Methodology

The research team used a wide range of sources from the internet to explore the different possibilities behind who is responsible for oil spills. Using the BP oil spill as our case study, we managed to procure a couple of news articles that is able to give us different perspectives on the issue. We obtained the links from the articles through search engines, mainly Google and MSN.

Finding reliable and clear sources were not an easy task. Since BP is an internationally renowned event, there were many articles that heavily criticized the BP Company. Thus, the team decided that it is important to gather sources from more reliable sources, for example the major newspaper websites in the US. Wikipedia, despite its availability of large extensive information,was excluded.

In conclusion, we gathered the majority of our information from the internet given the time constraints. If more time was given, more information can be obtained through a larger variety of sources like magazines and books.

Lit Review

The information obtained by us online is from a number of websites, thus there is a need to find out the credibility of the information.

The website "http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1283774/Sarah-Palin-BP-oil-spill-fault-environmentalists-wouldnt-let-companies-drill-land.html#ixzz1o49glmOY" that speaks of companies being at fault for the oil spill is reliable because it is directly from the British daily news.


Similarly, websites like http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/us/14agency.html?_r=1&hp is also directly lifted from the New York Times and thus can be regarded as a credible source.

However, there is a site http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7363 that shows the graph for oil production which we feel may not be completely reliable because as mentioned, the graph the author actually found are incomplete and inaccurate and that, she plotted her own. Thus, the graphs may not be credible and the information obtained and observed would not be accurate. Therefore, our conclusion on oil spills may not be totally believable.

However, we strongly believe that most of the information is true. Besides the origin of most websites, which we have found to be reliable, the facts regarding oil spills are already known by us ourselves. Facts like oil spills being caused by overproduction or due to lack of punishment imposed on excessive production of oil can be found on the daily Singapore newspaper. In all, oil spills have already become a global issue which everyone knows, thus these information we have obtained is not surprising and we would not doubt them.

Sustainability Reflection "Who is at fault?"

 

After researching on oil spills, the question leads back to “Who is at fault”? In our opinion, we feel that everyone has a responsibility to play in causing the oil spills, be it the government, oil exporters or various corporations. Based on the graphs we have found, we observed that the production of oil by the Middle East is largely above the quota set by the OPEC. Thus, we feel that it is human greed that causes this main issue of oil spills. When exporting larger amount of oil, the risk of an oil spill occurring will be greatly raised, hence, the blame can be placed on oil exporters too. Nevertheless, it is also the fault of the government for not controlling oil production tightly and not imposing stricter punishment. Thus, the problem of water pollution caused by oil spills will persist as long as human has the desire to always gain.

Sustainability is not easy to achieve because it would require the efforts of each and everyone. This is not possible since everyone of us greed. We greed for money and hence produce oil excessively, resulting in these environmental problems. There is certainly a long way to go before we can attain sustainability.

For Singapore, sustainable development means achieving both a more dynamic economy and a better quality living environment, for Singaporeans now and in the future.
However, most people are greedy. They will always put themselves as the first priorities, taking care of themselves, and perhaps their loved ones only. Many will only plan the future pathway of their own, but   not as a country.
At government/country level: All countries desire economis growth--earning profits to them is important. Therefore, especially to those developing countries, they need to use alot of natural resources, such as coal, fossil fuels as their main energy driving force. Although renewable resources are available in the attempt to save the earth, due to cost and the slow output, not all the countries are willing to pump in the money to make their development a more environmental-friendly one.
At company level: Most of them are private companies, which mean that they had invested a hefty sum of money in setting up the company. Therefore, although it seems that companies are trying to go-green by recycling paper, switching off lights when not in use, and using energy-efficient appliances,etc, they are doing on a selfish mentality(greed), in attempt to reduce their running cost. If saving the earth is on the basis of own profits, it is not possible to achieve full sustainability. This is because once the company is satisfied with their profit, they will go on with the other greater plan, which may not be good.
At individual level: People are greedy, in terms of convenience. People wanted to do things at comfortable pace, therefore, they may become selfish and do things that they wanted to be. For example, owning cars as a proof of their status. However, they do not consider of the pollution that will be resulted of it despite of the government effort to encourage to go-green.

These human greed hinder sustainability as not everyone is actively doing their parts. However, it is still possible that we can achieve sustainability with the raising concerns.

Research on oil spills and who's at fault

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the fault of 'extreme environmentalists' who protested against oil companies drilling on land. As quoted by Sarah Palin, the former Alaska Governor also said that if campaigners weren't successful in prohibiting land based oil exploration in the U.S, companies like BP would not have to resort to deep-sea drilling and the oil spill disaster would never have happened.

Apparently, the BP incident had caused a major blow to the natural environment and the marine creatures living in the nearby waters. Should the companies be allowed to drill oil on land, would this oil spill been prevented? For me, it's a no.

Quoted from The NewYork Times,
The Coast Guard has officially named both BP and Transocean as “responsible parties” in the incident.....Some experts have suggested shoddy cement work at the drill site as one possible cause of the blowout(leading to the oil spill)....Another question in the most recent accident is why a device aboard the Deepwater Horizon, known as a blowout preventer, was not activated. It is supposed to seal off the well and stop the oil flow in an emergency.


This tells us that companies have responsibility as well. They play a crucial role in the entire oil drilling process and should an oil spill happen, it's due to the negligence of the company in charge. In this case, BP. Also quoted from The NewYork Times, The report concluded that BP, as the well’s owner, was ultimately responsible for the accident.


But it's also the consumers' fault. As quoted from an online forum,

That’s right, we are the ones responsible.
BP, like any other oil company, is in the petroleum game....... And where does that money come from? It comes from us. Either directly by paying to pump it into our vehicles, or indirectly in the planes that we travel in, the plastics that we use to make our lives so much more convenient, and the goods we buy from overseas that are shipped to and fro so we can save some money on a new turnip twaddler. So in essence, if we as a society didn’t keep throwing our money at petroleum, BP and others wouldn’t be drilling for it.

SO, WHO'S AT FAULT? We the consumers for providing the demand and market for oil OR the oil companies who manipulate the process to make quick bucks and not adhering to safety standards OR is it the extreme environmentalists who prevented the oil drilling to take place on safer grounds. This is a subjective question. No one could for sure pinpoint the reason for this saga. But one thing is for sure, that there is a lack of safety measures and preventive measures put in place to prevent this oil spill from happening. Human greed has fuelled the oil spill which ultimately led to the deaths of many marine creatures. But human greed can never be stemmed out. Be it in the next 5 years or 10,20 years, greed will always exist in us and if we do not do anything to stop future incidents from happening, it's us who will suffer ultimately.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1283774/Sarah-Palin-BP-oil-spill-fault-environmentalists-wouldnt-let-companies-drill-land.html#ixzz1o49glmOY
 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/business/09blame.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1330786823-UObrS3RKQnoe3vUsMky9dg
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/whos-really-to-blame-for-the-bp-oil-spill-we-are.html#ixzz1o4C8BN00

Gulf oil spill trial -- Let the fingerpointing begin

By Jonathan Stempel

 

Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:36pm EST
 

(Reuters) - It could be the ultimate case for passing the buck.

 
A massive trial over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill heads for a New Orleans federal courtroom on Monday, to determine how much BP Plc and others should cough up for the worst U.S. offshore oil spill.

The case is perhaps the most complex environmental lawsuit in history, and could leave companies on the hook for tens of billions of dollars in fines and payments to the U.S. government, Gulf Coast states, and tens of thousands of workers and businesses claiming economic damages from the spill.

Absent broad-based settlements, the trial will assign blame for the April 20, 2010, explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. The disaster killed 11 people and unleashed an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil from the mile-deep Macondo well for 87 straight days.

Click Here to read more...

Browne's BP cost-cutting led to Gulf spill, book says

By Bernard Vaughan

 

NEW YORK | Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:58pm EST
 

(Reuters) - The public image of oil giant BP Plc has taken some huge hits since the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill but a new book purporting to look inside BP may open up a whole new set of thorny questions about the company.

"Run to Failure: BP and the Making of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster," by ProPublica investigative reporter Abrahm Lustgarten, offers a detailed portrait of a corporate culture that seemed to value controlling costs above human life.

Lustgarten argues that the culture had been spreading like a cancer through the British oil company for years, culminating in the April 2010 tragedy that killed 11, seriously injured 16 and spewed crude oil into the Gulf for 87 days.

Click Here to read more...

Offshore oil rigs are out of U.S. government's reach

Now, as the government tries to figure out what went wrong in the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history, this international patchwork of divided authority and sometimes conflicting priorities is emerging as a critical underlying factor in the crisis.


By Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico was built in South Korea. It was operated by a Swiss company under contract to a British oil firm. Primary responsibility for safety and other inspections rested not with the U.S. government but with the Republic of the Marshall Islands — a tiny, impoverished nation in the Pacific Ocean.

And the Marshall Islands, a maze of tiny atolls — some smaller than the ill-fated oil rig — outsourced many of its responsibilities to private companies.

Now, as the government tries to figure out what went wrong in the worst environmental catastrophe in U.S. history, this international patchwork of divided authority and sometimes conflicting priorities is emerging as a critical underlying factor in the crisis.

Click Here to read more...

U.S. Said to Allow Drilling Without Needed Permits

By IAN URBINA

Published: May 13, 2010

WASHINGTON — The federal Minerals Management Service gave permission to BP and dozens of other oil companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico without first getting required permits from another agency that assesses threats to endangered species — and despite strong warnings from that agency about the impact the drilling was likely to have on the gulf.

Those approvals, federal records show, include one for the well drilled by the Deepwater Horizon rig, which exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and resulting in thousands of barrels of oil spilling into the gulf each day. 

Click Here to read more... 

Differences: The awareness of oil spills in different countries varies. Singaporeans are more aware of the effects of oil spills such as the effects of oil spills on marine life and trades. This is due to education, campaigns and policies in Singapore. Countries like Malaysia and Indonesia are not as well informed about oil spills and it's effects on the environment. More efforts are taken in Singapore to reduce the impact of oil spills. For example in 2010, there was an oil spill at parts of East coast beach. The beach was closed immediately once traces of oil was detected. National Environment Agency has deployed officers to clean up both sites and advised the public to stay away from East Coast beach for the time being. NEA officers were sent to work at the beach areas to clean up the contaminated sand. Those sand that have been contaminated by the oil sludge were cleared up and disposed. Non-toxic and bio-degradable agents were also used to break up the oil. At the same time, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) worked on containing the oil spill at the site of the collision.About 15 vessels and over 120 people were deployed to clean up the spill.

Singapore also experience less oil spills as compared to Malaysia and Indonesia as actions were taken to prevent oil spills from occurring in the seas of Singapore.

Reflections 2

Does your current research topic on sustainability carry the same importance in Singapore as it does with our neighbouring states in Southeast Asia? Why or why not?

• Explain the similarities and differences faced by Singapore and its neighbours with regard to your research topic through reference to at least TWO other neighbours for comparison.

Yes. Saving the Earth is a global effort. Since water pollution is one of the key environmental issues, all countries should play a part in reducing the impact and find a solution to it. An example of water pollution is oil spills. As all oceans and seas are connected, if oil spills occur, the effect is detrimental to the environment. Many marine creatures e.g. seagulls, fish etc, will be severely affected. As oil spills rarely occur around Singapore, it is not a very big issue to us and does not carry the same significance in Singapore as it does with our neighbouring states in Southeast Asia e.g. Malaysia and Indonesia. Thus, our neighbouring countries need to put more emphasis on reducing and solving this problem. However, it is important that we help our neighbouring countries when they are faced with oil spills by sending relevant resources to minimise the impact.


Similarities:
There is a lack of corporate responsibility in countries in Southeast Asia. Most governments do not provide enough funds to cover their mistakes that their countries have made. As a result, oil spill problems are worsened because no country wants to take responsibility for it and is constantly trying to push the blame and accountability to other countries. They feel that the profits and revenues earned from trade by cargo ships far outweigh the benefits of saving the environment. Thus, many feel that there is no need to address the problems of oil spills caused by them. Hence, oil spill problems are often ignored or not taken care of most of the time.


Even thought there are many large base companies with an abundance of human resources that could be used to help the environment, many companies in Southeast Asia do not place solving key environmental issues such as oil spills as their top priority. Many are much more concerned with making profits. For example, there is much to be improved in the public transport in Singapore. Many buses are still not using natural gas as it is expensive. They are much more focused on profits rather than how they can save the environment by using natural gas, which comes second place to them in terms of their priorities.

Reflections 1 qu. 3

3. Find out more about current College efforts to contribute towards sustainable development. Suggest one or two ways in which you as students can contribute towards this effort too.

National Junior College has constantly been ardently supporting energy conservation and many other key environmental issues. For example, the school has been trying to engage every student and raising their awareness in the environment by organising exciting House competitions, games and exhibitions. Also, students have the opportunity to attend workshops about sustainability from prestigious organisations such as the WWF to learn more about the environmental problems the Earth is facing and what they can do on their part to help save the environment. The school also has its very own Greenlink Club, dedicated to trying to solve the worrisome environmental issues. They have been constantly in liase with external environmental conservation groups for environmental projects such as the Singapore Environmental Council over the years. For the school's efforts and continued dedication in environmental issues, National Junior College was awarded the Schools Green Audit Lotus Award in 2005, the highest environmental award attainable to schools. As students on the individual level, we can all do our part to help the Earth by switching off classroom lights and fans whenever we leave the classroom, taking public transport or carpooling to school instead of individual car rides and telling our friends to raise awareness for environmental issues to spread the love for the Earth.

Reflections 1 qu. 2

2. If you were to select an issue of foremost concern to Singapore out of those which were raised during the talk on sustainable development, which would that be? Why is this such a major concern?

In 2008, the total carbon emissions generated in Singapore is 36 million tonnes. Based on research the carbon footprint of a Singaporean equal to 33 African's carbon footprints. Organic carbon arise from different sources such as fuel combustion,manufacturing activities and air-conditioning. Most carbon emission comes from electricity generation(48%),industry(33%),transport(17%), building(1%),and household (1%)as in 2005. With the increasing greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere it causes the average global temperature to rise, leading to global warming. Global warming is a very serious issue as it causes extreme climate changes. Furthermore, ice bergs are melting which causes low lying areas to flood and eventually disappear. Global warming is also affecting Singapore, causing extreme climate changes. An example is the monsoon rain in December 2011, which caused flooding in Orchard road and other parts of Singapore. This has greatly affected Singapore's economy as businesses and shopping malls have to stop functioning, causing operators to suffer heavy losses. Therefore, this is a major concern in Singapore and requires the effort of everyone to prevent further destruction to the environment. Efforts are taken by the Singapore government to reduce carbon emission.

Reflections 1 qu. 1

1. After listening to the talk, are you able to explain in Singapore's context, what it means to achieve "sustainable development"?

In Singapore's context, sustainable development refers to developing Singapore in such a way that it becomes efficient, clean and green. Being efficient would be to manage resources carefully, so we do not waste our limited resources, allowing the resources to be left for future use. One of Singapore's guiding principles is "anticipating change and staying relevant". Hence, Singapore developed NEWater to ensure that we have sufficient clean water for the future, enabling us to be self-reliant and not be dependent on Malaysia for water. Singapore also works towards being clean and green, for example, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve preserves our natural greenery, enabling sustainable development. Therefore, by ensuring that we are self-reliant and play a part in conservation, we have achieved sustainable development.