Since the discovery of oil and the emergence of the petroleum industry, the human impact on nature and the environment has grown exponentially. It was the moment when humanity became an active partaker in climate change. As of now, the overall influence can be described as primarily negative. It is because “oil is a toxic substance and has harmful effects on both the natural and cultural resources,” and the human factor is another cause (Effects of oil spills, n.d., para. 1). People deliberately and unintentionally influence the local and global climate in many ways, and oil spills are one of them. Oil spills are destructive to ecosystems; they lead to adverse ecological changes (Effects of oil spills, n.d.). It is also noteworthy that some cleaning methods result in carbon dioxide emissions, accelerating climate change (Charpentier, 2017). As one can see, oil spills and climate change are two deeply interrelated environmental phenomena.
The current status of the relationship between humanity and the environment can be described as damaging for the latter. This statement also applies to the discussed topic of oil spills. As noted above, they poison local flora and fauna and disturb many natural processes (Effects of oil spills, n.d.). A dead ecosystem leads to desertification of the area and, consequently, significant negative climate change. Getting rid of an oil slick is a complex process that requires a quick response and many human resources. Some methods include using special oil-eating bacteria and burning the oil spill (Charpentier, 2017). Each of them leads to massive emissions of carbon dioxide. This gas is one of the leading causes of global temperature rise and climate change.
References
Charpentier, W. (2017). How to remove oil from sea water. Sciencing. Web.
Effects of oil spills. (n.d.). National Park Service. Web.