The environmental impact of offshore oil drilling far outweighs the economic benefits it provides. Although it has been a continuous activity for more than a decade, one cannot help but wonder why offshore drilling continues when you consider the pollution it causes, how it eliminates natural resource supplies, kills innocent marine creatures, and actually harms the national economy. There are, however, solutions to this problem. Before solutions can be presented, it is important to discuss the various problems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, offshore oil drilling causes both marine and land-based pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, claims that “offshore drilling involves significant routine pollution in the form of oil and gas.” By routine, the EPA means “a near-constant flow from oil rigs and derricks” (Sisskin). Nothing is ever done about pollution and until something is done about oil released into the sea, our oceans will be at risk. So, how much oil is being put into the oceans? According to a study conducted by the World Research Institute, “between 3 and 6 million tons of oil are dumped into the oceans every year” (Gorman 48). To put that into perspective, that's about 4 football stadiums filled to the brim with oil. This happens every year and has been going on for more than a decade. In total, 45 million tons of oil have been released into the oceans in the last ten years. There are several ways oil ends up in the oceans. One method is through drilling accidents and another is through spills from tanks and other transportation. In 1990 alone, 1/8 of the total oil discharged "occurred daily in the Port of New York - New Jersey" (American Oceans Campaign). And that's only one-eighth of the total oil spilled. Take a moment and think about how much oil was spilled: one-eighth of 6 million tons equals 750,000 tons of oil in the Port of New York - New Jersey alone. These large concentrations of oil often devastate marine life and can lead to the extinction of species that inhabit that area. Christos Papoutsis, the European Commission's energy commissioner, said that when it comes to oil, "disposal at sea is neither a realistic nor a desirable option" (Cutter). And he's right. The current effects of dumping crude oil into the ocean have serious impacts on marine life and the surrounding environment. Companies that dump crude oil into the oceans, for whatever reason, simply don't have the foresight to accurately see the results of their actions. And pollution from offshore drilling doesn't stop at marine pollution. In addition to marine pollution, offshore drilling also creates air pollution. Often, when companies drill for oil, they “encounter packets of natural gas leaking into the air” (Sisskin). The reality is that companies drilling for oil are equipped to handle natural gas siphoning when they encounter it, but they simply choose not to. The natural gas then escapes into the environment where it is capable of causing harm not only in the form of global warming, but also mixing to form poisonous toxins in the atmosphere. Offshore oil drilling isn't just responsible for pollution; it does even more. Offshore oil drilling will not only leave a lasting impact on marine life, but will also deplete natural resources. Offshore drillingthey remove natural resources that “the world will seek in the oceans in the 21st century” (Environmental News Network). It is already clear that our marine resources are under undue stress. In a short time, all the effects of the depleted oceans will reach us. Countries that depend on the oceans for their economy will simply collapse. The stress imposed on the oceans has a major impact on the creatures that populate the area. One of the leaders of the oil industry, Shell, “has not improved its environmental performance in the Niger Delta” (Rowell 101). The result of this was the death of more than 3 million sea creatures and a reduction in marine life around the oil rig within a quarter-mile radius. Consider a similar effect for every oil rig in existence, and it's clear why there has been a severe reduction in marine life. And the sea isn't the only place where offshore disasters can occur. The tanks used to store oil after transportation to shore are dangerous to the environment with approximately “a quarter of underground gas stations in the United States leaking” (Rowell 104). Leaks from underground flowed into waterways, killing both terrestrial and marine life along the way until the leaks reached waterways used for drinking water, and then the full impact would be seen. So, with these types of pollution, is offshore drilling at least somewhat environmentally safe? The results provided are only from a simple underground leak. A real oil spill has a much greater impact on marine life. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill, only 2,400 California otters remained. This number is small compared to “nearly double that number [who] were killed during the Alaska spill” (AOC). That's about two-thirds of California's otter population lost to a single spill. At the current rate, the California otter faces extinction due to the oil spill. This is just one example of the many species now at risk of extinction due to offshore oil drilling. So, with all these problems, is offshore drilling worth the cost, maintenance and repair of offshore rigs? The answer is clearly no. In reality, offshore oil extraction is not economically feasible. The main reason offshore drilling is not feasible is because it takes "a hundred million barrels [of oil] in a small area to make it feasible" (Bunin). When referring to a small area, an oil rig must produce that many barrels within a fifty yard area, which is very rare. Failure to do so often results in a loss of profits for the company, which in turn causes them to recover money in any way possible. The obvious solution is to build more plants in an attempt to claw back profits. However, when you fail to make a profit, the cycle repeats. But companies don't just pay for plants that don't generate money. Companies that fail to comply with environmental regulations face fines that are “rare, but often large” (Department of Justice). Companies pay an average of more than $8.3 million in fines for pollution and unsafe work environments. Unfortunately, for most companies, this amount of money amounts to almost nothing. While the fines are large, they are never enough to stop a company from continuing to drill. Fines for spills are insignificant, as "the Department of Justice collected less than $30 million in 1990 for all environmental violations" (The Wilderness Society). Companies decide that if the management of a.