Environmental Movements and Change in the International Sphere

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December 7, 2021
Environmental Movements and Change in the International Sphere
Understanding the dynamics between external events and environmental policies is essential for any individual. It allows him to better appreciate how environmental policies are shaped based on the relationship of the political agenda, socio-political and economic events, and the continuous movement against climate change. This paper will focus on the effects of the recent oil spill in the Huntingotn Beach and its impact on the broader environmental movement. This includes its effects on the domestic and international levels. All in all, it is the author’s belief that when combined with the constant environmental efforts, these severe disasters act as some of the tipping points that change environmental policies.
The Huntington Beach Incident
The Huntington Beach Oil spill is one of the most recent disasters that have caused wide-scale environmental degradation. The spill happened on October 2, 2021, wherein about 25,000 gallons of oil spilled to the San Pedro Channel, as a ship’s anchor had ruptured the existing pipeline located in the area CITATION NPR21 \l 1033 (NPR.Org). Accordingly, recent reports state that the accident has caused massive environmental damages at an estimated area of 70 miles which covers the coastlines of both San Diego and Orange Counties CITATION NPR21 \l 1033 (NPR.Org). Until today, the remnants of the spillage litter the area, thereby causing disruptions in the usual economic activities and graver damage to the environment itself CITATION NPR21 \l 1033 (NPR.Org).
Effects on the Wider Environmental Movement
The Huntington Beach Oil Spill was not the first of its kind. In 2018 alone, reports have shown that about 137 oil spills happened all across the United States alone CITATION Cas19 \l 1033 (Cassidy). Although most of these were not significant compared to the damage and extent done by the one in Huntington Beach, the total area of coverage for all of these is significant enough to cause a constant cause of concern.
Accordingly, because of the recent spill in Huntington Beach, many believe that this could reignite some of the losing interests in environmental policies covering the same or create a new momentum of environmental activism. This includes construction, maintenance, and even regulation changes, among others. The subsequent sections will discuss some of the possible effects of this event.
Construction Standards and Monitoring
One of the biggest oil spillages in the United States was the 1969 Santa Barbara Spill in the Santa Barbara Channel. During the 10-day period of spillage, reports have shown a total of about 3.5 million to 4.2 million gallons of oil that leaked into the channel, thereby covering 115 miles of coastline CITATION Lar21 \l 1033 (Larson). Accordingly, reports said that one of the main reasons for the Santa Barbara spill was shoddy construction methods, reduction in steel casing installation, and several corners cut throughout the whole construction process. Nonetheless, because of the sheer damage of the 1969 spill, several changes in the environmental movements happened, such as the improvement of construc...