I was so intrigued and saddened to hear about the oil spill in the Great Barrier Reef that I felt obligated to research the issue with more depth for my current events. As mentioned yesterday in class, a Chinese ship called the Shen Neng 1 went into a protected area in the north-east coast of Australia, significantly straying from normal shipping channels. The environmental ramifications of such are devastating. There are fears of a major oil spill in the Great Barrier Reef, as the ship is in danger of breaking apart. The Shen Neng 1, which carries 950 tons of oil, has already started leaking and now the coal-carrying ship is beginning to break apart, which would cause even more oil to seep into the vulnerable reef. There are currently massive efforts to prevent such a catastrophe. The first attempt involved trying to refloat the vessel, but its fuel tank has reportedly already been punctured. Now, chemical dispersants are being used to prevent a spill. Nonetheless, if the ship does break apart it would devastate the ecosystem of the largest reef of the world, most significantly by damaging the coral. The Australian government is investigating why the ship strayed nine miles off the shipping channel, but nonetheless environmentalists complain that the marine park has become a "coal highway" and that this is a sign of things to come.I found this article to be tragic. After just studying the Great Barrier Reef, I know how important the corals are to all organisms. Not to mention, the reef is simply a beautiful and sacred place. It is good to hear that there have been massive efforts by the government to prevent the spilling, but the fact that the ship even got into this situation is incredibly frustrating. I am interested to hear what the crew was thinking when they committed this crime against nature. This incident reminds me of the shark finning boats, which are run by people who care more about money and efficiency than nature.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8602400.stm
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