By Ella Chan,
Staff Writer
Imagine your home is no longer livable. Your food is poisonous and the very air you breathe is toxic. As you look around, you see that your friends and neighbors are either ill from toxic sludge or already dead from it.
This is happening right now to marine life affected by the oil spill off the coast of Newport. After a pipe leak spilled at least 25,000 gallons into the ocean on Oct. 2, life native to the California coast, such as sea lions, otters, sea turtles and more, found their homes from Newport Beach all the way to Huntington Beach suddenly flooded with oil. Talbert Marsh, an ecological reserve that houses endangered species like the California Least Tern and Snowy Plover, saw irreparable damage.
Oil spills are not an uncommon occurrence. Thousands of oil spills smaller than a barrel occur every year, and according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, over 44 oil spills, in which more than 420,000 gallons of oil spilled in each, have occurred in US waters since 1969. Thus, it is not surprising that oil spills account for 12% of all oil that makes its way into the ocean. However, crude oil is extremely harmful to ecosystems dependent on the oceans it spills into.
Oil condenses into a thick layer that suffocates many animals living within the ocean, and wildlife that repeatedly return to the surface for air are more susceptible to oil inhalation and ingestion when they break the ocean surface. When exposed to oil, animals can sometimes develop digestive issues that often lead to further health complications. According to the NOAA, oil exposure can even cause reproductive issues, which is detrimental to the balance of delicate ecosystems and endangers species.
While oil spill clean-ups help to prevent further damage from occurring, they do not erase the harm already caused. Thus, we should ensure oil spills do not occur in the first place. Society should abandon fossil fuels entirely and focus on incorporating renewable energy sources. Start small, in your own home and community, by investing in cars and appliances that rely on electricity rather than gas, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
As more people take to the idea of relying on renewable energy sources, contact your state and federal legislator and ask them to prioritize policies that promote cleaner energy solutions. If enough people invest in renewable energy sources, the need for fossil fuels will become obsolete, leaving the oil industry no choice but to stop destroying ecosystems.
While other renewable energy sources are becoming more accessible to the general populace, crude oil increases in rarity. As fossil fuels become a fuel source outcompeted by other power sources, it is not worth the wildlife lost.
We are citizens of California, where much of our state pride is founded in our beaches and the unique wildlife that live there. Therefore, we have a unique responsibility to conserve marine life and prevent human-induced disasters, oil spills included.