The BP (British Petroleum) Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, is now considered the worst environmental disaster in the recent history. My heart goes out to everyone impacted by this disaster and I feel bad for all those oil soaked birds washing ashore. This is turning out to be a big threat to the marine species, birds, etc. But, you know what....I have a feeling that in due course of time all the species affected by this disaster will eventually evolve & thrive.
This oil spill is no doubt a big environmental disaster, but I don't think it is going to endager or result in extincton/near extinction of species. Environmental disasters like this would probably mutate the genes of the marine species in this region and thus would in few years/decades time we shoud see those species evolved to thrive in such conditions. If living organisms can thrive at the depths where even the sun light cannot reach, I guess some species could also live through this oil spill & evolve. After all Oil is just another natural resource. There are many places where it also naturally seeps to the ground without human drilling. I do not think such sites are devoid of any living organisms.
So, while the BP Oil Spill is a grave concern & a environmental disaster now, I hope mother nature will fix this in due course of time. I don't think there can be any second opinion that the leak must be capped, the Oil Spill needs to be cleaned up and we need to try & restore the same standard of living to all the flora & fauna in the impacted region. But even with all our humanly possible efforts, I don't think we can solve the problem we created. Were we able to fix the Ozone hole? So, we may need to wait for another generation or so to see how mother nature will fix this disaster. Probably, we might see new marine species evolve that is adapted to this kind of environment, capable of breaking down oil to thrive in such environment. We might even be able to handle future oil spills by introducing these new species in those waters, which might break up the oil.
PS: Just after posting this blog, I came across this news article - Scientists discover bacteria that can clean oil spill
Update (28-July-2010): Just within few days after the oil well has been capped, it appears that the oil slick is dissolving quickly than expected, atleast on the surface. Looks like as I wrote in this email, mother nature is fixing on its own.
Update (01-Aug-2010): Was the BP Oil Spill - disaster overblown?
Update (12-Aug-2010): In oiled Louisiana marshes, signs of regrowth seen
Update (09-Jan-2011): Methane from BP oil spill eaten by microbes
Update (28-July-2010): Just within few days after the oil well has been capped, it appears that the oil slick is dissolving quickly than expected, atleast on the surface. Looks like as I wrote in this email, mother nature is fixing on its own.
Update (01-Aug-2010): Was the BP Oil Spill - disaster overblown?
Update (12-Aug-2010): In oiled Louisiana marshes, signs of regrowth seen
Update (09-Jan-2011): Methane from BP oil spill eaten by microbes
