Hot Topics: Offshore Oil Drilling

Offshore oil drilling happens around the world. And, in shallow waters, most people agree that it's a relatively safe practice. But with recent technology, oil reserves have been found at depths of a mile or more below the surface, leading to a new kind of deepwater offshore drilling. Some people believe this practice is not safe enough, and after the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, many more have argued that deepwater drilling should be stopped. But what about the regions and communities whose economies depend on this kind of drilling? What about the world's need for oil? This book aims to explain the difficulty of extracting oil and covers both sides of the debate on whether or not the risks outweigh the rewards.