Ocean Floor Resources

One of the biggest issues involving exploitation of deep sea resources is the potential for environmental damage that these activities can have on the ocean. Nowhere is this more evident than in the debate over whether to expand or reduce eliminate the use of offshore oil platforms to drill for oil. Although the debate between those who support expansion of drilling and those who support reducing it has been going on for decades, the arguments have intensified in the aftermath of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that happened in April 2010.

Supporters of drilling argue that the US needs to be energy independent, and that offshore drilling is an important part of any national energy policy, while those who are opposed to increased drilling point to the explosion as evidence that it can have great potential to harm the environment and threaten the surrounding communities of people making a living off the ocean, such as fisherman and those in tourism.

What do you think? Does America needs to access offshore oil? Is offshore drilling safe for current and future generations of humans and wildlife? Post your responses to these questions in the discussions area. Then, return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates’ posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation. Make sure to include any statistics, images, or real-life events that support your answer.

Before you begin, access the Offshore Drilling Discussion Rubric to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.