This post is written for the “Save the Ocean” group-writing project by PK Tan @ Travel Malaysia Guide.

Leaks and spills of fuel oil, gasoline and other petroleum products caused by accidents involving tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries and storage facilities can have numerous adverse effects on our environment:

• Pollution of groundwater which are a natural source of drinking water

  
  Image: A bird coated in thick fuel oil on a beach after the 2002 Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain by Denis Doyle/AP.

• Harmful effects to wildlife, mainly fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and marine birds.
• Vapors from spills enter indoor environments where people live and work.
• Oil can also destroy marine plankton and contaminate marshes and other highly productive estuarine areas.
• Visual pollution of an oiled beach diminishes recreational values in coastal communities.

Image: Beach closures after oil spills by Ingrid Taylar.

Oil spills accidents are normally caused by human errors and natural disasters; however deliberate acts cause by terrorism, war, and illegal bilge dumping prove that oil spills aren’t always accidentals.

Lots of man power and money have to be spent on clearing oil spills, but the effects of an oil spill can linger for years - the toll of oil lingering amid rocks or settling on the sea bed could prove much harder to gauge. Studies have found that oil spill deposits continued to leach toxic chemicals into the environment for years.

So long oil is in demand; the possibilities of oil spills will always exist. In order to minimize this possibility, the oil industry needs to come up with safer ways of transportation and storage of oil.

Safer vessel designs play a big role. Examples include double hulls, improved steering systems, improved radar detection systems, satellite and radio communication and computer monitoring of the vessel’s operations. Better aids for navigation systems also help reduce risks.

To reduce the incidence of illegal bilge dumping, it is possible to “fingerprint” the petroleum products carried or used on individual ships, however education and deterrence are still the best ways to deal with illegal bilge dumping.

As individuals, we can all help curb oil pollution by communicating our concerns to all levels of government.

Recommended reads:

• Comparing the worst oil spills
• How oil pollution affects birds and other wildlife
• All about pollution @ Ocean Link

January 2008 is “Save the Ocean” month here at The Giving Hands. Click here for more information on how you too, can save our oceans, and remember to subscribe to The Giving Hands for your daily updates!

This post is written for the “Save the Ocean” group-writing project.

Florida’s terrible hurricane season in 2004 and the far more devastating Katrina disaster in 2005 exposed the risk that erosion and rising sea levels from climate change will, over the next 50 years, destroy one out of four homes built within 500 feet of the sea. Building on barrier islands, on beaches or on reclaimed wetlands and salt marshes not only puts your home and family at risk but also contributes to the degradation of the coastal ecosystem that normally act as storm barriers.

Image credit: Nichols Park Beach House by Thomas & Dianne Jones.

Here’s how you can ensure that coastal living can be a great experience as long as you build and buy with great respect for the natural processes of the coast:

• Obtain a geological and hydrological assessment of the area you are intending of buying.
• Order copies of flood hazard maps to see if the area you’re looking at is at risk.
• Consider homes that are not on the water but easily accessible to the beach by bike or walking trails.
• Buy a home that is well above sea level.
• Encourage friends and relatives who are considering moving to the beach to move “close to the beach” instead.
• Look to purchase existing house rather than buying in new developments that contribute to coastal sprawl.

January 2008 is “Save the Ocean” month here at The Giving Hands. Click here for more information on how you too, can save our oceans, and remember to subscribe to The Giving Hands for your daily updates!

This post is written for the “Save the Ocean” group-writing project.

“History repeats itself.”

The catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was made worse by the fact that many people ignored the lessons of the past (about cycles of hurricane activity, the importance of wetlands, how to build safely by the shore and how to prepare for the worst). Only by knowing where we come from can we hope to understand where we are and where we might be headed.

Image credit: Replica Of Flora Del Mar, Maritime Museum, Melaka, Malaysia by Kok-Leng Yeo.

Learning more about our local maritime and maritime history is a great way to find the kind of inspiration we may need to help save the ocean:

• Visit the nearest maritime museum (there’s one in Melaka, pictured above).
• Find out about historical research or archives on local conditions and events at your community, college or university, and see if these centers need volunteer help.
• Involve your local high school/college/university group in a maritime history project.
• Interview retired fishermen, dock workers, life guards, shipyard operators, scientists and others along the shore. Record their stories of the sea.
• Help organize a local maritime festival commemoration or historic reenactment.

January 2008 is “Save the Ocean” month here at The Giving Hands. Click here for more information on how you too, can save our oceans, and remember to subscribe to The Giving Hands for your daily updates!