Deepwater Horizon Disaster in Mexico

Deepwater Horizon Disaster Assignment



While the effects of the blowout and subsequent months of spewing crude on the marine ecosystem and on local animal and plant life are, undoubtedly, extensive, long-lasting, and massive in scale, I want us to focus on the environmental sociology of this disaster and to think about the effects on people.  The readings I assigned examined several different groups of people and how they were affected the Horizon blowout and its aftermath: the workers on the rig; the executives, managers, and companies overseeing operations; family members and friends of the 11 workers who perished in the explosion; local fishermen, restaurateurs, and others whose lives were depend on local seafood or tourism for a living; and, those who just live locally, whose mental health and physical health were heavily affected by the drastic change in water and air quality.



 

I would like for each of you to choose TWO (2) readings (you can count each chapter from the Antonia Juhasz book as a separate reading) and one or two groups of people from the list above and write me a 2-3-page essay responding to the following:

* First give me the major facts of the events as you understand them.  What happened?  Who was involved?  When and where did the events take place?  What were the short-term and long-term effects?



* Then tell me which group of people you’ve chosen, how they were involved in the blowout or its aftermath, and what were the effects on them, short-term or long-term.



* Finally, tell me what you think of this disaster, its multiple causes, and its effects on individuals and communities.  Whom do you hold responsible and what are your thoughts on what happened and what it reveals about the risks of deep water petroleum exploration?  We talked about Ulrich Beck’s concept of risk society, and drilling for oil so far out at sea and so far down are highly risky endeavors, so please tell me your thoughts on this type of oil exploration and our oil dependence.



* You do not have to do this but, if you would like to connect or relate this issue to the concepts of toxic communities, environmental racism or classism, or environmental justice, please add a paragraph or more on that at the end.

 

Remember to really spell out everything you say, to choose the few points you want to make very carefully and then state them strongly, offer me examples and then explain the examples.

 

Use 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and double-spacing.  Do NOT use any readings or resources other than the ones I assigned, the films we watched in class, or your notes from class for this paper.  Please email me with any questions, or you might raise them in class tomorrow.



Quotes are not necessary but, if you use any at all, keep them very brief and cite the source. Do not use web research or any reference materials other than the readings I assigned, the class we had on this topic, and any notes you took. This is NOT a research paper; this is a response and analysis paper.