Mara Thompson--Love Canal Assignment

Here is my article about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010:

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/areas/gulfofmexico/gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-updates.xml

Reactions:

Michaela: It’s really sad to think about how many fish and other sea creatures died.

Madeleiene: The oil spill is depressing and it’s frustrating to think about how much money has been spent on it.

Beth: It’s sad to think about how the sea habitat was ruined and how many creatures, especially the ducks, were affected.

Makinsey: I was rather upset to think about how many creatures were killed and forced out of their habitats.

Jett: I became amazed at drilling technologies, as I’ve never studied them before. And I was impressed at how the clean-up went.

Paula: I was appalled that something so vital to the oil rig could break and cause a horrible, environmental tragedy.

Margaret: The oil made it so hard for the animals to live.

Marinn: I felt sad to think about the poisoned sea life.

Nia: It was horrible and someone needed to take responsibility for it.

Andrew: It was something that was devastating to the environment.

My responses:

Q: Why would we care about something that happened over 30 years ago?

A: We can learn so many lessons from the Love Canal issue. By looking back on the past, we can do all we can to ensure that something of this magnitude doesn't occur again. We can do this by disposing of industrial waste in a smarter way and by more carefully researching the local environments to better make life decisions, such as buying a home. If we don't look back on the past and learn all we can, we'll just make the same mistakes over and over. 

Q: In your opinion, are environmental hazards something we should be concerned about on a daily basis?

A: Most definitely. They can directly and indirectly affect us in so many ways. We should always do what we can to be aware of our environmental surroundings and stay up to date on environmental research and hazards. 

Q: Environmental tragedies still exist today; what can we do today to mitigate these problems?

A: I think the biggest thing we can do is to research environmental hazards and be constantly aware. When we're aware, we're in the position to act on received information and do what we can to improve our surroundings. We can also try to take care of the environment and be sure to not create any large-scale issues or hazards.