Filed under: Transportation | Tags: Atlantic Ocean, Fossil fuel, Fuel oil, Nightingale Island, Oil spill, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, South Atlantic, Tristan da Cunha
There are safer ways to power cars and ship than oil. Electric and solar power are still developing technologies, but they are worth investing in. Not only because they are renewable (meaning they burn carbon emitting fossil fuels) but also because they can keep oil out of our oceans.
Oil spills can come from oil-drilling rigs, and also from ships, like the tanker ship that ran aground in the South Altanta (full story here). The ship dumped 800 metric tons of fuel oil into the ocean there, with more likely to leak out in the coming days. The most effected area is the island of Nightingale which is isolated, making the cleanup effort difficult. The northern rockhopper penguin population there (which is endangered already) is suffering from the oil.
Oil-Coated Endangered Rockhopper Penguins
If we can find an alternative fuel source for ships, disasters like this could be avoided. I’m sure the penguins would thank us.
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