| The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is creeping | | | | covered a mammoth area of 580 square miles in |
| towards the ignominy of being the most devastating | | | | three days flat. |
| environmental catastrophe of its kind. Despite | | | | The mixture of oil and water is known as 'mousse', |
| innumerable remedial efforts, thousands of barrels of | | | | an extremely sticky substance that clings to any |
| oil are being spewed into the ocean each day posing | | | | marine body and surface that comes in contact with |
| a very real economic, marine and environmental risk. | | | | it. Unfortunately, many marine life forms get trapped |
| Experts predict that the effect of this latest | | | | in it because they simply don't know to steer clear of |
| ecological disaster will be more pronounced than the | | | | it while some may swim to it because it resembles |
| 1989, Exxon Valdez Spill. | | | | food. The marine fauna that comes into contact with |
| With 5000 barrels of oil finding its way into the | | | | the substance suffers from the following conditions |
| waters of the Gulf, we are only a few days away | | | | * Drowning of birds and hypothermia; the mousse |
| from the point at which the catastrophe will far | | | | sticks to the feathers of birds; making them heavier |
| supersede the Exxon spill. However, experts of the | | | | and compromising their ability to take flight; the |
| opinion that BP has significantly understated the | | | | substance also destroys the insulating capability of |
| figure, which is likely at 25,000 to 80,000 barrels per | | | | the feathers making the birds susceptible to |
| day, at which rate the Gulf spill is already well beyond | | | | hypothermia. |
| the Exxon disaster. | | | | * Hypothermia in young seals: Seal pups are also |
| Although the impact of oil spills is detrimental to the | | | | prone to hypothermia because the substance |
| environment and the economy of the surround | | | | destroys the insulation provided by the fur on their |
| areas; the occurrence of such spills has not stopped. | | | | body |
| Unfortunately, our interest in them only persists till | | | | * When ingested, the oil can cause immediate |
| pictures of the devastation are relayed on prime | | | | poisoning and death, make the animals fatally sick or |
| news channels but the damage continues long after, | | | | if the animals live for long enough to be consumed by |
| often for decades. The havoc that the Gulf spill has | | | | predators; the toxicity moves up the food chain. |
| created can be gauged by the fact that BP is | | | | Marine life forms like corals and shell fish are |
| spending millions each day to plug the spill but the US | | | | particularly at risk from such environmental disasters |
| government is clearly unimpressed by their efforts | | | | Not only do birds, fishes and other marine animals |
| and believe that adequate measures are not being | | | | meet their end due to oil spills but also the human |
| taken to control the impact and limit the damage. | | | | populace that lives close to the shores where the spill |
| What makes oils spills particularly horrendous is the | | | | occurred will experience the impact of the |
| fact that the oil spreads at a surprisingly quick pace | | | | environmental catastrophe. For instance, the Exxon |
| when it finds it way into the ocean or waterways. | | | | Valdez spill severely crippled the economy of some |
| The current and winds helping it to cover greater | | | | Alaskan communities that relied heavily on fishing and |
| distances; the oil slick caused by a single gallon can | | | | hunting. The spill had contaminated the hunting and |
| spread over a massive area of many acres in just a | | | | fishing ground for years and this in turn took a toll on |
| few days. For instance, the BP oil spill has already | | | | the tourism in the area. |