Disaster on the Ocean

13 Disaster on the Ocean Every day, nearly 12 billion litres of oil are consumed around the world. Much of it is transported in overland pipelines, from the oil wells where it's found to the countries where it will be used. However, the majority of the world's supply of oil is loaded onto “ super tanker" ships and transported to distant destinations. With so much oil moving on the world's oceans, there are bound to be accidents. Humans make mistakes. Ships run into bad weather. They are driven off course and tossed on rocks. Sometimes, the ships break. Millions of litres of oil spill out into the ocean. When this happens, an ecological disaster begins. To understand why an oil spill on water is so dangerous for the environment, you have to understand the properties of oil and water. The two liquids do not mix. This fact can be easily demonstrated. Put some water in a bowl. Add a few drops of oil, and see what happens. The oil floats on top of the water. It quickly covers everything in sight.

Oil does not sink in salty ocean water. As it comes into contact with birds and other animals, it begins to cover them. The fur of sea mammals keeps them warm in the cold ocean waters. When oil covers these animals, they get cold. They get sick and die. Some animals try to clean themselves. They lick the oil from their bodies. It makes them very sick and they eventually die. Clean-up specialists have developed ways to deal with oil spills on water. Large machines are brought to the site to begin the clean-up. Tools are used to surround the oil slick so that it will not spread any further. Some machines suck up the oil like a vacuum cleaner. Others try to soak it up like a sponge. Some people volunteer to help clean the oil off the birds and animals. Until we find a better way to get oil safely from the oil wells to our homes, spills will continue to happen. For now, a quick response and international co-operation are the best hope for avoiding disasters on the ocean.