ELA Component

For my project I chose to write a narrative essay, because my project has important connections that relate to the environment we live in. An essay would be the best way to explain these connections.

Oil is a natural resource that is used as fuel and has a high demand and great importance. People use millions of gallons of oil every day for transportation and to power generators. It is even used to make the plastic bags that customers get in the supermarket everyday, and to make variety of plastic items. But despite all of the benefits that people get by using oil and can also cause harm the environment.

There are many types of pollution done by oil such as, air and land pollution. These two types of pollution are not directly caused by oil, but since oil is a product used in cars; cars emit toxic gases that are released and that eventually pollute the air we breath. The polluted envioment affects not only humans but also animals, and just like oil spills in the ocean, oil that is used in cities can also harm and endanger species. Air pollution caused by oil can also affect the ozone, which is a layer of the atmosphere that protects us from harmful sun rays.

One of the most dangerous types of pollution caused by oil is water pollution from oil spills. This does not cause long term effects like slowly creating a hole in the ozone later as air pollution does. Instead it causes direct harm to the living things the oil reaches in the water. Not only this but whatever animal eats the contaminated organism will get sick as well. Food chains cannot adapt to an oil spill, and it is clear that animals can't determine if a plant is toxic or not, they will only eat from the plant. Animals from the ocean that eat plants affected by an oil spill will get sick, later the organism that ate the infected plant will be eaten by another animal, an the process will be repeated until one of the animals reaches a human. A human that eats infected animals can be harmed as well, the toxic substance(oil) will get into the human's organism and thus the human would suffer from many different symptoms of intoxication, that could lead to death.

In conclusion, I believe that oil is a very important substance that is used nowadays and it is necessary for human beings to continue with a civilized and modern life. Though oil just like many other subtances has a harmful side, overall it is a substance that brings us human beings many benefits. I believe that in the future, cleaning up oil spills in the ocean will not be big deal, because materials like extra absorbent polymer make it easier.