-
-
Sunken tankers in Pacific pose extreme ecological risk
A sunken oil tanker in Micronesia's Chuuk Lagoon is releasing diesel into the Pacific Ocean. By August, the resulting oil slick reached over 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) long.
This is a serious problem, as there are more than 380 other shipwrecked tankers lying at the bottom of the Pacific what the same potential risk.
An archaeologist at James Cook University in Australia, along with Earthwatch, are conducting surveys of the Japanese shipwrecks in the lagoon.
Read the expanded story at NewScientist.com.
---------
Two points stuck with me when reading this article:
1)"...three of the 52 wrecks were OIL tankers, with a total capacity to carry 32 million litres of fuel – THREE QUARTERS of what catastrophically leaked from the Exxon Valdez in 1989."
2)" In 2003, the US government PUMPED 10 million litres of fuel from the sunken hull of the USS Mississinewa, a US tanker destroyed by the Japanese in WWII into the Western Pacific."
I am astounded that our own government willingly pumped fuel into the Pacific 14 years after the Exxon Valdez disaster. Shipwrecked or not, their needs to be some accountability from the US, Japan or any government that leaves wreckage to corrode and pollute our seas. The potential destruction such leaks, spills and intentional dumps have on oceanic biodiversity and ecology is quite clear and very scary. A sunken oil tanker in Micronesia's Chuuk Lagoon is releasing diesel into the Pacific Ocean. By August, the resulting oil slick r... more -
Is there a solution to the "continent of plastic" that pollutes the Paci...
The UN Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter in every square mile of ocean, and a swirling vortex of trash twice the size of Texas has spawned in the North Pacific.
Plastic bags, once icons of customer convenience, cost more than 1.6 billion barrels of oil per year and leave the environment to foot the bill. Each year the world produces 500 billion bags, and they take up to 1,000 years to decompose. They take up space in landfills, litter our streets and parks, pollute the oceans and kill the wildlife that eat them.
Eco-friendly legislation that targets the production and distribution of plastic bags has been introduced in Israel, San Francisco, Ireland and China. Addiionally, a recent scientific discovery (see below) offers a potential long-term solution to the global plastic crisis.
Since stories have started surfacing more recently, many have wondered, if the rumors are true. Are there really 'continents', or massive floating garbage patches residing in the Pacific? Apparently, the rumors are true, and these unsightly patches are reportedly killing marine life and releasing poisons that enter the human food chain, as well. However, before you start imagining a plastic version of Maui, keep in mind that these plastic patches certainly aren't solid surfaced islands that you could build a house on! Ocean currents have collected massive amounts of garbage into a sort of plastic "soup" where countless bits of discarded plastic float intertwined just beneath the surface. Indeed, the human race has really made its mark. The enormous Texas-sized plastic patch is estimated to weigh over 3 million tons.
Follow the link for the Full Story The UN Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter in every square mile of ocean, and a swirling vort... more -
Do you eat plastic? I mean fish?
Here in the open ocean, graceful dolphins glide beneath the surface in pursuit of fish, their primary food. These fish in turn feed on minute, prolific creatures called zooplankton. These days, zooplankton share the surface waters with increasing numbers of minute plastic particles, posing a problem, since fish and birds are now consuming plastic in addition to plankton.
Since petroleum based plastics are nonbiodegradable, any plastic entering the ocean remains there, continually breaking into ever-smaller pieces until it becomes ingested....
_____________________
Plastic. It's what's for dinner. Here in the open ocean, graceful dolphins glide beneath the surface in pursuit of fish, their primary food. These fish in turn feed on... more -
What's in YOUR future?
Visit this link and watch it on full speed!!
According to Edf.org, The United States is the top global warming polluter in the world. They also state that the U.S. fire season has increased by 78 days over the last 20 years. According to many sites with information on global warming, 2006 was recorded as the hottest year ever.
Despite all this information, there are still some people out there who say that global warming is a myth- my question is this: when people are presented with the cold hard facts, straight to their faces, how will they propose to solve the problem with our beloved earth?
This art speaks volumes- what are YOUR thoughts?
(Art courtesy of Anna Leychenko)
Speak your mind!!!
-Emily Visit this link and watch it on full speed!! ... more -
Keep Your Butts off the Beach
Interview with the director of education at the Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach, talking about the International Coastal Cleanup Day and the issues created by littering.
---------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.oceanconservancy.org
-------------------------------------------------------------- Interview with the director of education at the Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach, talking about the International Coastal Cle... more -
Giant Floating Trash Ball In The Ocean. WTF!!!
Let me tell you something. Plastics! its the wave of the future. No pun intended.
-
related topics
Ocean Pollution
Contributors (59)
Ocean Pollution
