“The Erika disaster has resulted in more tonnes of dead birds that spilled crude”
Posted on April 29, 2010 by ralph
While oil slicks approaching the Louisiana coast, it was reported today that the leak from the oil rig Deepwater was five times greater than had been previously announced. Deciphering impact on the environment and U.S. energy policy with Emmanuel Buovolo of Greenpeace France.
Can we speak today of an ecological disaster?
The moment there is a leak of this magnitude is an ecological disaster. Marine environments are already affected, and we face a potential ecological disaster on Earth. For now, it’s almost impossible to tell what the impact of the disaster. Activities such as fishing and some forms of aquaculture are affected. As for the marine population, the crude oil can be ingested by fish, thus entering the marine ecosystem.
And to the earth?
If it comes to the coast, fauna and flora will be affected. Birds are particularly impacted. In comparison, the Erika disaster in 1999, has resulted in more tonnes of dead birds that spilled crude. Mammals and amphibians will also be affected by the spill.
The burning of groundwater can solve things?
It solves nothing and instead it will create further pollution. It is a mistake Environmental, in the sense that smoke will pollute the atmosphere, the ash will spread and CO2 will be emitted. The residues are very numerous and difficult to recover. In any case, such a catastrophe can not be resolved. We find traces of several years later. In the case of the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989, more than twenty years later, we still find traces of oil on the coasts.
There is a general problem of justification for this type of activity. Greenpeace denounces U.S. energy policy that relies entirely on oil. The Obama administration has announced it will develop some offshore drilling, especially in areas more difficult to control, such as Alaska. This incident illustrates the limitations of blatantly this system will retrieve the latest oil resources. Other solutions would be preferable, with the use of renewable energy. For example, Barack Obama has authorized the construction of a wind farm offshore. It should also be given on how to spend less energy.