10 Years On: Exploring Deepwater Horizon

 

Today, April 20^th, 2020, marks 10 years since the Deepwater Horizon spill, when a slick of over 68,000 square miles (180,000 square km)* formed in the Gulf of Mexico, following an explosion that ripped through the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

 

Sadly, that explosion resulted in the loss of 11 lives, 17 others were seriously injured and 98 deeply traumatised. An intense fire took hold, burning for 36 hours before the rig eventually sank. It is thought, but has not been determined for sure, 30 million gallons* of oil leaked into the waters of the Gulf in the 87 days before the leaks could be sealed. Some reports suggested oil continued to leak long after the well was reported to have been sealed. See here for example. Inordinate damage to wildlife occurred, the effects of which continue.

 

*Determining precise data is difficult and conflicting figures are to be found in all the materials relating to the Deepwater Horizon incident. We must be mindful of bias as we read articles and information related to this disaster. 

 

10 years on, those interested in the environment may be curious to learn more about this disaster and gauge whether any lessons were learned from it. I have gathered a few resources to help with this investigation – some are suitable for use with children while others contain helpful background information for parents and teachers (although older learners will obviously be able to use these independently as well).

 

 

Research Questions

• What was Deepwater Horizon? The answer can be found on this BU page (Warning! The page is a comprehensive source of information but may be offputting for some learners. Encourage your child to scan the page to find the information required. (S)he can also not any other topics of interest to return to).

 

• Read this Guardian article that was written contemporaneously (May 20^th, 2010). What do you learn from it? Why might there have been a dispute over figures? Can you find any other articles or reports from that time? Discuss what insights you glean from them.

 

• Here is data for for other oil spills. How will you compare the Deepwater Horizon data with the information contained here? How can you convert gallons to tons?

 

• How does oil act in water? Try this experiment. (Note: There are lots of other experiments on the Office of Response and Restoration site your child may be interested in. Please read through each one beforehand to ensure suitability and to address any health and safety considerations.)  

 

• Why is there so much oil in the Gulf of Mexico? This guide explores the Gulf of Mexico’s deep-sea ecosystems.

 

• What happened to all the oil that leaked out?

  • Find out about containment and clean-up on this Smithsonian Ocean page

  • See this University of Rochester article as well.

  • This Business Insider article also partly answers the question.

  • Discover details of the EPA’s enforcement response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

 

• Use your research skills to find out as much as possible about the damage caused to wildlife in the aftermath of the leak. The environmental costs section of this Britannica article may be helpful. Audobon considers how many birds died and looks at why oil and birds don’t mix. What is the impact on fish heart development? Will whales and dolphins ever recover from the spill? 

 

• The Guardian newspaper created a timeline of events from the rig’s construction to the conclusions of the White House Oil Commission in 2011. Can you find our what happened in the court cases that took place afterwards? This BBC article offers a brief introduction to the blame game that followed. This lengthy Slate article offers lots of food for thought in terms of laying blame? Were the BP supervisors on the rig at fault? Find Bob Kaluza’s thoughts here. What are your thoughts on the well control section of this Maritime Executive article and on the thoughts of Friends of the Earth Climate and Energy Campaigner Lukas Ross shared in the report?

 

• Do spills still constitute a risk? 10 years on, this NY Times article explores this question in the US context. Find out what other papers are reporting, e.g., Guardian, Houma Today, US News and consider the slant and tone of those reports.

 

 

One thing this current MCO (Movement Control Order) affords us is lots of time for reading, research, questioning and investigation. In making suggestions for learning at home, I hope your children can find opportunities to explore topics of interest to them, sparking their natural curiosity and drive to learn. These will be our leaders of the future; we must prepare them as well as we can for this task.