Shining a light on the oil spill: how the cycles never end and theproblems remain

Carol Forsloff - In reviewing media coverage, one observes the oil spill no longer figures in the headlines; but experts say there is a lot to learn from what happened that can impact future events, although that learning doesn't get done nor translate into changing behavior. 



“We cover current environmental events, and unfortunately, I can promise the students a number of major environmental disasters every year,” says Scott McRobert.  He is a professor of biology at Saint Joseph s University in Philadelphia where he teaches a course in ecology. 

McRobert observes there is an ongoing relationship between organisms and their environment and so regularly he holds a session called "Biohazard of the Week."  The oil spill presented an array of topics and information related to his course.

“Major oil spills happen on a regular basis and they almost always follow the same pattern,” he says. “The spill occurs; everyone is shocked; clean-up efforts are confused, slow to start, and only marginally effective; everyone vows to be better prepared in the future.”

But after that pattern what happens next?  McRoberts tells us nothing much until the next oil spill. “For example, all of the questions that were being asked in the Gulf – ‘Should we use dispersant? Will the dispersant be effective? Will it affect wildlife? Should we deploy booms and skimmers? How can we help wildlife like oiled birds?’ etc. – were all asked during the Exxon Valdez disaster, which occurred over 20 years ago.”

These are the types of patterns McRobert says are repeated with ecological disasters and don't end up with a method to clean up the oil that is spilled into the natural environment.t “This is tragic, because history will repeat itself, and inevitably, we will face the same ordeal again.”

The oil spill may have passed from the front pages of major media, but it remains a concern along the Gulf Coast, as litigation has piled up and the cleaning up of the oil spill continues, even as those who were at the heart of the BP disaster, may not come up with solutions.

In the meantime, the delays in reimbursing the losses incurred is forcing some fishermen to leave the Gulf  because they don't have the resources to continue, a human consequence that social scientists examine after ecological experts look at the natural effects and their lessons.