Gas prices have risen sharply. In July 2008, the cost of oil soared to nearly $150 a barrel. At the pumps, American customers were paying more than $4 for a gallon of gas.

Untitled Slide

PROBLEMS CAUSED BY OFFSHORE DRILLING

• Killing thousands of birds, fish, sea lions, and other marine life
• Environmental Disasters
• Natural gas, oil, and mud shot up the well and came out into the ocean
• 3 million gallons of crude oil pored into the Pacific Ocean
• People lost their jobs, but offshore drilling stopped

"People could see very vividly that their communities could bear the brunt of industrial accidents. They began forming environmental groups to protect their communities and started fighting for legislation to protect the environment."

Offshore Drilling has many more problems then just animals being killed. People are also being harmed and even killed. If something goes wrong with the system the oil will heat up with all the mechanical equipment and then it will explode.

SOLUTIONS OF OFFSHORE DRILLING

• Clean up groups,but costs millions of dollars
• Environmental groups to protect the community and environment
• When it was in the news people were more aware and were trying to help
• Offshore drilling was stopped which helped decrease oil spills

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP

• Make signs- If we make signs more people will be aware of the issue and the people can try to help the sea life that may be in danger
• Write letters to encourage the companies that are in charge of making these drilling sites to make them safer or even come back to do a monthly check up

SOURCE CITATION

• "Offshore Drilling." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 May 2015.
• "Crude oil production and crude oil well productivity, by site, 1954-2007." Energy: Supplies, Sustainability, and Costs. Sandra M. Alters. 2009 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Information Plus Reference Series. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 May 2015.
• "U.s.: Escape From the Deepwater Horizon." NYTimes.com Video Collection 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 May 2015.

That's what Jamie Griffin says the BP man told her about the smelly, rainbow-streaked gunk coating the floor of the "floating hotel" where Griffin was feeding hundreds of cleanup workers during the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico .