Video: MSU Students Demonstrate Mock Oil Spill

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- It was the worst oil spill disaster in American history. The explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 people and sent millions of gallons of oil sweeping into the gulf. It took 87 days to cap the well. 3 years later, students on Mississippi State’s campus are physically reminding people about the disaster.

” We’re out here in what we could consider a demonstration, raising awareness about the dangers of off shore drilling, for both oil and natural gas,” said Students for Sustainable Campus organizer Grant Beatty.

Dressed in hazmat suits and surrounded by sand, students displayed facts about the disaster and spoke against the oil industry’s use of seismic airgun testing.

“They blast massive sound waves to the bottom of the sea floor to check for pockets of oil and natural gas  and what it does is it totally disrupts the mammals’ paths and it could kill 138,000 whales and dolphins in the gulf and the Atlantic, said Beatty.

The deadly oil spill disaster in the gulf cost millions in clean up and damages. Organizers want to let students know how important it is to protect our environment.

“Students have a lot of power. We don’t really realize it a lot of times, but, when you think about a lot of the social movements that have gone on in the United States, they started on college campuses.  So, we’re trying to build that here in Mississippi and doing events like this are really engaging for students and hopefully we’ll get some folks to join us,” said Southern Energy Network organizer Zach Jarjoura.

Leaders say it’s important to have a demonstration on campus because it educates students about the environmental and economic risks off shore oil drilling could have on their lives down the road.

” Children are the future of this nation and we want to let it be known that it’s important to us to promote a cause that is for a cleaner future,” said Beatty.

Organizers also had students sign a petition to stop seismic testing.

 

Categories: Local News

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