exxon valdez Essay - 503 Words

At four minutes past midnight, on March 24, 1989 the Exxon Valdez crashed into the Bligh Reef located in the northeastern part of the Prince William Sound. The ship was loaded with 1,264,155 barrels of oil. Approximately one-fifth of the cargo was spilt into the sea, which totaled to 11.2 million gallons. Due to strong northeastern winds the oil could not be contained, leaving the water into an emulsion that will not burn and is nearly impossible to remove from the surface. Oil continued to move southwest eventually reaching the Alaskan Peninsula. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989 was a significant event, which heightened environmental awareness in both the business and private sectors of the United States. The cause of the spill as†¦show more content†¦On the national level changes were made which heightened environmental awareness as well. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was written and passed which raised liability, set up new prevention measures and a response fund. Exxon was fined millions of dollars as a result of their negligence. First they were fined $150 million, the largest fine ever for an environmental fine. Exxon next agreed to a $100 million dollar fine for wildlife damage. Finally in the civil settlement they agreed to pay $900 million dollars over a 10-year period. By imposing these fines the government wanted to make sure nothing like this would ever happen again. The U.S. Coast Guard now monitors all tankers, via satellite as they pass through the Valdez Narrows, around Bligh Island and as they exit the Prince William Sound at the Hinchinbrook Entrance. Prior to the spill tankers were only watched as they cruised through the Valdez Narrows. Two escort ships are now required to follow every tanker and are equipped to assist in the case of an emergency. Only one escort ship was used before the tragedy. Specially trained captains with much experience are now aboard ships during the entire voyage through the Sound, making sure safe navigation practices are used. The debate continues over whether a spill like the Exxon Valdez could be contained with all these new regulations. However the ability of both industry and government to respond has been significantly raised during the last ten years as a resultShow MoreRelatedThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill1718 Words   |  7 PagesThe Exxon Valdez A corporation has a moral duty to ensure that their products and operations do not cause harm to society and the environment. There are significant factors that must be taken into consideration to ensure the proper response is put forth if disaster rears its ugly head. Many times, when disaster strikes, companies do not always make the appropriate response, or they do not remediate the problem efficiently enough to maximize their efforts. The Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 is aRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill1090 Words   |  5 PagesThis presentation features the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which significantly affected the environment in and around Valdez, Alaska. In this connection, Group D will explore: the background information of Prince William Sound, the oil business in Valdez and the event of the oil spill. Next, the team defines the problems – that is, the effects of the spill – what damage did it cause. After, we will diagnose the issues – meaning that the group intends to pinpoint the root causes of the problems. The nextRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill1663 Words   |  7 PagesThe Exxon Valdez oil spill was the largest oil spill in U.S history. It was a catastrophic disaster that the U.S swore to learn from. Twenty two years later as the prevention procedures became complacent, the Deepwater Horizon explosion made us re-examine our procedures as a nation. The Deepwater Horizon explosion is now the second worst oil spill in the world following the Gulf War Oil Spill in Kuwait in 1991. The U.S used similar techniques to clean the water as the Exxon Valdez clean up, howeverRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez Left Port1425 Words   |  6 PagesLooking back on the night of March 24, 1989 when the Exxon Valdez left port, it seemed as though the ship had only lasted as long as it had by running on luck and hope. With the company trying to save money and the crew working on fumes, things were headed down a dark path. One of the wonderful t hings about being human is our ability to look back on events that have occurred and learn from them. Unfortunately for Exxon, it took a catastrophic accident like this one to show how operations could beRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill1150 Words   |  5 PagesThe Exxon-Valdez oil spill occurred on March 24, 1989, when the tanker Exxon Valdez, transporting oil from Valdez, Alaska to Los Angeles, California, ran aground on the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The root cause of the accident was the captain. After passing through Valdez Narrows, pilot Murphy left the vessel and Captain Hazelwood took over the wheelhouse. It was Captain Hazelwood who made the decision to steer the ship off its normal path in order to avoid a run in with ice. ForRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill1581 Words   |  7 Pagestoday. Through the instances of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the Kuwait Oil Fires, the Hurricane Katrina devastation and the Sydney Tar Ponds, this paper will develop an argument supporting the idea that governments should be given the responsibility to handle environmental hazards that result from the prior use of resources as well as environmental regulations that are no longer up to standard. Arguments/Examples I. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill To begin, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill was a man-made environmentalRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill1999 Words   |  8 PagesPart 1 – Briefly describe the Exxon Valdez oil spill: On March 24th 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in Prince William Sound Alaska, spilling roughly 10.8 gallons of crude oil polluting over a thousand miles of Alaska’s coast (Gerken, 2014). At its time, it was the worst oil spill in history, lasting for several days. It was caused by the negligence of the captain who was reportedly intoxicated at the time. The oil was very quickly dispersed over a wide area of land because of extremeRead More Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Essay1835 Words   |  8 Pages Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ABSTRACT nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In March of 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. An eighteen foot wide hole was ripped into the hull, and 10.9 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. In the following weeks, many things transpired. This paper will discuss the cleanup, the damage, and the results of the biggest oil spill in United States history. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;On March 24, 1989, inRead MoreExxon Valdez Oil Spill Essay1855 Words   |  8 PagesExxon Valdez Oil Spill ABSTRACT In March of 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. An eighteen foot wide hole was ripped into the hull, and 10.9 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the ocean. In the following weeks, many things transpired. This paper will discuss the cleanup, the damage, and the results of the biggest oil spill in United States history. On March 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound Alaska, the Exxon Valdez was movingRead MoreThe Exxon Valdez And Bp Oil Spill1309 Words   |  6 PagesHuerta Anth 231 Dr. Pitchon 12/11/12 References Gill, Duane A., J. Steven Picou, and Liesel A. Ritchie. The Exxon Valdez and BP oil spills: a Comparison of Initial Social and Psychological Impacts. American Behavioral Scientist (2011): 3-23. This article was concerned in identifying psychological impact of disasters. The article analyzed the psychological effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and the 2010 BP oil spill. The article discussed how years after these disasters the environment and

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My first fight Free Essays

I was a ferocious lion. I lost my temper uncontrollably. Nathan was bleeding incessantly from his nose. We will write a custom essay sample on My first fight or any similar topic only for you Order Now Blood imputed on my right knee and my left hand. The entire playground stood motionless. I could perceive each and every person looking at me with sheer admiration. They gazed at me like I was a lion and Nathan was a gazelle, regardless of Nathan being virtually twice my stature. I can still remember the events of my first fight as if they took place yesterday. I was pushed in to taking part in such an abhorrent incident on the first day of primary school during my first six months in the country. My uncle revealed to me that the reason that I had not begun school immediately was because my family arrived to the country halfway through the academic year. My family and I had just started to settle down in the country, adapting to the weather and the environment when my parents wounded me with the news that they had found me a school to grace with my presence. Endeavouring to learn a new language was demanding enough, let alone new children, teachers and books all of whom spoke a different language. The majority of the children in my class had all attended the nursery and infants before entering primary school. Therefore, I did not share, or relate to the experiences they shared together, like playing with the sand building castles, competing in various skipping games, riding on bicycles, drinking milk in the afternoons and having much fun with the paint. As a result, I felt disconcerted by so many questions rushing through my head. Was I going to be accepted into one of or any of these groups of eight year olds? Was I going to be the only one without a partner when doing paired work? Was I going to be the only one sitting unaccompanied in the dining hall? Unfortunately, the events that took place aggravated me more than I expected. On the first day when the teacher was introducing me to the class, I felt so unbefitting and mortified when she publicized I had just arrived from another country. There was that split-second when some of the children looked at me like I was an outsider, an alien. Voices were whispering from each corner of the room â€Å"who is he?† I felt isolated, remote, and would never have contemplated that after two days their thoughts would be on the contrary. After being introduced to the class by my teacher, Ms fielding introduced me to Carl, who would accompany me for the day. She then seated the pair of us on a table with two other children Nathan and David. It was time for literacy hour and everyone had to write about what they accomplished over the half-term break. As my skills were not to the standard of the other children, I decided to have a peak at what the others were writing about. To my amazement, nobody actually seemed to be doing any work apart from Carl, who later spent the majority of the morning session at the toilet. Meanwhile, David decided to smell a mixture of pens, which to this day I think is very peculiar. Nathan had written down the title â€Å"My First Fight†, but then started to doodle on a spotless new table. David brought his sniffing to a standstill and began a conversation with Nathan about football. The rest of the class were having extremely noisy conversations, in contempt of the teacher’s n umerous shrieks to bring the noise to an end. It seemed that she had absolutely no control over people a third of her age. Nevertheless, there was one person who had an immense effect on the class, Mrs Fassal, the deputy-head teacher. The second she walked in the class was so quiet a pin drop could be heard. As she walked in she had a quick glance around the classroom and she became aware of the vandalising offence Nathan had committed. She bellowed at our table asking â€Å"Who did it?† There was a slight pause. The whole class was listening as if they were an audience to a verdict. Mrs Fassal shouted again, â€Å"Who did it?† â€Å"The new boy did it Mrs Fassal†, Nathan alleged. â€Å"Yeah, the new boy did it Mrs Fassal†. David accused. â€Å"And you Carl, did you see anything?† â€Å"No Miss, I was at the toilet† Carl replied. I felt trapped like a wild animal in a cage big enough only for a mouse. I was so infuriated with Nathan’s spitefulness, blaming me for his relentless vandalising acts. Nonetheless, I had a feeling that soon, very soon, Nathan would pay for his horrendous accusations. Mrs Fassal would not listen to any of my cries for help. However, she kept me back at morning break and yelled at me so loud, Carl later said he heard her in a playground full of screaming children. After morning break, I remained with Mrs Fassal until lunchtime, but I was sanctioned to have my lunch break. As Carl was my escort for the day, he invited me to play a game of football with him and his friends. Nevertheless, some of Carl’s acquaintances particularly Nathan, seemed uptight on the subject of allowing me to engage in recreation. I was not perturbed in the slightest way, even so Carl managed to persuade them for me to join the game. During the first five minutes of the game, I did not touch the ball, instead I decided to see how everyone played. It emerged that Nathan was physically the biggest in comparison to the other boys and was using this to his advantage. I noticed that all Nathan was doing was jostling anyone that came near him, or whenever he wanted the ball. None of the players seemed to confront Nathan or show any sign of discomfort. Instead, they gave out the impression they were frightened Nathan would hurt them if they showed any sign of discomposure. Throughout my observation of the game, unexpectedly the ball arrived at my feet. Nathan was scampering towards me. We all knew what he was out to do. He had that look on his face like a tiger just about to take down his prey. Passing the ball was not an option, it was a game of knockouts, and it was everyman for himself. There were two options available to me, either to be clamped down and fall to the ground, or move out the way as soon as he lunged at me. I felt like a gazelle being run at by a lion. It was a split-second decision, so I decided to kick the ball to the left and spin around to the right as soon as he lunged at me. He fell to the ground as if he had been shot in the back. The entire playground stood in total and complete amazement. Nathan was a raging bull. He went on his knees and tilted his head up with a fuming look, as though he was about to eradicate someone. I warned him and said â€Å"No fighting, fighting no good† however I knew he was going to take no notice. He roared like a lion and charged at me like a rampant bull. As Nathan tried to rugby tackle me I seized him in a headlock and kneed him in the face continuously. Fortunately, for Nathan we were detached by Mr Chiriste, the school keeper. All the anger Nathan had caused me earlier, all the fury, all the upset, in addition to me being yelled at until I nearly cried was released in those few seconds. Thankfully I did not get into a great deal of trouble despite the fact I caused Nathan to bleed. The majority of the children in the playground backed me up by saying Nathan started the fight and I fought in self-defence. The chance of me losing my temper was as likely as Mike Tyson not losing his after being slapped in the face. Even at the tender age of eight, I never lost my temper unless exceedingly provoked. It is almost impossible to imagine what it takes for such a tranquil eight year old to reach that point of anger. On that particular Wednesday, that level of anger was caused by Nathan Tyler, and he paid the price for his actions. Looking back on my first fight, I think it is quite comical why I became so discoloured over such a minor incident. If I was in Nathan’s situation I would have almost certainly preferred to blame the new boy, rather than face a monster like Mrs Fassal. Nevertheless, the thought of eight year olds making each other bleed is quite frightening. How to cite My first fight, Papers