The Tropics Exploited: Risk Preparedness and Corporate Social Responsibility in Offshore Energy Development

Soaring energy demands and increasing technological innovation have led to the rapid exploitation of offshore oil and gas exploration and development. This Article seeks to examine elements of risk preparedness and corporate social responsibility in the context of the underwater natural gas pipeline in the Eastern Caribbean and the exploration of Florida’s potential offshore energy reserves. I discuss these two case studies to illustrate the prevalence of emerging regional energy corridors in previously unfathomable tropical and subtropical locales known for tourism-intensive commercial activity. While images of environmental degradation of the 2010 BP oil spill remain entrenched in the collective consciousness, oil and gas operators are continuing to forge ahead with developing natural resource plays.

This Article outlines an agenda for managing the inevitable exploitation of natural resources through sustainable development principles.