Oil Spills; One of the Worst Natural Disasters That Hunanity Has Dealt With
Oil is part of nature but this substance can cause serious problems to nature. The problems arise when man who has mined or drilled for the oil is transporting the oil. Most of the time the oil will transported across the ocean in oil tankers. When some type of problem or malfunction occurs the oil tanker may end up leaking oil into the ocean. This leak is called an oil spill. These oil spills are one of the worst natural disasters to occur.
Unlike an oil spill that happens on the land, the ocean oil spills are more of a hazard as they can spread not just on the surface of the ocean but also under the ocean. The many animals that get caught to the oil spills have their lives put in immediate danger. They may become seriously sick, life threateningly so. They have the danger of becoming blinded due to getting caught in the oil spill.
This is a hazard that can cause them to become caught to a predator. As they can't see the predator, they instantly become a prey and can be eaten. The other problem that arises for oil spill animal victims is that they slowly choke to death as the oxygen in the water is caught by the oil. Oil spills also affect other animals that land on the oil slicked waters.
These animals are the birds that land on the ocean waters to fish for their food (excuse the pun). When they land where the oil has spilled onto the ocean water they become covered in the slippery oil. As they are covered in this substance they will have trouble flying as their wings are unable to control the air flow on them. They will have trouble seeing objects in their path.
These animal disasters aside the oil spills cost quite a lot in terms of clean up. With the clean up the various companies who are engaged in the clean up action will have to gather the oil that is deposited on the ocean's surface. This is an immense task as the oil has the potential to spread out in every direction. This will also cause other problems in turn as the oil approaches the beaches of various countries which are in its tidal path.
The reasons for oil spills are human in nature. The cost of cleaning up these oil spills are immense and the cost for nature unimaginable. Perhaps someday we will find some other way of transporting this oil to its destination. Until then all that we can do is to hope that the causes for oil spills will cease and the world's oceans will become safe from man's folly.
Muna wa Wanjiru is a web administrator and has been researching and reporting on internet marketing for years. For more information on oil spills , visit his site at OIL SPILLS
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
