What is the impact of an oil spill?

Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/therebel68/

The last few videos that we’ve posted have been examples from our primary modules so it seems like time for another KS3 Geography clip. There are lots of clips in the gallery relating to environmental issues, and one of the stories making the headlines yesterday was a huge oil spill off the coast of Ireland. Estimates of the amount of oil spilt range from 500 to 1000 tonnes, making it the largest oil spill in the waters around Britain since the Sea Empress ran aground in 1996 off the coast of south-west Wales.

The spill is thought to have happened as a Russian aircraft carrier was refuelling at sea, although the Russians have yet to admit that one of their vessels is responsible. It is about three miles long by three miles wide and is expected to reach the southern Irish and Welsh coasts in about sixteen days time. It’s too early to say what impact the slick is likely to have on wildlife as weather conditions might cause it to break up at sea, but it could result in severe losses among breeding birds and marine animals such as dolphins and seals.

Although still a considerable spill and potentially very damaging, this recent incident is unlikely to cause environmental damage on a scale that has occurred from other leakages in the past. The consequences of the Prestige oil tanker sinking off the Spanish coast in 2002, for example, were terrible. The ship’s cargo of 70,000 tonnes of oil had a massive impact on marine wildlife and the fishing industry in the region, as well as causing a political and diplomatic rift over who was to blame:

Title of clip	Oil spill from the Prestige
Curriculum location	Geography (secondary)  >  QCA  >  Key stage 3  >  Unit 14: Can the earth cope? Ecosystems population and resources  >  Section 5: What are the effects on the environment of this resource issue?  >  Learning Objective: to collect, record and present evidence
Description	A report on the environmental disaster caused by an oil spillage from the sinking Prestige oil tanker: 70,000 tonnes of oil spilled into the sea; local fisherman help navy cadets to clean the coastline of oil; 60 percent of the region is dependent on fishing for its livelihood and the area is rich in wildlife; the slick covers an area of 20 square miles and is still expanding; Greenpeace describe the clean-up operation as inadequate; mussel fishing boats have been ordered to stay in port, the owners are promised some compensation for the loss of earnings.
Duration	2 minutes 10 seconds

 

Please note that this is an example clip provided through our YouTube channel and does not reflect the actual quality of clips in the gallery