In today’s world, the number of oil drilling operations has experienced a significant increase in isolated locations around the globe. Although this has affected certain countries beneficially, I believe raised concerns about the environmental effects of these operations are more essential.
On the one hand, admittedly, there are several economic benefits for some countries that practice oil drilling. Countries engaging in producing oil tend to be wealthier and usually hold a better military position, as a result of selling oil to other countries and utilizing them for their own needs. However, it goes without mentioning that exporting oil is not the only way to boost the country’s economy, because there are plenty of other methods to choose from for raising a certain nation’s economic state.
On the other hand, I would side with the fact that the negative impacts of oil drilling on the environment are more crucial than the economic benefits. To begin with, exploring and drilling for oil may disturb land and marine ecosystems. Techniques used to explore for oil under the ocean floor may harm fish and marine mammals as well as methods used on land often require cleaning the area of vegetation. Another harm that oil extraction has on nature is air pollution. Oil and gas operations can release many tons of harmful pollutants into the air and discharge dangerous chemicals, thereby degrading the clean air that animals and humans depend on for survival. For instance, Azerbaijan, a country with big oil reserves, has certain areas that lack fresh air, putting citizens life under a great risk of various diseases.
In conclusion, while positive economic effects for some countries exist, In my opinion, environmental impact of oil drilling is more significant. I hope there will be a more environmentally friendly method of oil production in the near future.