How bad is it? Will the oil reach our Sarasota beaches?
I think if any does reach our beaches it will be in very small quantities. But time will prove me right or wrong. What do you think? We welcome your comments below.
In the following article we will look at some important aspects of the current Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. And how the press is not making it clear to the American public that as bad as the spill is, it is not and most likely will not be the worst oil spill the Gulf of Mexico has ever seen. The press simply by adding the words “US” after “Worst in”, can make is sound worse than it really is. As we all know nothing sells more papers and attracts more people to read a news article than “Worst Ever”. So let’s take a closer look at how this spill stacks up against a much bigger spill some 30 years ago in the Gulf of Mexico.
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If BP is able to stop the Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill by August 15th an estimated total of 18 million gallons will be spilled in Gulf of Mexico according to current projections.
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In 1979-1980 The Ixtoc spilled 140 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico
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What was the impact that the Ixtoc spill had on the environment and economy?
The Projected End of Spill
Projected time for the oil spill to be stopped is sometime in August according to BP in an ABC online News Article:
“…..The eyes of the world are on the ongoing disaster, and BP is drilling relief wells to divert the leaking oil if nothing else works. The company has said it should be done by August.” Click here to see the ABC News Article
The Projected Amount
“So far by day 37 (in an article dated June 2nd ) it is estimated 6 million gallons have spilled” Click here to see the USA Today Article
By August 15th (twice as long as the 37 days that started on June 2nd) there should be a total of 18 million gallons spilled in gulf
Compared to 140 million gallons of oiled spilled from the Ixtoc disaster. Click here to see a chart of other spills
“The 2-mile-deep exploratory well, Ixtoc I, blew out on June 3, 1979 in the Bay of Campeche off Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico. By the time the well was brought under control in March, 1980, an estimated 140 million gallons of oil had spilled into the bay.”
7½ times as much oil as is projected from the current spill.
Ixtoc Oil Spill Impact
“The Ixtoc spill, ‘despite being of great proportions did not (…) cause the deadly environmental impact over the diverse communities and elements that make up the Campeche Sound.’ But another study, carried out by Swedish researchers in 1981, appears to contradict that view.” Click here to see the BBC News Article concerning the 1979 Ixtoc spill
Significant Conclusions
The results of the economic impact analyses conducted following the IXTOC I and BURMAH AGATE oil spills indicated that: (1) the only significant decline in tourism within the 19-county region of the Texas coast was noted in the South Padre Island area; (2) there was no negative impact upon tourism from the BURMAH AGATE spill at the subregional level, while the IXTOC I spill was estimated to have decreased tourist activity by approximately four million dollars; this difference was attributed to the seasons during which the spills occurred; and (3) the estimated costs of the IXTOC I spill to industry and government made it one of the world’s most expensive oil spills. Click here to read the entire IXTOC I Oil Spill Economic Impact Study
“….the BP spill seems to be repeating one truth already demonstrated in the Ixtoc spill … that human technology is no match for a high-pressure undersea oil blowout … scientists are hoping that it may eventually confirm another: that the environment has a stunning capacity to heal itself from manmade insults.”
“The environment is amazingly resilient, more so than most people understand,” says Luis A. Soto, a deep-sea biologist with advanced degrees from Florida State University and the University of Miami who teaches at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
“To be honest, considering the magnitude of the spill, we thought the Ixtoc spill was going to have catastrophic effects for decades …But within a couple of years, almost everything was close to 100 percent normal again.”
That kind of optimism was unthinkable at the time of the spill, which took nearly 10 months to cap. The 30,000 barrels of oil a day it spewed into the ocean obliterated practically every living thing in its path. As it washed ashore, in some zones marine life was reduced by 50 percent; in others, 80 percent. Click here to read the Article
Aftermath of Ixtoc
Even after 31 years, the final effect of the Ixtoc 1 oil spill is not fully known. However, it is clear that it did not produce wide-scale environmental disaster or species extinction. The oil was dispersed or literally eaten within a couple years. Undoubtedly, as with Deepwater Horizon, countless birds and aquatic animals died. One additional effect that may prove important is that of the dispersant chemicals which BP used on the oil. These chemicals are highly toxic and may prove to be even more damaging than the oil itself. But this is speculative.
Click here to read more
June 21st, 2010 at 6:42 am
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June 22nd, 2010 at 12:37 pm
The spill is a real tragedy, our thoughts are with all Gulf/Florida coast residents. While it will clearly have a big effect on waterfront real estate, the impact on everyone’s lives in the area will be great.
Let’s hope someone steps up and gets a fix started soon.
Sam DeBord
Broker, Realtor, SeattleHome.com
June 24th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Since the few inadequate studies on the mexican blowout were cut off after the oil was dispersed we’ll never know the full impact. Good, ongoing studies are important to learn what happens, when and the results. Most governments and certainly no business, especially the oil business, is interested in learning the truth. They would rather have ambguity and the ability to obfuscate the issue and so shift blame for economic hardship and environemental damage to other reasons, or no reason, in the best case. So, no one will ever know the full extent of the damage because the powers that be want it that way. Meanwhile the damage will continue as long as we let oil companies, or any industry for that matter, do whatever they want. I guess we could try to get Congress and local legislators to stop accepting bribes from these companies. Don’t hold your breath on that one!
July 30th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
The oil spill in the gulf is surely one of the most awful diasters of this century. While the destruction of the twin towers was constrained within that small area of ground zero, this oil spill stretches out across the ocean, upon wildlife, formerly beautiful coastline and also local industry. I really pray that this disaster is solved as soon as possible.
January 25th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
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