Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Arctic Oil Exploitation - A Growing Danger

"The accidental release of crude oil into the ocean environment is of increasing concern because of the damage to marine and coastal wildlife as well as its adverse impact on humans that depend on the sea. The BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico has made it obvious that, as the demand for oil expands and drilling takes place in technically challenging locations, the likelihood of accidents will increase. The Arctic is a particular concern because, unlike spills in the warm waters of the Gulf, natural dissipation and dispersion of the oil is slowed by the cold temperatures. Moreover, human efforts at remediation are severely hampered by the extreme weather, by ice cover and by winter darkness. The National Energy Board and the CBC state that Canada is not set to start offshore drilling for arctic oil until 2014. However in August 2010 an exploration licence was granted to Chevron."

Oil exploration in the Arctic is going to explode in the next few years as it becomes warmer. The BP tragedy in the Gulf would be much worse if it happened in the Arctic. Some of the greatest fisheries in the world are located their. They may be destroyed when an oil drilling accident occurs.

Granted that in the short term we have little choice but to use oil and gas to enable our transportation and heating our homes. However, that does not mean that we have to commit ourselves to that technology forever. Mankind must start weaning itself from oil and gas. The process may take a long time. As the ancient Chinese proverb says, "a thousand mile journey begins with the first step." We have not made that first step.

Sure, some windfarms have been built, and some solar energy plants are running. But, there has been no commitment to the replacement and dismantling of all the existing coal, oil, and gas electric power stations in the world.  This is what needs to be done, or something close to it.

Nuclear power is NOT the solution. The Fukushima disaster should show that. The bigger problem with nuclear power is there is no solution for the long term handling and storage of the spent nuclear rods. A meltdown can poison groundwater for generations. Nearby farmland can be made useless. Nearby communities can be destroyed. Nuclear power is not an alternative.

Solar, wind, and geothermal are all proven technologies. They would get even better if governments around the world committed themselves to non-fossil fuel electricity production. Wave and tidal energy is also a possibility.  All these energies are there for the taking. They are clean, so they can be put near population centers with no fear of health issues. 

Destroying the last unspoiled wldernesses on Earth that feed us is not the answer.

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