My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my
Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me
thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade
disasters.
Today’s
disaster is...
Oil
Spill
Oil
spills are a form of pollution and occurs when oil is released
into the ocean or coastal waters by tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs
and wells. Oil spills can travel for hundreds of nautical miles, endangering
marine life and contaminating fish and swimming water if the spill reaches
beaches.
When spilt oil touches a bird’s feathers or the fur of mammals, it reduces their insulation and makes them vulnerable to temperature changes as well as making them less buoyant in the water. Many birds, mammals, and other marine life die.
When spilt oil touches a bird’s feathers or the fur of mammals, it reduces their insulation and makes them vulnerable to temperature changes as well as making them less buoyant in the water. Many birds, mammals, and other marine life die.
FACT:
Animals that rely on scent to find their babies or mothers can’t because of the
odor of the oil. Many babies starve and die because of this.
Cleaning up oil spills can take weeks, months, even
years. It is especially hard to contain oil spills on the ocean. Controlled
burning on water can be done to reduce oil. A few other techniques can also be
implemented.
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| Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Image from Pixabay |
In April 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil
rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 people and caused the rig to sink. Days
later, knowledge got out that the BP pipe was leaking gas and oil on the ocean
floor. An estimated amount of 4.9 million barrels leaked into the Gulf by the
time the well, located 5,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, was capped...in
July, a full 87 days later.
FACT: The
Gulf Oil Spill is the worst oil spill in US history. And the Gulf still isn’t
oil-free.
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| I'm a member of Tremp's Troops! |
Oil spills are causing major problems in Nigeria, political and otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrible.
DeleteHard not to remember such a disaster with all the finger pointing that went with it. Weren't they working on something that was supposed to break down the oil to help with spills like these?
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
There was a lot of finger pointing. There are some chemicals and powders and other things that can break down the oil in the water. Too much to name.
DeleteThis is why so many of the New Zealand people are fighting against deep sea drilling.
ReplyDeleteI would too!
DeleteThat is truly so sad! Hard to imagine. What a mess.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said.
DeleteBigger than the Exxon spill - that's sad.
ReplyDeleteYup. I hope nothing like this happens again...but you know it will.
DeleteI remember that spill very well. When it started we were on vacation at a beach along the SC coast.
ReplyDeleteI remember it too and watching the progress at it got closer to my east coast beaches in Florida.
DeleteDevastating and far-reaching consequences to these disasters. And so sad that babies starve because their mothers can't find them.
ReplyDeleteAnnalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
I find that really sad...and all because of our errors.
DeleteI most certainly do remember it. We were almost glued to the TV during the attempts to cap the source of all that oil. People are now using the gulf but I am not sure I would want to, or to eat seafood from the area. A devastating disaster for the people of the area especially those who made their living on the water.
ReplyDeleteI was glued to the TV too and I was watching it circle Florida, my home state. Scary stuff.
DeleteVery devastating for people who made their livings on the water, especially in the Gulf. You're right.
This is perhaps my least favorite kind of disaster because I've seen up close what it does to animals and it makes my animal loving heart wither.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the A to Z Challenge!
A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/
I have to agree that the disasters that hurt animals are the worst to me because I'm a big animal lover too.
DeleteOne of the most horrible things humans can do to the environment...
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary
I agree 100%!
DeleteOh I remember this spill and I was so angry with the cover ups plus they could have contained it long before but didn't want to spend the $. My hubby worked in the oil fields for 23 yrs and he knew they could have done more
ReplyDeleteSo was I. They did not handle this like they should have.
DeleteI remember the Sea Empress oil spill which was off the coast of Wales in the middle of an area of a wildlife and marine conservation area. Thousands of seabirds were killed and it devastated coastal seaweed and invertebrates. This kind of disaster is makes me so sad, to see the cost and the suffering.
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
That's horrible! The loss of animal life always gets to me.
DeleteYes, on the "natural disasters to manmade disasters" scale, this is clearly a manmade disaster that affects nature, including man.
ReplyDeleteAnother such O would be OCEAN WATER LEVEL RISING. From the global temperatures rising, causing melting of the glaciers.
This engaging challenge is bringing so many people together from so many places, and provides so much important information. Great choice, and great job, Chrys.
It sure is. It's terrible how we can create and do things that hurt the environment in this way.
DeleteThat's a good one! I forgot about that. Thanks for mentioning it!
Thank you, Jane! :D Your comment made my day.
Yep, I remember the Gulf oil spill. Ick. Such an environmental disaster.
ReplyDeleteIt sure was, and it's still a mess to this day.
DeleteI do remember the spill. And this is so tragic, I hate seeing footage of it when it's affecting animals.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I hope you don't mind me pointing out an error, because I'm happy when people do so for me.
Did you man oil spills are a form of pollution? You wrote population.
Again, sorry if you don't like errors point out.
Oops! Haha! Thanks for pointing that out. I never even realized that.
DeleteOil spills are definitely terrible for the environment. The picture of the duck reminded me of when I was little. Our neighbor had dumped oil in the street sewer, and baby ducklings had fallen in. My dad managed to get them out, but they were completely covered in the stuff. (I can't remember, but I think we got them clean with dish soap.)
ReplyDeleteOh no! Poor ducklings! Dish soap his the best to clean animals covered in oil.
DeleteI do remember that spill. And that picture of that duck just breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteBreaks mine too.
DeleteI remember the spill :( so awful. I first learned of oil spills on Saved by the Bell when I was little, it breaks my heart seeing those beautiful animals like that <3
ReplyDeleteI guess I missed that episode.
DeleteDefinitely remember the spill. I didn't know it was the worst one ever, but I'm not surprised.
ReplyDeleteIt was a huge spill. I sure hope another doesn't top it.
DeleteThis should be subtitled, "the heartbreaker."
ReplyDeleteAll disasters are bad and the human toll on many of them is just unfathomable.
I think that is why it seems so sad to see the animals suffering and you know they have to be confused about the whole messed up environment they are encountering. Maybe that is why I always feel so bad for them; it's easier to ponder that than the human losses, in a weird way.
I agree. It does seem a lot more heartbreaking when animals are hurt and killed because of a disaster, especially a manmade one because animals are so innocent.
DeleteHow awful?
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
It is awful.
DeleteI always hate when I see these. As a New Orleans native I do remember that spill.
ReplyDeleteI hate seeing it to. :(
DeleteOil spills sure screw up the environment and wildlife
ReplyDeleteThey sure do.
DeleteI'll never forget it. I really hate the oil companies with a passion, and wish people would start thinking long-term instead of short-term when it comes to our environment and wildlife.
ReplyDeleteOil spills enrage me.
I agree with your comment 110%!! Here, here!
DeleteI didn't realize it was bigger than the Exxon spill. So sad. I just recently read a column about the problems that are still going on in the Gulf. What a disaster.
ReplyDeleteIt always breaks my heart to see the oil-covered animals. Just awful.
That's what they say anyway.
DeleteI remember the Gulf oil spill but did not realize it was the biggest in U.S. history. I think more has been written about the Exxon spill. Heart wrenching so many animals suffer in these spills! Thanks, Chrys.
ReplyDeleteInventions by Women A-Z
Shells–Tales–Sails
It sure is heart wrenching. I hate seeing animals suffer.
DeleteOil spills are nasty. I lean toward the conservative right and yet even I can see we should be using alternative energy far more than we are. And I hope developing nations bypass the fossil fuels and move right into alternative energy.
ReplyDeleteAlternative energy is the way to go.
DeleteI can recall a few oil spills. I'm always reminded because on Tumblr a post will always pop up about knitting little sweaters for penguins affected by oil spills. They look so cute in their clothing.
ReplyDelete~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Aw! I never heard about knitting sweaters for penguins. I love that idea!
DeleteThe oil spills have been awful. I really hope we don't experience another one because they do so much damage for such a long time.
ReplyDeleteI hope we don't either, not anywhere in the world.
DeletePoor baby. So sad. Yes, being a Texan, I remember the Gulf oil spill. We used to go to the beach every summer. Haven't been in years so wonder how much its changed because of the damage.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to the beach in a year. My beach was safe from the spill because I'm on the east coat of Florida, but the other coast, and farther south, was hit by it.
DeleteI hate oil spills. :(
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteLiving in the UK I can't recall the incident, but it must have done much damage.
ReplyDeletePut together in the usual excellence we have seen throughout challenge.
Yvonne.
There was a lot of damage.
DeleteI remember the story vividly. Its up there along with the Exxon Valdez back when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteSean at His and Her Hobbies
Yeah. Many have mention the Exxon oil spill but I don't remember it.
DeleteI've seen the results of this this very thing on the north California coast years ago. "Yuck" doesn't begin to cover it.
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again!
DeleteOh, I remember the gulf oil spill.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in the tv show, Turtle Man, he used mayo to wash a snapping turtle clean from an oil spill!
I never heard of using mayo. That's interesting!
DeleteYes I remember, along with the Alaskan Valdez oil spill
ReplyDeleteI don't recall that oil spill.
DeleteMy first ever kids book I wrote when I was in college was about an oil spill! I wonder where I put it...
ReplyDeleteYou should find it! That would be a good book to publish for kids. :D
DeleteI do remember the gulf spill. I think I remember a lot of spills too. It is good we have the oil that we have and the boats that carry it except when there is a spill of this magnitude.
ReplyDeletebetty
When there is a spill as big as this, its extremely hard to contain.
DeleteI totally remember that Gulf spill, as well as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. What's worse, now, is the fracking going on. They inject chemicals into the earth to extract oil. This kind of mining causes earthquakes, and also kills the plants and ecosystem of the area. Scary.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the fracking. They really seem to not care about the environment.
DeleteI'm having so much fun with your posts, which makes me wonder about my sanity. Why do I find disasters interesting? I don't know, but I do! I just saw an article (I wish I could remember where) that there is a "slow" leak still happening in the gulf and the company has been saying it's no big deal. This article was reporting that it sure was - shocker right?
ReplyDeleteYou can find me here:
ClarabelleRant
Haha! Oh, you're sane. If you're not then what does that say about me? It wouldn't surprise me if there was a small leak, especially if it was from this explosion and it wasn't quite sealed all the way.
DeleteI work in the (offshore) oil industry, so of course I remember Deepwater Horizon, and Ekofisk Bravo, Piper Alpha, Amoco Cadiz and Exxon Valdez too. The last two were crude tankers. After these oil spills, the oil companies stopped putting their name and logo on the tankers to avoid the bad publicity of accidents. There's lots of dirty business in the oil industry, but it's not all bad, fortunately
ReplyDeleteCold As Heaven
I didn't know you worked in the oil industry. Wow. Small world.
DeleteA lot of dirty business indeed and that's what's unfortunate.
I'm a geophysicist working in petroleum exploration in various parts of the world, trying to find the oil fields we gonna produce from in the future
DeleteThat's sounds fascinating. Hopefully there are a lot of oil fields out there.
DeleteI just watched a video about he 5th anniversary of it on MSN the other day. Broke my heart all over again.
ReplyDeleteIt is heartbreaking.
DeleteHi Chrys .. oil spills are very hazardous for many reasons .. and they're still going on - I'd hate to be a part of one .. but can remember birds being oiled up on the beaches in Cornwall from the Torrey Canyon in 1967 - we went to a Sanctuary to see the clean up at work .. and the beaches were covered with globules or pats of oil ... we need the oil - yet accidents seem to happen which affect so many with their unintended consequences .. a great O for disaster ... Hilary
ReplyDeleteGreat comment. We do need oil, but when accidents or mistakes happen involving it, so much gets hurt because of it.
Delete