Time's running out.Time Bomb<\/p>\n
In some of the week's worst environmental news, a stranded oil tanker off the coast of Yemen could make the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill \"look like a beach party,\" according to a Bloombergop-ed published yesterday.<\/p>\n
The tanker holds 1.1 million barrels of oil and is pretty much a done-in rust bucket doing its best to stay afloat. In May, Al Jazeera reported that the tanker's \"structural integrity is on the verge of collapse\" and that disaster is only a matter of time. When it spills or blows, Bloomberg says international trade could be halted for weeks.<\/p>\n
Most of the international efforts to help Yemen during its bloody civil war have understandably been directed at reducing loss of life, but a two-month truce between opposing sides has opened a small window for the United Nations to address the time bomb that is the FSO Safer.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg says the UN has estimated that a Red Sea cleanup would cost around $20 billion, but preventative measures are far less costly. An emergency operation to offload the oil might cost $80 million, with an additional $64 million to replace the ship.<\/p>\n
Right now, though, fundraising efforts are short by about $20 million, with the UN even reportedly using crowdfunding the close the gap.<\/p>\n
There's no beating around the bush this sounds like a total global disaster both environmentally and economically.<\/p>\n
Hopefully somebody in charge does something, because neither human nor environmental systems can tolerate much more disaster right now.<\/p>\n
More on worrisome trends: Scientists Say \"No Need to Panic\" As Sunspot Pointed at Earth Doubles In Size Again<\/p>\n
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Go here to read the rest: Time's running out.Time Bomb In some of the week's worst environmental news, a stranded oil tanker off the coast of Yemen could make the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill \"look like a beach party,\" according to a Bloombergop-ed published yesterday. The tanker holds 1.1 million barrels of oil and is pretty much a done-in rust bucket doing its best to stay afloat. In May, Al Jazeera reported that the tanker's \"structural integrity is on the verge of collapse\" and that disaster is only a matter of time Continue reading
\nStranded Oil Tanker That Could Start Leaking Any Time Now, Experts Warn - Futurism<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"