Oil in the Gulf- How Greenlots can Help

On April 20th an explosion on the Horizon, an oil rig operated by BP 42 miles (68 km) from Venice, Louisiana, triggered a chain of events that has left millions of gallons of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. In line to be the worst man made environmental disaster in US history and one of the world’s most devastating oil spills, the ecological and economic fallout from this spill will be enormous.

Source: US Coast Guard

BP and the US Government have estimated 5,000 barrels of oil are spewing into the ocean every day; a number that many scientists and environmentalists say is too conservative based on recently released footage of the open pipeline. In a meeting with members of US Congress on May 4th, BP officials acknowledged numbers could be as high as 60,000 barrels a day.

To see what these numbers mean in real terms, click here.

At 5,000 ft below the surface, the depth of the open well has created an unprecedented challenge for BP engineers. So far all efforts to stop the oil flow have failed. Measures to seal the well could take two to three months to complete by which point 18.9 to 226.8 million gallons of oil will have spilled. The Exxon Valdez spill released 11.38 million gallons by comparison.

In the meantime, BP and a number of US Government agencies are attempting to contain the slick using chemical dispersements, controlled burns of oil, and miles of booms. Both chemical dispersements and controlled burning are extremely toxic to the environment and could cause as much ecological harm as the oil slick itself. Because the use of chemicals (whose components have been kept secret) is experimental, we will not know their effects until well after the oil has cleared.

Source: Reuters

The reality is spills like this can be prevented. As our need for oil increases and supply of oil dwindles, oil companies are encouraged to pursue high risk drilling operations at depths and extremes their technology may not be able to handle.

By making the switch to electric vehicles consumers can decrease demand for oil. 47% of a barrel of oil is used for gasoline. Switching to electric vehicles means cutting our oil needs in half. What’s more, because the power for electric vehicles can come from a variety of sources, such as wind, solar, or hydro, cars can be charged with cheaper, cleaner energy. Not only will an increase in electric cars mean less dependence on oil for transportation and decrease greenhouse gases, it relieves pressure on your wallet as well.

At Greenlots we are dedicated to reducing the world’s dependence on oil. We believe the health of the environment depends on switching to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are the space where the needs of the consumer and the health of the environment are in sync. Together, we can change our dependence on oil and prevent the devastation currently underway in the Gulf of Mexico.

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