Ruptured Oil Rig

Courtesy of Patrick Gallagher:

A ruptured oil rig in the Timor Sea Northwest of Australia has resulted in around 2000 barrels a day seeping into the ocean for nine weeks. The leak came from a Thai company called PTTEP Australaisa. Though few marine animals and birds have been found dead as a result of this spill, the region of the ocean that has been affected has high levels of marine life. Since the leak is primarily around miles off shore, there has been very little global coverage in the media. Dr Llewellyn, a leading scientist on the case says that the scandal is largely “out of sight, out of mind,” so there is very little outrage from the public. The cost of the cleanup has cost over 5 million Australian dollars. The slick has spread to around 6,178 square miles according to satellite imaging. This situation shows the problem that many environmental problems are not covered by the media when there are no images to work with. Many environmental problems are out of sight, out of mind, and the general public ignores them. A greating understanding of earth science would be helpful in correcting this problem.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/oil-spill-off-australian-coast-poses-major-threat-to-marine-life-1808410.html