Only in a world as whacked beyond belief as our modern man's could a mess like this happen in a place called "Inaccessible Island".
The remotest set of inhabited islands in the world promised serenity, calm and safety from the ills and pollution that plague other parts of the world. Alas, even those distant problems found their way to these pristine shores in the South Atlantic.
A week ago today, (March 16), the MV Oliva (Valetta) crashed on the rocks of Nightingale Island, spilling its cargo of soybeans and some 800 tons of fuel oil onto the coast.
Yes, this was diaried last night by the indefatigable DWG, and mentioned at the end of a rescued diary earlier today (with a mere 229 views at the moment), but this story is getting a short shift here and elsewhere.
From our own Magnifico, the first Kossack cover the story of the BP offshore rig explosion/cum oil volcano last year here-
The ship ran aground on March 16 and being so far from other places, the fate of the penguins and the island ecosystem are likely going to fade from the brief blip on the public's mind. The next bit of news may well be the note in the NYT marking the rockhoppers' extinction.
Indeed, with a 2nd ship departing from South Africa earlier today - a full week after the crash - it feels a lot like when a football team is still running a harried 2-minute drill even though they are down by 4 touchdowns with 30 seconds left in the game.
The glaring, mind-boggling item that deserves a special place in the EPIC FAIL Hall of Fame, is this photo from the NY Times piece on this spill, which just so happens to be coming on the 22nd anniversary of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
The photo of a giant barge run aground may not seem unusual on first glance. We are, sadly, jaded by and accustomed to such imagery these days.
Trevor Glass/RSPB, via Associated Press |
But upon close inspection, you can see the giant bold words in what surely are 2-meter tall letters: SAFETY FIRST
Again, Magnificosays is better than I can:
Nightengale Island is in the middle of 'nowhere' (10+ / 0-)
It took "talent" to shipwreck on it. I suspect the crew was drunk.
I have always found these to be some of the coolest-looking creatures in the world. I call them "Punk rock Penguins" because of their mod "hairdo".
They also look a bit angry. Now they have an extra reason to feel that way.
http://digitalnomad.nationalgeographic.com/...
Andrew Evans/National Geographic |
The oil spill occurred at the tail end of the rockhoppers’ molting season, worsening the natural struggle of the skinny penguins to return to the sea and find enough fish to survive.
And it gets worse. Oil, ironically, may not be the worst aspect of this latest shipwereck:
Conservation groups said the wreck could pose a different ecological threat to the chain as rats could have come ashore from the vessel, which was carrying 66,000 tons of soybeans from Brazil to Singapore. Several islands in the archipelago are rodent-free, and a rat infestation could potentially do more harm to bird life than any oiling, experts said.
The real rats are the people who continue to profit from destroying our planet, and the sick, twisted politicians who pander to them.
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To adopt a Northern Rockhopper penguin via WWF, click this pic:
For more commentary, and a heart-breaking video, see DWG's diary.