USA's Eco-Infrastructureby Shreya Chaudhuri | 21-12-2020 12:19 |
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The USA has a long history of environmental protection starting from the native american population that cultivated the land from generations. They treated the land to ensure the survival of the future generation since they believed that no one ever owns the land. However, this legacy was halted by the European settlers, who introduced their different climate mindsets that focused on conquering and exploited the natives' land. There have since been many environmental regulations that have been implemented in the US after witnessing the price of negligence to our planet. I will focus on the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill 2010 and Endangered Species Act of 1973. BP Oil Spill: The BP Oil Spill was one of the largest environmental disasters in history. Deepwater Horizon was a drilling rig for Transocean in the Gulf of Mexico, despite it technically operating under a Marshallese flag of convenience. On April 20th, 2010, methane gas rose and exploded in the drilling rig. 11 of the rig workers went missing and were never found, while 17 of the 94 rescued workers had injuries. 2 days later, the Deepwater Horizon sank. The oil spill was discovered on April 22nd as well. The oil spill happened for 87 days. Although BP originally claimed the oil¡¯s flow rate was around 1,000 to 5,000 barrels/day, the true flow was 63,000 barrels/day, almost 58-62,000 more barrels/day more than BP¡¯s estimate. The total amount of leaked oil went to about 4.9 million barrels or 210 million gallons. The BP oil spill affected the Alambama, Florida,and Mississippi coastlines. Some short-term solutions included burning or skimming the oil, but safer and cleaner options were employed sooner. Oil dispersants were used, but environmental corporations said that these dispersants were dangerous toxic pollutants to the environment and human beings. Combustion, off-shore filtration, and bioremediation were all used to dispose of the oil. The bioremediation with oil-eating microorganisms was the most sustainable option. The cleanup took about 4 years, although the effects of the oil spill remain and continue to harm wildlife. BP paid $18.7 billion in settlements. This oil spill led to Obama creating the National Ocean Council to help prevent and assess these marine disasters. Endangered Species Act - The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is the prominent law in the United States of America that protects endangered species. However, it took a long time for it to be implemented. Beginning in the early 1900s, there were concerned people requesting for the protection of several animal species, as the disappearance and extinction of many animals was already evident by the 1900s. For instance, people were mainly concerned about the disappearance of bison, whooping cranes, both of which used to be abundant until that period in time. As a reaction to this movement, the Congress created the Lacey Act of 1900, in which the killing of animals in between states was no longer okay. A 1937 treaty called the Migratory Bird Conservation Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 (and another 1937 unnamed treaty about whale preservation) followed after the formation of the Lacey Act. The first Endangered Species Preservation Act took place in 1966. The Department of Interior created a list of 14 mammals, 36 birds, 6 reptiles, 6 amphibians, and 22 fish for preservation. Another Endangered Conservation Act took place in 1969 and called for an international meeting on endangered organisms protection. Soon, a 1973 meeting in Washington DC took place and formed the comprehensive treaty CITES. However, despite these actions. Nixon still decided that enough work was not being done to conserve and protect endangered species. The 1973 version of the Endangered Species Act was known as a notable and significant American environmental protection law. It is considered to be one of the best acts in the world regarding endangered species protection. Some details are as follows - a critical habitat must be formed for the animals, the species must be listed in the act, ¡°any commerce of an endangered species is prohibited.¡±, and more. These rules have changed the way that USA treats climate crisis, but it is necessary to remember that the USA is a big contributor to pollution and we have a long ways to go.
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