Question

Examine, debate, and explain both the social and environmental consequences of an environmental disaster; such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Bhopal chemical release, Love Canal toxic waste, or any past or recent environmental disaster (i.e., Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill).

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) The issue that is peculiar to an environmental disaster is that the damage done affects the social life and perhaps even the social life might have either caused or aggravated the damage.

The Bhopal gas tragedy, for instance, is almost similar to the incident at Chernobyl. In the year 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide plant had a division at Bhopal in India that had a gas explosion. The gas was Methyl Isocyanate, which is highly volatile with lasting effects on the ecological system.

Even to this day, the plant life around the area has been severely affected, any water supply within a certain radius is definitely lethal and there isn’t any thriving animal life. Furthermore, the people who might set up their hovels in this area, tend to have been born with severe genetic disorders. These genetic disorders have now passed down the generation. This was the similar circumstance that was faced around Chernobyl at the time.

Also, social and environmental conditions are generally improved through better research and preventive and containment measures. All of this would require the company responsible to take charge of the situation. Union Carbide, is not successfully operating as Dow chemicals and manufacturing pesticides once again, without paying for reparations or making any reimbursements.

The companies that are the cause of oil spills, industrial waste, Chernobyl and Bhopal are all ones that seem to take their social responsibility extremely lightly. It may seem odd that the environmental and social life would have a connection with the law, but in this case, a strict legislature is required to make sure that such companies are grossly charged for the damages they have caused.