.

There is also a possibility that seasonal hurricanes may affect the oil spill. The Weather Underground's Dr. Jeff Masters has noted the possibility of more widespread damage to coastal areas, airborne oil droplets immersed in hurricane winds, and a chance the oil spill may cause explosive deepening of hurricanes in the Gulf.

What can I do?

Special skills are needed to clean up oil and affected wildlife, but there are activities community volunteers can engage in right away. Volunteer Florida Disaster is calling for "coast watchers" to keep a lookout for oiled wildlife or vegetation, and for immediate beach cleanup efforts, to lessen the amount of cleanup needed later.

You can get connected with a local environmental organization now, such as:

You can also spearhead your own fundraising effort. Or maybe you're inclined to advocate for legislation and regulation that will prevent more oil spills from harming our environment and our economy. However you choose to help, stay informed about the spill's impact on Palm Beach County's beaches, and think about our world's energy future.