The air, water and ground pollution caused by oil drills and the resulting oil fields scar the landscape.
There is no denying that drilling for oil means big money for many companies. As the world continues its seemingly relentless thirst for oil in 2011, these companies are constantly searching for new sources of this "black gold." As new oil wells are opened all over the world, often little consideration is given for the negative impact on the surrounding landscapes and environment. An oil well can adversely affect the area around it in some profound ways.
Water Pollution
Oil drills produce a large amount of toxins that can easily find their way into water sources. During normal operation, an oil drill creates a large amount of wastewater that is often stored in open pits. This sludge can find its way into local topside or underground water supplies. An oil drill might also use a technique called hydraulic fracturing, which involves forcing massive amounts of water and chemicals into the ground to fracture rocks. This toxic soup can easily bleed into underground water sources, which then may make its way into drinking water.
Air Pollution
Oil drilling also produces a large amount of air pollutants. Emissions from an oil drill can include nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide, which both cause very adverse effects on air conditions and cause acid rain. In addition, oil drills also emit particulates into the air. Particulates are very fine solid matter particles that get suspended in the air; these can cause severe health problems including lung cancer. Along with those pollutants which occur during normal operation, the flare-offs that an oil drill uses to regulate gas pressure also release into the air heavy metals which are also linked with many serious health conditions, including birth defects.
Wildlife
Local wildlife is severely affected by oil drills in many ways. The pollutants in air and water are just as dangerous to animals as they are to humans, causing health problems and eroding habitats. Oil drills run nonstop and the noise and light produced, created by not only the drill itself but also the constant traffic to and from the drill site, cause a disruption to local wildlife. This forces the wildlife population to disperse over wider areas and possibly move into regions that will not be able to support it. The migratory patterns of birds are also altered by the locations of oil drills; the full impact of this is still not fully understood.
Landscape
In addition to the health dangers that oil drills create for both humans and local wildlife, oil drills also severely impact the landscape around them. From the pollutants in the air and water and the increased industrial traffic, the aesthetic beauty of a region is irrevocably damaged. The loss of plant and animal life in a region due to pollution and toxins as well as light and noise pollution scars the landscape. For an example of the catastrophic devastation that oil rigs can cause, look no further then the Niger Delta and the blackened lifeless swamps that now litter the region.
