Monday, March 24, 2014

After 25 years, Exxon Valdez oil spill hasn't ended: Ashley Barnes 2nd

25 years ago, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez spilled over 11 gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound. Because of the substantial time that has passed, many might think the the destruction caused by this spill would be over. However, this is not the case. The damages from the spill are still very active today. In fact, the oil is still currently in the water today, polluting the water. The oil has killed off several wild life animals, including the Orca and the Pacific Herring. The Orca pod lost the majority of it's members, and their hasn't been any offspring since the spill. Due to the fact that there is only one older female Orca left, scientists have concluded that the pod will be extinct shortly. The Pacific Herring are also a dying breed, which happen to be a major food source to other animals, including the bald eagle. Even though it is too late to save the Sound, we can try to prevent oil spills from happening in the future.

This current event really saddened me. The Prince William Sound was described as "one of the 'last best places' on Earth". It's a shame that a human mistake could ruin such a place. I think that we need to take all precautions possible to prevent another oil spill from happening again.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/opinion/holleman-exxon-valdez-anniversary/index.html?hpt=us_c2

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