BP Oil Spill Vs Dust Bowl

When looking at all of the environmental disasters of the United States, the BP Oil Spill and Dust Bowl are by far two of the most devastating disasters to the surrounding environment and ecosystem. Although both natural disasters have different characteristics and environmental effects, each disaster greatly impacted the surrounding ecosystems from before and after the disasters. Although the Gulf of Mexico before the BP oil spill was still known for its suffering under the effects of coastal erosion, hypoxia or very low oxygen, and harmful algal blooms, the Gulf was still a flourishing ecosystems where plants and animals and even human industries thrived. Most of the marine life in the Gulf of Mexico included small animals and plants that …show more content…
Before the Dust Bowl, the Plains states were known for their open land potential after Congress passed the 1862 Homestead Act. Millions and millions of acres of wild grasslands covered the Great Plains and was home to many different species of animals such as bison, pronghorns, fox squirrels, great horned owls, sandpipers, barred tiger salamanders, and ornate box turtles. However, thousands and thousands of farmers soon came to the Great Plains regions in hopes of finding success through farming and the area soon became abundant in its ability to graze cattle and to harvest wheat. However, as the people of the Great Plains began to benefit from the area 's prosperity during the first few years of development, the plants and animals of the Great Plains began to suffer as well. Once the disaster occurred, thousands and thousands of farmers and families fell into poverty and were forced to leave their homes to find work elsewhere. Not only this, but the human population also suffered from eye and lung damage from the dust storms and suffered from asthma and other respiratory health issues. Those who lived in the area were often stranded during dust storms and their automobile and tractor engines were often ruined by grit. The high temperatures, strong winds, and dry region turned the Great Plains into a …show more content…
The BP or Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred on April 20, 2010 and came about due to natural gas blasting through a concrete core that was too weak to overcome the pressure of the gas. The natural gas then traveled to the rig’s riser to the platform of the rig where it was ignited. After killing 11 workers, the rig sank and oil began to travel into the gulf after the drilling mud no longer counteracted the pressure of the oil. Even though it has been five years since the BP Oil spill, there is still oil in the surrounding ecosystem even though it is not visible on the surface. A significant amount of oil is on the Gulf’s floor and the oil that traveled into wetlands and beaches is still present and will be present for many more years. However, creating successful restoration plans has been difficult for scientists due to the full extent of such long term effects not being seen for many more years. One of the most prevalent long term effects of the BP Oil spill include an unbalanced food web due to the Gulf’s oil disaster occurring during breeding season for many species of fish and wildlife. The toxicity of the oil killed many eggs and larval organisms and the continuation of population dips will be seen in future years as well. Additionally, there has been a decrease in fish and wildlife populations that will continue to fluctuate. Similar to the 1989