On Trump’s first day of his presidency, he signed an executive order to expand offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in order to “help the environment and the living things within it.” At his 2024 presidential campaign and at his 2025 inaugural address, he repeated the words, “Drill, Baby, Drill” multiple times. At these events, he spoke very highly of the action he took, claiming that it has “cut the number of new oil and gas leaks by 95%”. He also claimed that he would rebuild the power plants that were shut down due to the leaks, but to this day, May 20th, he has not done so.
What he also doesn’t see is the negatives that come along with it. It can contaminate water sources, including drinking water, and can also cause oil spills, which makes the situation even worse. It can release greenhouse gases like methane, which can contribute to climate change. It also releases other harmful air pollutants, like benzene and toluene. And the worst thing about it is the amount of habitat destruction that goes along with it. Oil and gas can destroy or fragment wildlife and marine habitats by killing or injuring them. It can also clear vegetation, which could lead to erosion, sedimentation, and other negative effects. It will also displace animals (decreasing the population if they’re not in the right habitat) and could reduce biodiversity. So even though it may stop gas leaks, the living beings that live in the places your drilling into and destroying, are being badly harmed. The negative effects of not drilling aren’t nearly as bad as if we do. Us as humans can deal with oil and gas leaks, but us trying to prevent it is leaving animals defenseless in their own homes, which they can do nothing about.
