Ethical Issues Involved in BP Oil Spill †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Ethical Issues Involved in BP Oil Spill. Answer: In one of the United States history, oil spills devastate the Gulf wildlife yet scientists and continue to have limited access to the areas where the oil spills have occurred in the vicinity and beaches. A well in the Deepwater Horizon a drilling company saw the Mexican gulf blown out 40 miles off the Louisiana Coastline (Hart, 2011). After 69 days, as it becomes the largest offshore in the history of the American oil spill. As of today, it is estimated that the leaking takes place at the rate of 2,000,000-3,000,000 liters per day something that is of concern. Some experts have revealed that the leak could be more than the values that have been estimated (Jeffrey Ball, 2012). The huge disparity is because the experts from BP have refused the help of independent experts who could help in laying instruments that are more accurate in giving the real figures on the ocean bed. BPs oil spill Transocean was responsible for billowing oil in the Gulf of Mexico and millions of gallons got spilled a move that had detrimental effects on both people and animals in the Gulf region. In one of the responses from the offices of the BP, it was clear that was a controversy over the BP statements. According to the BP, they argued that the effort by a team of independent scientists to set a machine that could give accurate figures of the leaks delay the rescue efforts something that is paradoxical (Juhasz, 2011). A more baffling issue is how the measurement could be irrelevant. If the mess is not known on what scale it has affected the environment, then how adequately can the mess be cleaned up? One would hope that the US government would want the journalists and the scientists to have access to the spill sites so that they can provide empirical evidence on the rate of leakage; however, that is not the case (Kroh Conathan, 2012). In a survey by the New York Times, there is substantial evidence that a significant number of presses have been denied access to the sites and one of the reporters was threatened with an arrest for trying to access the site. Ethical issues involved in BP oil spill Ecosystem would suffer many losses The spillover involves some of the major ethical issues that revolve around wildlife and are either moral or legal and also impact negatively on the environment. One thing that was clear according to Obamas address was the extent to which spill would damage the Gulf and the ecosystem at large in the present and in the many years to come (Malik, 2010). However, there are some immediate effects of spill over and evident for instance the birds suffocating and wildlife soaked with oil. However, other effects could take ages to be noted such as ecological damages and are hard to be quantified. The food chain is also likely to get poisoned in less than a decade according to views and reports from the scientists. Increase of mortality rates for animals Mortality rates will be hard to be estimated as most of the animals and creatures sink to the bottom of the sea. Some of the damages to the sea turtles include a decline in the reproduction rates something that could take years to be noted (Rubio, 2012). One amazing thing about the Deepwater Horizon spill is not only about its depth, but also the dispersants that are sprayed on the surface and also at the seafloor. The chemical dispersants come along with some disadvantages such as they are toxic to many living organisms in the Gulf such as the dolphins and the pelicans. Also, the microbes in the water deplete oxygen levels at a massive rate (Rubio, 2012). The tragic part is that depletion of oxygen levels beyond a certain level could be lethal to many sea creatures. Ironically, the dispersant that is used are also consumed by the microbes thus speeding the depletion levels of oxygen in the Gulf (Rubio, 2012). As a result of oxygen being depleted beyond the threshold, a report that w as released lately by the Wildlife Service reveals that a huge number of creatures such as the dolphins and the sharks are crowding in shallow waters in the shores of Alabama and Florida trying to escape and avoid the oil spillage. A little understanding also lurks on how the ecosystems in the deep water might get affected using the scientific principles. In the United States, laws that protect and safeguard the interests of the animals do not exist. Instead, the law that exists is the one that sees animals as a property. The law that is in place protects the interest of the owners of the animals. A big number of the animals affected by the BP spill is not protected by any legal frameworks, and hence there are no penalties that are imposed on those suffocating animals with oil spillages and also those destroying habitat thus causing harm. By the Marine Mammal Act, the law protects turtles, whales and the dolphins that occupy the Gulf. However, the Minerals Management approved oil exploration in the Gulf region yet the necessary approvals were never given. Environmental degradation Environmental catastrophes of such a magnitude raise more concerns as to whether stricter regulations and laws should be put in place not only for the protection of the wildlife and the ecology but also the people whose entire lives depend on the Gulf for survival. Another fundamental question is why some animals fail to be accorded legal protection for their interest as opposed to them being viewed as a property (Rannals, 2012). Of late death toll is not that high concerning the wildlife. In June, some animals that were reported dead in the Gulf spill zone stood at 1540 (Rubio, 2012).However, such numbers do not even reflect the actual numbers of dead animals. The numbers are a mere reflection of the massive effects that oil has deep in the ocean as marine life gets affected making it almost impossible to assess and analyze the impact of the spill something worth reckoning (New York Times, 2011). According to scientific research, it has been reported that just a drop of oil kills a hatching egg and as such many birds chicks have been destroyed as a result of the spill. Loss of revenues for Gulf communities It is crucial to recognize the fact that according to the corporate responsibility BP had a role to play in compensating the lives of the people it impacted as a result of the spill. Along the Gulf, beaches were affected along with the hotels (Rubio, 2012). Most of the hotels remain closed as a consequence of the mess by BP translating to the loss of revenues. As of other decades, the Gulf provided one-third of sea food to the American market, however, as of today, barely can the gulf reach such a target (Rubio, 2012). The economy of the Gulf has been affected, and things have changed since the explosion that claimed more than 12 lives and a spill that extended more than 500 miles killing birds, sea turtles, and even dolphins (Rubio, 2012).BP also limited access to some vital information to the journalists and even in some cases the scientists were also denied access to the oil spillage areas is also unethical and the government and other relevant stakeholders ought to have intervene d (New York Times, 2011). The damage from the BP is irreversible to both the people and the creatures in the Gulf and animals should also be protected not only as a property but also their interests. Violation of clean air Act BP was found culpable of violating the clean air Act in 2005 when one of its refineries in Texas exploded claiming more than 15 lives and leaving 170 more people injured. According to the Southern District verdict, the company was found guilty of one count felony. BP was to pay a penalty of $50 million as a criminal fine (Rubio, 2012). The explosion resulted from a leak of the hydro carbon liquid into the air that ignited. BP admitted that in deed they had made some mistakes when they ignored the clean air Act (Shannon, 2011). The clean air act had been crafted and implemented to help avoid injuries from leaks of substances that are explosive. It would be helpful if the operation of the refinery had been shut down since the company had ignored some of the basic but safety measures and as such resulted in death and injuries of many souls. Violation of clean water Act In the state of Alaska, the company was also found guilty of violating the clean water Act when an oil pipeline leaked oil in the Tundra. The company paid hefty fines that amounted to 12 million dollars (Rubio, 2012). The leaks occurred after BP ignored the red flags that had been raised. One of the earlier warnings was that there was a serious corrosion of the pipes that had not been checked for decades. One of the workers had discovered the leak that resulted in more than 150000 gallons spilling in the tundra. Such a spill was recorded as one of the largest spills ever recorded in the history of North Slope. A second leak had been registered immediately after the first leak and led to the shutdown of the refinery on the East side until BP could assure of its capability to handle the pipelines (Muskal, 2012). It is clear that BP violated some of these Acts as it knew it could get away by paying fines. The federal courts could institute more substantial penalties such as issuing warr anties of closure for the refineries that are found to ignore the federal laws and acts. Commodity exchange Act was ignored Lastly, BP violated the commodity exchange act and also committed mail fraud when it purchased more propane than the required amount by law and sold it at a higher price above the market price (Mufson, 2011). According to the United States federal laws, such manipulations in the market are not tolerated, and BP was again to pay vast sums regarding fines (Rubio, 2012). BP lost a big percentage of profits as many consumers who had been defrauded cut their ties with the company (Monitor, 2010). It is unethical for a company to care exorbitant prices to its customers and BP engaged in such unscrupulous activity aimed at manipulating its customers and as such, the company should have been locked out of the market for some time so that it could learn a lesson. From the above illustrations, it is evident that BP has a custom of disregarding stakeholders well-being since it keeps on engaging in transgressions that are either ethical or environmental References Hart, M. (2011, September 12). The Ethical Lessons of Deepwater. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from Asme.org: https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/engineering-ethics/the-ethical-lessons-of-deepwater Jeffrey Ball, S. (2012). oil Agency Draws Fire. Wall Street Journal, 12. Juhasz, A. (2011). Black tide. Hoboken,New Jersey: Wiley. Kroh, K., Conathan, M. (2012, April 19). The Lasting Impact of Deepwater Horizon. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from americanprogress.or: www.americanprogress.org Malik, S. (2010, June 6). Ethical questions surrounding the BP Oil Spill. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk: https://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk Monitor, T. (2010, October 18). Legacy of the BP spill:What's a reputation worth? Retrieved August 11, 2017, from The Christian Science Monitor: https://www.csmonitor.com Mufson, S. (2011, January 5). BP,Transocean,Halliburton blamed by presidential Gulf oil spill commission. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from Washingtonpost.com: https:www.washingtonpost.com Muskal, M. (2012, November 15). BP guilty of criminal misconduct,negligence in gulf oil spill. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from latimes: https://articles.latimes.com New York Times. (2011). Lax Rules forthe Natural Gas Industry. New York Times. Rannals, L. (2014, November 25). Two-Years Later,Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Still Having An Impact. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from Redorbit: https://www.redorbit.com Rubio, S. (2012, November 11). The Deepwater Horizon Spill:An Ethical Nightmare. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from Business Society : https://bizgovsoc4.wordpress.com Shannon, D. (2011, March 6). Oil Spill In The Gulf. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from Parenethical.com: https://parenethical.com