The Environmental Impacts of Offshore Oil Drilling

there had been any doubt before, the 2010 catastrophe on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico has really driven home the message that drilling for oil is a messy and risky business. Consequently, decisions are now being made that affect the future of offshore oil drilling. But how risky is it really? Should we stop offshore drilling?

Even following the devastating oil spill, opinions are split on offshore oil drilling. A USA Today article summed it up quite nicely: "Environmental hazard or energy bonanza: Oil and natural gas trapped beneath the USA's ocean floor mean different things to different people". Oil drilling will continue to be a big deal unless we become less dependent on fossil fuels (or the oil runs out). Understanding the process and looking at the environmental impacts involved will help to shed some light on offshore oil drilling.