- Published: January 20, 2022
- Updated: January 20, 2022
- University / College: University of British Columbia
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 28
The paper ” BP Deal Opens a New Phase, but Case Is Far From Closed” is an excellent example of a business essay.
1. Briefly summarize the article. Who are the persons, groups, or organizations with a direct or indirect stake in the situation being described?
The above article is on the damage settlement of $7. 8 Billion by BP to the public business and individuals who suffered losses when there was an oil spill by BP. The people with the direct stake are the public individuals and business who are going to benefit while those with an indirect stake are the litigation lawyers representing the public. The lawyers representing BP and the BP management are another group with direct and indirect stake respectively. The federal government also has an indirect stake because they will be next in asking for settlement from the company due to a violation of laws.
2. Briefly identify the moral issue; what are the ethical dimensions of the situation being described? For example, what is the possibility of direct or indirect harm being caused to various persons, groups, or organizations? Who is (or should be) held ultimately responsible for these harms? Are there other concerns besides harm? For example, is this a situation where one value (say, individual or collective rights) is in conflict with another value (say, the idea of fairness, or justice)? The moral issue in the above article is that despite the hefty settlement payment the public is being given by BP, the damages caused to the environment cannot be reversed. There is a possibility of an indirect harm being caused if not now but later too, for example, the exotic aquatic species which were killed by the oil. The ones to always blame are BP for negligence. The other harm is that people will never be able to enjoy that part of the ocean that had the oil again hence limiting recreation services in that location.
3. WHAT DO YOU THINK about this situation and WHY DO YOU THINK IT? This SHOULD NOT refer to things like if you thought it was a good or bad article, or whether or not it was well written, or influential. This SHOULD refer to the content of the article. What do you think? You MUST provide reasons for what you think. This is not just an article because it describes a situation that affected a large portion of the world and which will never be the same again. The settlement no matter how large can never cover the losses suffered by the environment. The BP Company should look for other ways to compensate the environment that it destroyed, that in my opinion will be the best settlement it can offer the world at large and to Mother Nature for destroying it.