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Problems and
Concerns caused by Human Influences on the Environment
Oil Spills
Although examples of natural pollution exist, humans are often to blame
for the introduction of pollutants into the environment. Such
an introduction of a pollutant can be by accident or
intentionally. One example of an accident is an oil spill. An
oil spill happens when a ship carrying oil has a problem
during its journey from the country which produced the oil to
the country buying it. The oil is difficult to clean up and
poisons the water as well as the fish and birds which live in
the region.
FACT 1 |
During
the night of 23 March, 1987, a super-tanker named the
Exxon Valdes carrying 163000 tonnes of crude oil spilt
40000 tonnes of its cargo into Prince William Bay,
Alaska. The oil spillage affected 1500 km of the
Alaskan coastline, causing the death of 100 000 birds,
including 150 bald eagles, and at least 1000 sea
otters. It is not known how many seals perished; only
30 carcasses were found but seals sink when they die,
therefore the majority of dead seals sank to the
bottom of the sea. |
FACT 2 |
Each
super-tanker carries 500000 tonnes of oil. Each year 3
million tonnes of oil are leaked into the oceans. |
FACT 3 |
1
tonne of oil which leaks into the sea covers 12km3
of the sea surface. |
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