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In January of 1991, Iraqi forces began dumping oil into the Persian Gulf. This was an attempt to stop US Marines water forces from landing on their shores. The amount of total oil spilled was an estimated 4,000,000 US barrels. The slick spread over 101 miles in the water, with oil in some areas being over 5 inches thick.

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Environmental Impact:

Early studies estimated that about 30-40% of the oil evaporated, and much more washed up on beach shores. Coral reefs were relatively unaffected by the oil spill, but marshlands and mud tidal flats still have large quantities of oil in them, and the expected recovery time is several decades. As of 2001, 10 years after the spill, salt marshes were still struggling with oil quantities but mangroves and rocky shores were fully recovered. Sea turtles were mainly not affected by the oil spill, but many seabirds were killed. Oil coated and killed an estimated 30,000 cormorants and grebe birds.

Economic Impacts:

The main industries that the oil spill affected was the fishing and oil industries located around the Persian Gulf. The costs for cleanup of the oil in the Gulf also piled up quickly, with workers needed to do jobs such as extinguish the oil fires. Estimates for cleanup alone were $700 million for the removal of oil and $1.5 billion for extinguishing fires. The oil spill also affected tourism in the area, specifically for activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and boating.

Human Impact:

The burning oil fires on the water's surface caused lots of air pollution, which caused short term harm to those living around the Gulf, specifically those with asthma or chronic lung diseases. People also lost jobs because of the temporary shutdown in tourism.

Value System:

Because humans came together to remove the oil from the oceans, and to put out oil fires, this showed an eco centric approach. This is because we made the environment a priority in front of human needs in the aftermath of the oil spill. However, the Iraqi forces that started dumping the oil into the water showed the exact opposite of an eco centric approach, because they placed their own human interests on a much higher level than the interests of the environment.

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The Persian Gulf Oil Spill is extremely important to the history of the environment because it is the largest oil spill caused by war in the Earth's history and it is still impacting the environment today. The spill also led to many marine biology studies happening, and it helped scientists gain an understanding of how oil behaves in warm and shallow waters.

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Public awareness of human impact on the environment was definitely increased after the oil spill. Because of news coverage, images of oil covered animals, and blackened water, people became concerned for the wellbeing of the environment in the Persian Gulf. Because people were seeing how war could impact the environment in such large scale ways, conversations about establishing laws arose. Humans decided that there was a need for laws that protect the environment during or after armed conflict, because we have a responsibility to protect the Earth.

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Technocentric:

We used chemical dispersants to help break up oil slicks. This helped to reduce the visible impact of the oil in the ocean. Humans also used satellites and aerial surveillance to track the movement and the size of the oil, which was huge in recovery efforts. Engineers also used tools called boomers and skinners to remove oil straight out of the water.

Anthropocentric:

Governments and local businesses were concerned about the oil spill because anthropocentrism sees the environment primarily for its value to humans. Most cleanup efforts happened in areas that are important to humans, such as ports, beaches, or near fishing industries and water supplies. People prioritized public health in many situations.

Ecocentric:

Many people were more concerned about the environment instead of human impacts. Scientists and environmental groups called for the protection of certain habitats, such as coral reefs and salt marshes. Some people were oppsed to the idea of using chemical dispersants in the water to break up the oil, because of the potential long term impact that it could have on marine life.

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1. The incident was one of the first ever when oil was used as deliberate warfare tactic.

2. The oil slick covered 101x42 miles in the ocean.

3. Massive oil lakes formed on the Kuwait landscape.