Oil and Society (main)
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Oil and Society
As the world's most important energy source, oil plays a vital role in society. Oil consumption is a driving force in economic growth, and oil is the principal fuel for the world's transportation system. Oil corporations are among the world's largest, and they wield enormnous economic and political power, often times in controversial ways. Violent conflict over the world's remaining supplies of oil is now a dominant feature of global geopolitics.
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Featured Article 
Oil Pollution and Prevention regulation...Originally published in 1973 under the authority of the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation sets forth... More »
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Discharge of Oil regulation overviewUnder the legal authority of the Clean Water Act, the Discharge of Oil regulation, more commonly known as the "sheen... More »
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Congressional hearings on the Deepwater...This is a listing of Congressional hearings and briefings related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. House Committee on Natural Resources May 26, 2010, Outer... More »
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Impact on children and families of the...Editor's Note: This article is excerpted directly from: “Impact on Children and Families of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Preliminary Findings of the Coastal Population... More »
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Exposure pathways of hazardous substancesAn exposure pathway refers to the way in which a person may come into contact with a hazardous substance, whether it is a chemical, biological, or some other harmful substance.... More »
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Featured Video Fearing the future: BP's drilling disaster,...Date of Video: May 23, 2010 As the BP oil drilling disaster slowly unfolds, coastal community leaders and fishermen fear the worst and demand the truth from BP. Gulf Restoration... More »
- Featured Video Oil hits home: BP's drilling disaster, Gulf...Date of Video: Jun. 28, 2010 In the second month of the BP drilling disaster, Gulf Tides revisits the Atakapa-Ishak people of Grand Bayou Community, in lower Plaquemines Parish,... More »
- Featured Video SoLa: Lousiana water stories (1:46)Date of Video: Jul 2, 2010 Everywhere you look in Southern Louisiana (SoLa) there’s water – bayous, swamps, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico. And everyone... More »
- Featured Video The political chemistry of oil (18:06)Date of Video: Jun. 28, 2010 In the Gulf oil spill's aftermath, Lisa Margonelli says drilling moratoriums and executive ousters make for good theater, but distract from the issue... More »
Recently Updated
Oil Drilling Environmental Health Concerns Last Updated on 2014-11-29 21:42:39 This article, written by Charles W. Schmidt1, appeared first in Environmental Health Perspectives—the peer-reviewed, open access journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences The article is a verbatim version of the original and is not available for edits or additions by Encyclopedia of Earth editors or authors. Companion articles on the same topic that are editable may exist within the Encyclopedia of Earth. As Royal Dutch Shell and other oil companies prepare to drill offshore in the Alaskan Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), a new report commissioned by the Washington, DC–based Pew Environment Group concludes current response capabilities aren’t adequate to contain and clean up a major spill in the area.1 Marilyn Heiman, who directs the group’s U.S. Arctic program, says drilling on the Alaskan OCS requires a science-based... More » 
Arctic offshore oil exploration spill response planning Last Updated on 2012-05-11 00:00:00 Worldwide, oil and gas companies are being forced by resource declines to drill in less accessible areas, and the Arctic is their newest frontier. This article, written by Charles W. Schmidt*, appeared first in Environmental Health Perspectives—the peer-reviewed, open access journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The article is a verbatim version of the original and is not available for edits or additions by Encyclopedia of Earth editors or authors. Companion articles on the same topic that are editable may exist within the Encyclopedia of Earth. Offshore Exploration in the Arctic: Can Shell’s Oil-Spill Response Plans Keep Up? All around the world, oil and gas companies are being forced by resource declines to drill in less accessible areas, and the Arctic is their newest frontier. The geology above the Arctic... More » The forgotten coast (9:59) Last Updated on 2011-07-14 00:00:00 Mayor Van Johnson of Apalachicola Florida made a desperate plea this week for more support from the government and BP. Citizens and other officials also spoke out about the issue. More »
Letter to Senate on BP Gulf research Last Updated on 2011-07-13 00:00:00 Following is the final letter with 14 organizational signatories that was delivered to all Senators in the months following the Deepwater Horizon disaster. September 15, 2010 Re: Public access to independent scientific research assessments of the Gulf Dear Senator: As scientific organizations, we are concerned with the issue of intellectual property rights and ownership of research results that arise in the aftermath of incidents caused by industry, most recently, the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The public needs access to results and conclusions not affected by legal wrangling or private ownership. We are writing specifically to request that a source of independent funding for research on actual or potential industry impacts be available and dispersed from an independent source. After the Alaska oil spill in 1989, researchers studying its effects on natural... More » 
Oil and water just don't mix Last Updated on 2011-05-18 00:00:00 Oil and water just don’t mix; opinions on deepwater exploration are just as polar. This unit provides teachers with resources to teach about oil in the marine environment and to bring these issues to the surface. Lesson 1: Students will use technology to research current affairs on environmental issues pertaining to oil spills. Students will gain a background understanding of the impact of the Deep Water Horizon spill. Students will make judgments about the efficacy of cleanup response.Students will compare and contrast the efficacy of response to various oil spills.Students will discuss the importance of oil to our society. Students will investigate the chemical properties of oil. Lesson 2:Students will gain an understanding of the environmental impacts of oil to an aquatic community. Students will investigate clean-up methods for oil, highlighting the distinctions... More » 
