It' been almost three months since the Deepwater Horizon disaster occurred, in the Mexican Gulf. Arguably, the most horrifying man-made environmental catastrophe of all times, it has been illustrated all over the world in magazines, newspapers and websites.
Contrarily to my last post here on Inspired Magazine, this one is not filled with joy and good expectations, typical of a big sports fan like I am. Today, we’ll see how information design can also show the less enjoyable side of our life, and how powerful it can be unveiling the cruel facts behind such tragedies as this one.
Enough words, enough said – let’s just dive in the facts , and call for action.
Why offshore drilling?
Before we start getting into the Gulf accident, let’s just quickly try to understand why offshore drilling was such a priority for the United States.
Oil, What’s Left
U.S. Oil Consumption vs. Production
Just how reliant is the US on foreign oil?
Oil and Alternatives
Energy Bill vs Oil Companies Contributions to Senators
Oil Primer: Where it Comes From, Where it Goes
Greenopia’s Top 5 Oil Companies and their Oil Spills
Understanding Oil Spills and a look into the Past
It happens more often than we’d like, and still the World lacks alternatives to avoid that history keeps repeating itself.
The World’s Most Disasterous Oil Spills
The Worst Spills
The world’s largest oil spills
Comparing Exxon Valdez to the Gulf Oil Spill
The Deepwater Horizon Disaster
I’ve worked in several oil rigs for a couple of years, although never in the Mexican Gulf region. And, for those who never had the chance to see one up close, I can only describe my feeling as a mix of admiration and a certain amount of fear. It’s an engineering work of art, a technology wonder, and a time-bomb.
This recent accident as been one of the most covered one’s, and there are some great visualizations out there showing the terrifying numbers behind it.
How the Gulf of Mexico oil spill happened
Timeline: Oil spill in the Gulf
Tracking the Oil Spill in the Gulf
CNN Tracking the Gulf oil disaster
CNN Map: Impact of the oil disaster
Deepwater Horizon : la marée noire du siècle
The Evolving Estimates Of BP’s Oil Leak
Just How Bad is the BP Oil Spill?
The Spilled Disaster
Cost and Effects of The BP Oil Spill
Gulf Oil Spill Numbers
The Current State of the Gulf Oil Spill
How did the oil and gas sector fare last year?
Measures taken – or attempted
From the very beginning, everybody knew this would not be an easy mess to clean up. Several efforts are being made, but the oil is still spreading.
Deepwater Horizon’s Cementing
First success in oil spill cleanup
Riser Insertion Tube Tool
Containment dome to collect leaking oil in Gulf of Mexico
Relief Well Reaches 8,000 Feet
What’s going on beneath the sea?
A Lot more than Money
There’s been a lot of talk, in the media, about the economic and financial impact, but let’s not forget that, first of all, this is a tremendous environmental disaster – and that human life’s were lost.
How oil spills endanger sea life
The US Oil Spill Endangers the Rare Bird’s Habitat Near the Coastal Islands
Nantucket Windfarm vs. Gulf Oil Spill, Which Impacts the Environment More?
Who’s to Blame?
With such a negative impact on the environment and people’s lifes, there’s no way BP’s going to pass the public opinion judgment. And we’re still yet to see if its going to survive.
BP’s Production Costs vs Production in the Gulf
Egregious Citations Issued to BP
Irony, or Dark Humor?
And still, after all we’ve shown, facing the situation with some irony is possible:
Fun Ways to Measure the Size of the BP Gulf Oil Spill
Surface of the Earth
Of course, there must be hundreds of other designs and visualization tools for such an disastrous event. Share them with us, and we’ll definitely include them on a future post.
Because, unfortunately, this Dark Mess is far from ending.
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