US Oil Slick threat to the Environment

An explosion on an Oil rig of the coast of the South East USA has caused a 'state of emergency' due to the potential threat to the environment from the resulting oil slick. This is an example of how the socio-economic gains from the exploitation of fossil fuels can have a potentially devastating effect on the wildlife and environment. It is estimated that 5,000 barrels per day of oil are leaking from the rig, and even though efforts have been made to try and mitigate the effects, US politicians and environmentalists fear the worst.

Parts of the slick have been set on fire, and British Petroleum (BP) who owns the rig have used boats and inflatable booms to try and collect the 3 mile long slick.