Breaking: Possible Environmental Disaster in Antarctica
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02.15.07
We usually try to focus on positive developments and solutions, but once in a while something that is neither catches our eye and we can't help but share it with you. The Times Online reports: "New Zealand gave warning of a possible environmental disaster in the Antarctic today after the flagship of the Japanese whaling fleet caught fire [yesterday] in the sea off the world's largest penguin breeding site [...] there is still danger that some of the 1.3 million litres of oil on board will leak into the otherwise clean southern seas." The ship is currently adrift in the Ross Sea near the pristine breeding ground of 250,000 pairs of penguins (among other wildlife in the area) and, according to the latest news, the fire is not out yet, only contained. It is estimated that the ship has 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on board as well as many other chemicals. The 148-member crew of the ship was evacuated except for 1 person who is missing and the captain with 30 others who stayed on the ship. The seas are presently calm but notorious for extreme storms.
"The master advises he has the situation under control," said Mr Corbett who cautioned that there was "still some potential" that the fire could flare up again."The fire is below decks, below the bridge and above the engine room," Mr Corbett told Reuters. "It is not out, it is still going, but its contained in the factory space. It’s a serious fire. What they have done is seal off the area and they will let it burn itself out. The temperature is dropping, that’s good news."
On whaling:
The Japanese Government is intent on overturning the moratorium on commercial whaling that has been in place since 1986. So far, with the help of landlocked countries such as Mongolia and tiny island states like Tuvalu and Kiribati, Japan has corralled a simple majority in the group but remains short of the three-quarters needed to end the ban.
Photo credit: Tony Karacsonyi, map in the public domain.
For more: ::Penguin alert as whaler catches fire off Antarctic, ::Japan ship fire 'under control', ::Japan in commercial whaling push
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The Japanese are entirely to blame for this threat to the environment. They are determined to hunt whales in the face of overwhelming opposition, and are intent on destroying the environment.
The NZ government should do nothing to assist. Where is the Japanese government? Sitting in Tokyo watching dead whale meat rot on the shelves, that's where.
Shame on the Japanese.
I wonder if this is the same Japanese ship that Greenpeace deliberately rammed with their own ship on Monday, on the Ross Sea?
That would make Greenpeace directly responsible for any subsequent environmental catastrophe.
Talk about ironic!
"I wonder if this is the same Japanese ship that Greenpeace deliberately rammed with their own ship on Monday, on the Ross Sea?"
It wasn't. different ship. And it wasn't Greenpeace, it was the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. And they didn't exactly ram the whaling ship, but they did go in their way AFAIK.
So in other words, the Sea Sheppard Conservation Society recklessly caused an accident, with no regard for the potential consequences.
They are certifiably INSANE.
"So in other words, the Sea Sheppard Conservation Society recklessly caused an accident, with no regard for the potential consequences."
From their point of view, I'm sure they felt that protecting large sentient and potentially endangered living creatures was worth that risk. But they are not the ones who caused the fire on the ship discussed here.
I'm not saying I agree with their tactics, but greenpeace certainly brought more attention to whales than pretty much any other organization with such tactics.
Remember, its the Japanese government, not the people, that hold the blame. My foreign relatives often blame me (an American) for Bush. I didn't vote for him.
I certainly am opposed to large scale (or small scale, for that matter) whaling, and think that the ship fire is a disaster, you can't unilaterally bash an entire country.
I also think that many eco-activists often lose public support over stupid actions, and often do more to hurt the environment than help it.
Boycott Japanese goods until they stop whaling!
The Japanese sailed into the path of the Sea Shepherd. The Sea Shepherd may use direct action that is uncomfortably close at times, but why would they ram a ship?
It's clear that the Japanese are the irresponsible people here.
First, it is not the same ship that Sea Shepherd has not rammed, but collided with. Whalers and Sea Shepherd are blaming each other for an accident. I tend to believe Sea Shepherd --- never they avoided the responsibility for such accidents in the past if accidents were on their conscience.
Second, Sea Shepherd ships were some thousand miles from Japanese when the whaling ship caught the fire.
Thanks for the post. It may not "focus on positive developments and solutions", but it will keep people up to date on an incredibly important story. A "positive solution" is desperately needed, in so many ways here.
The Esperanza crew has blog updates on the situation. Click here to read.
No one rammed the factory ship (the one on fire).
The SSCS say they were rammed by a sighting vessel. The whalers say the SSCS did the ramming. That was days ago. News story here.
I absolutely agree that it is the japanese government that is to blame. the japanese people don't even eat that much whale.. They kill so many of them that they are making dog food with it (I'm not kidding! The BBC reported that).
Again, the Japanese demonstrate their hatred towards the oceanic environment - they are willing to allow a ship disabled by fire to pollute the pristine Antartic environment. The fire abord the ship has burnt out, yet the Japanese reject offers of help from Greenpeace to tow the ship to harbour.
Again, shame on the Japanese.
In fairness, it is the Japanese government that you should direct your anger towards. Not Japanese people in general.
There are Japanese working to end commercial whaling. There is even one on the Greenpeace ship. His name is Sakyo. There have been other Japanese on Greenpeace ships for past whaling seasons.
If you're curious, the head of Greenpeace Japan just published an op-ed about their strategy. You can find it on the Ocean Defenders site.
I guess being a US citizen I'm sensitive to this sort of thing. People always blaming me for what my government does.
the japanese should have been more careful. with no help from their government the japanese are entirely to blame. there is no possible way that the japanese can sincerely halp the enviroment until everything they have done is completely clear up. the japanese are world threats