A Dream for a Better World

The Supreme Court has slashed a fine imposed on Exxon Valdez from $2.5 billion to $507 million.  The case concerned punitive damages on the company, rather than compensation for real damage. The court found that these punitive damages could not exceed the value that had already been put on compensation, which was $507 million.  The money would have gone to fishermen and native Alaskans, and it had already been reduced from an initial award of $5 billion. While commerce groups and Exxon have welcomed the decision, the ruling has not gone down well in some other quarters.  People for the American Way said that Exxon was responsible for one of the greatest environmental disasters our country has seen, and the Supreme Court let them off with a slap on the wrist. 

According to scientists meeting in Iceland at a UN conference, international law is not up to the task of protecting the polar regions.  As more and more people head to the poles for tourism, and more commerce such as oil drilling are taking place, delegates to the meeting are worried about over-fishing, pollution and invasive species.  Many experts believe this new rush to the polar region is not manageable within existing international law.  A number of those attending the conference believe that the current suite of laws is not clear enough, which could have devastating consequences if, for example, oil spills resulted from drilling.  Some feel that oil in particular and risks of shipping in the Arctic are big issues.  With the area being more accessible, there’s more activity and thereby more risk of some form of accident, like a vessel sinking or even a new oil spill along the lines of Exxon Valdez.

Approximately 2,000 penguins were recently found dead in two southern Brazilian states, victims of an oil spill from an unknown source.  Hundreds of other animals have been found covered and debilitated in the oil.  The surviving animals were in such bad state that additional veterinarians and biologists from other parts of Brazil have been sent in to help in the recovery effort.  Approximately 30-40 animals per day are being cleaned in a very time consuming process.  Feathers covered in oil cannot keep birds warm and dry.  The oil also weighs the birds down to where Penguins can’t swim and sea birds can’t fly and as a result, they drown or freeze to death since it is currently winter in the Southern hemisphere.  As of yet, the ship responsible for the spill has not been identified.

The spilling of either refined or crude petroleum into the environment is one ecological disaster that unfortunately often happens these days. Almost every passing day we come across reports stating accidental spills from ships which lead to destruction of precious underwater plant and animal life in the vicinity. Not only do fish inside such murky waters get affected, very often birds which depend on the area for their food, also get affected. There have also been instances when the coral reef has been badly damaged due to oil pollution. Fortunately marine toxicologists are working overtime nowadays to tackle the problem and come out with solutions.

Poor methods for cleaning oil spills in the oil rich Niger Delta in Nigeria is leaving the soil and river polluted and devastated. Constant pipe leaks are simply burnt and buried. What’s the problem here? You can’t burn crude at a normal fire temperature. And that is exactly what the local residents are finding out. When the rain comes, you just end up with black tainted runoff and all the plants and rivers are drowned in an oily sheen. Nigeria is supposed to be one of the richest countries in Africa because of its oil, but it’s committing suicide with its horrendous lax attitude to its own environment.

I always remember the Valdez and the outcry around the world when this disaster happened. But since then, there have been countless other spills of a lesser degrees that no one takes any notice of anymore. We still transport crude oil around the world in old rusty transports, with the news of each crash sight in a newspaper or on the latest headlines. Oil spills are a devastating predicament that we should all be trying to find a solution to avoid. It shouldn’t until the next critical disaster for us to turn to local officials and ask for something to be done.

everyday was so boring……………………………………….

so

i will try

try to forget you

but

i don’t like

i don’t cry

i’m fine

We now have oil tankers with dual hulls but they don’t make all of them have it because too much money.  They could have another boat in front dragging lines or something to make sure the tanker behind it won’t hit anything, but again too much money. 

There really is absolutely no reason for an oil spill!

 Why can’t we make these companies use dual hull barges and make them use a second boat to make sure that it won’t hit anything?  Am I missing something is there really another reason why a tanker should ever spill oil?