Costa Concordia Threatens Disaster for Ocean Life

By B. McPherson



The Costa Concordia holed and resting precariously on a submerged shelf in shallow water may slip off and sink. The fuel tanks of the doomed vessel are full of bunker fuel, a thick form of petroleum that needs to be heated to make it flow. 2 300 metric tonnes(2 530 US tons) will leak into the Mediterranean Sea if measures to pump the oil out fail. Unidentified liquid has been seen leaking from the ship and booms are being placed around it.

Floating booms and skimmers are less effective in rough waters which hit the area today forcing a suspension of the search for those still missing from the disaster.

The area where the ship rests is featured in tourist literature exhorting people to “travel Tuscany”. The island of Giglio is surrounded by healthy, clean water. The following is from a tourist blurb about the island.

“The Isola del Giglio is one of the most "beautiful children in Tuscany", as they are called in the popular language. Giglio's mild climate, unspoilt nature and crystal-clear waters, offer unforgettable holidays all year round. Head for the sandy beaches and beautiful coves if you want to relax, go for the incredibly rich underwater world if you're into diving…”gioia holiday apartments

Ship traffic and ship disasters are adding to the Earth’s burden of ocean pollution. The Doola 3 exploded and has sunk after delivering gasoline in South Korea. Rescue crews pumped bunker oil out of the vessel before it sunk. New Zealand has been coping with oil slicked beaches after the Liberian registered MVRena ran aground in October 2011 and started leaking.

Shipping accidents happen with surprising frequency. In most cases, little ocean pollution takes place and all is well, however some sunken/damaged vessels continue to kill wildlife with their toxic legacy for many years. The BC ferry Queen of the North which ran aground off the tricky BC coast continues to leak oil onto the nearby shores. Over 20 years ago the Exxon Valdes with a cargo of oil from Alaska ran aground. Oil from that wreck continues to poison marine life.

The Canadian federal government is pushing for the construction of a dual pipeline to carry oil to the small town of Kitimat which is located at the end of a tortuous inlet for export to Asia. Opponents of the Northern Gateway Project cite different reasons for their stance, but one that many agree on is the real danger of disaster if oil tankers must thread the needle of reefs, islands and twists that the inlet will present to them.

On a pessimistic morning, the poem The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot comes to mind.
This is the way the world ends
 This is the way the world ends
 This is the way the world ends
 Not with a bang but a whimper.
Location: Via del Corvo, 58012 Isola del Giglio Province of Grosseto, Italy

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned Oil Pipelines What Lurks Below?

Image
These photos were taken July 2012 in the historic Turner Valley, Alberta B. McPherson Controversy over new oil pipelines is reaching boiling point in many circles. Heated debate is taking place over the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway and Keystone Pipeline proposals. Safety, disruption to landowners  and more are being weighed against the money to be made transporting and selling petroleum products. It got me thinking about the old pipelines. What happens to a pipeline when it is too old to use or not needed? It’s a bit of an Alice in Wonderland scene. The US laws and regulations are different from ours in Canada. The Pipeline and Gas Journal is a source of information about abandoned pipelines in Texas. Apparently a pipeline in Texas may be abandoned by a company, but it still retains ownership and may choose to reactivate the line at a later date. In the meantime, the right of way or easement is no longer maintained, but the through which the pipe extends is not ...
Read more

Prince Rupert Says No to Enbridge Pipeline

Image
B. McPherson Prince Rupert city council joined a growing list of BC coastal communities that are saying “No” to the Enbridge proposal to build a twinned pipeline from Edmonton to the coast. The decision of the Prince Rupert city politicians was unanimous. Already the village of Kitimaat, Terrace and the Skeena Queen Charlottes Regional District have voiced their opposition to the project. There are ongoing hearings by a federal court appointed Joint Review Panel which are gathering input from interested parties about the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would bring crude petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to the coast of British Columbia. The proposal would see a twinned pipeline run over the Rocky Mountains and through wilderness to the treacherous west coast. The proposed terminus at Kitimat would require tankers to wend their way through the maze of islands and reefs to load up at the head of Douglas Channel. While the hearings and the finding...
Read more

Scientists Beginning to Sound Warnings About Atmospheric Nitrogen Compounds

Image
B. McPherson                                                 This short film explains very well the greenhouse effect on Earth. While the world is focussing on the production and release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, other gasses are quietly adding to the catastrophe. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and nitrous oxide is 300 times more efficient at keeping the Earth warmed. While much of the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of the element nitrogen, it is the nitrogen in reactive compounds that is starting to worry atmospheric scientists. The Green Revolution was made possible by the industrial production of chemical fertilizers. It, combined with antibiotics has allowed the Earth’s population of humans to swell from 1.6 billion at the beginning of the 20 th century to seven billion this year. Nitrogen is a key nutrient in plant growth. Unfor...
Read more