1. What is the Effect of an Oil
Spill on Water resources and our environment?

When oil spills occur, concerns are raised about the effects
of oil on the water, animals, and environment.

The first section of the exercise has to do with the
activity.

The second section has to do with an oil spill in general
and what you can do to help the environment in taking care with motor oil,
chemicals and other solutions.. (75 points)

Section 1:Complete the activity using the cooking oil
and materials. Use a table for the data and the results.(35
points)

Materials:one tablespoon cooking oil, quart bowl
orflat container that holds at least
three cups of water, cotton balls, paper towel, newspaper, piece of plastic
from a garbage bag, piece of material and or nylon if you have it, piece of
string if you have it

Liquid dish detergent

Directions:

Fill the bowl or flat container with water.Add one tablespoon of cooking oil. What is
happening to the oil?

Now take each item and try to clean up the oil.What happens? Stir the water/oil each time.

If you have the string, use it to confine the oil. What
happens?

Finally add two drops of liquid dish detergent.What happens?

What is your conclusion as to cleaning up oil on water?

Create a
table using the materials, your predict, and the conclusion. To create a
table go to Insert, tableor use Excel

Section 2:

Background: Oil spills are neither necessarily accidental
nor dramatic. The majority of oil in the ocean has little to do with the
media-reported off-shore accidents and a lot to do with some unnoticed,
everyday occurrences.

More than 54% of the oil in the ocean comes from land based
sources such as storm water run-off, leaks from storage facilities and
industrial processes.

At least 40% of all land-based oil pollution may result from
motorists’ changing their own oil and disposing of it improperly. Used motor
oil should be taken to a service station, where they will dispose of it
properly.

Marine sources, including tanker operations contribute 18%.
Tanker accidents contributed 11%.

In April there was a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
with British Petroleum’s drilling site. You will research this major oil spill and
others that have occurred within the United States affecting the water quality,
wildlife, and environment.

Answer the questions below,
(40 points)

What is an oil spill?
How does an oil spill affect wildlife and habitats?

What are the effects of an oil spill for the environment and
economy?

Among the worst oil spills where does the Exxon Valdez
rank?How many tons of oil was
lost?

How did the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico occur in April,
2010? What are some of the after effects of the spill at this time?What predictions are environmentalists making
for as to the effects both short term and long term?

How is the EPA monitoring the Gulf oil spill as to air
quality, water quality etc?

How many tons of oil has been lost at this time?

What is the difference between the Valdez spill and the Gulf
of Mexico spill?

What can you do to protect Lake Erie waters everyday by what
you do at home?

http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/oilspills.htm

http://alaska.fws.gov/media/unalaska/Oil%20Spill%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Effects of oil spills

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill

2. Earthday is celebrated through the United States each
year in April.

On what day was Earthday celebrated in 2013?What are two events that occurred to
recognize Earthday?

When did Earthday originate?
Why was it started?

What are four major changes in the environmentthat have occurred since Earthday was
started?

When was the Environmental Protection Agency formed? What
does it do?

How can you help protect the earth- at your home- at work-
during your recreational time – other?
( 25 points)

www.epa.gov

www.epa.gov/earthday