BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 represents the biggest oil spill in U.S. history (Chazan, 2010). This tragic event leaked millions of barrels into the Gulf of Mexico, which has adversely impacted both environmental and human welfare within the area (Chazan, 2010). Unsurprisingly, BP underwent heavy scrutiny for their perceived lack of resources that could not immediately cap the leak as well as controversial comments and actions from former CEO Tony Hayward (Chazan, 2010; Arnott, 2010). Subsequently, Hayward’s suggestion regarding the spill’s potential minute environmental impact, vacation shortly after, and indirect manner when addressed by U.S. congress led many U.S. consumers boycotting BP gas stations (Arnott, 2010; Los Angeles Times, 2010). While the loss of life and environmental impact are terrible tragedies that cannot be reversed, BP’s subsequent actions (rather than remarks) and focus on environmental restoration and internal improvements remain admirable.…show more content… Hoffman (2013) stated that a consumer’s personal, social, and spatial proximity to the actions of a company characterize their desire to boycott certain products or organizations. Therefore, considering that I, my family, friends, or neighbors were not personally affected by the incident, the feeling of empathy did not overpower my actions. However, after researching both the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and BP’s initiatives (past and present), my explanations have improved in spite of my unchanged