According to the BP website (“BP at a Glance,” n.d.), “BP is a major international oil and gas company and supplies its customers fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals for everyday items. They are currently the third largest oil company in the world and the largest oil and gas producer in the United States (Hoover's, Inc., 2012). Before 2010, BP attempted to present itself as an environmentally friendly company by expanding its markets into alternative energies, such as wind and solar. On April 20, 2010, a BP-licensed oil rig located in the Gulf of Mexico exploded and killed 11 people. (Kinver, 2011). In addition to the people killed, the oil spill released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf (Kinver, 2011). At the time, the effect on the environment, people and BP was not fully understood. The Gulf of Mexico is known to be home to many different types of wildlife including shrimp, fish, and pelicans. While it is still too early to measure the overall impact of the spill, scientists are doing their best to study it. Some conclude that the long-term effects could be devastating, while others believe they will not be as severe as initially assumed (Kinver, 2011). In addition to wildlife, the people of the Gulf area suffered great losses due to the disaster. oil spill. Many residents depend directly or indirectly on the fishing industry. As the fishing industry has taken a hit, people and cities have also suffered. In fact, many people have left and businesses have closed their doors (Dymond, 2012). The April 20, 2010 oil spill was the worst in U.S. history (“BP plc,” 2012). While BP has learned many valuable lessons from...... middle of document ...... excerpted from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17186786 Gulf Restoration of Mexico. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2012, from www.bp.comHoover's, Inc. (2012). Overview of BP plc. Retrieved April 7, 2012, from the Hoover Database. Jennings, M. (2010). What BP teaches us about ethics, risk and business management. Corporate Finance and Auditing, 15(2), 38.Kinver, M. (2011, April 19). BP oil spill: the environmental impact one year later. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13123036Raymond, M.A., & Tanner, J. (n.d.). Marketing principles. Retrieved from http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/1.0/principles-marketingVranica, S. (2010, June 7). BP raises bid to fix image: Company prepares series of TV commercials to address its response to Gulf oil spill. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from ABI/Inform Global