I chose this topic because I wanted to learn how a simple thing like an oil spill can effect the earth. Now that I know, I can teach others what I learned. If you read my essay, you can teach others to!
Accidental Oil Leakage
By Annabelle Ivey
CRASH! A ship filled with oil spills into the sea. You can’t go swimming anymore. Your mom pulls you away from the water. You sit and wonder. ”What will happen to the animals”? Your parents say you should go home. You hear them say it’s an oil spill and that it’s very dangerous. You decide they're probably right. Your little brother asks,”Whats that”? The question wanders in your mind as you get into the car,”What is an oil spill”? `While you're driving away you see men with a shirt, that say E.P.A (Environmental Protection Agency) trying to clean up the spill with something like a sponge. Another question comes up in your mind,”What are they doing”?
What causes an oil spill?
Many tankers can crash against a coral reef or rocks. For example, the Exxon Valdez, spilled out 11 million gallons of oil, which could fill 1,000 swimming pools. The Exxon Valdez was a tanker. It collided with another tanker and oil came flowing out. When that happens the boat might crack, which can cause oil to leak. When oil enters a water source it spreads onto its surface and does not stop. When one water body gets polluted, it spreads onto all water bodies until cared for. Why it spreads is because all water sources are connected and that hasn't changed in 1 billion years.
Everything needs water, so if that water source gets polluted and spreads, the plants and animals near that water will soak up the oil in the water. Tankers aren’t the only ones that can cause an oil spill. For example an undersea oil well can start to leak. How this can happen is A pipe near the shore can break and if it’s filled with oil it can cause an oil spill. Also a ship or tanker can come across a oil rig. The tanker may hit a rig and oil comes pouring out. Another cause is that a vehicle carries oil, if the vehicle crashes the oil can come spilling out. When the oil touches dirt and is not treated before it rains, the rain can push the oil into the ground. That oil can reach groundwater or an aquifer, which we drink from, and that water will then become polluted. Sometimes workers on a tanker need to clean their oil tanks out and flush the old oil out in the water. The same thing happens as when a vehicle crashes.
Effects of an oil spill
All around the world oil spills are happening. Which means all around the world dangerous things are happening. Animals are dying because they get covered with oil. The oil gets shoved into fish gills and they die. The oil does not just kill fish it also kills shrimp and crabs by getting into their bodies. Nobody knows how many of them died. Many birds like geese,ducks and other seabirds got the sticky oil stuck to their feathers. They couldn’t swim or fly. Over 300,000 died from the Exxon Valdez spill! Sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals and killer whales all swallowed the oil. Oil contains poisonous fumes, the animals then breath in those fumes. The animals bodies got coated with oil.
Thousands of them can die.
Solutions
Many oil spills happen, which means many people work to help clean up. Remember when I talked about the sponge? That is a way to clean up a small oil spill. It is called a pad. First they have to use a boom. A boom is like a rope or collar. The boom stops the oil from spreading.How the pad works is that the it has many layers. The experts (such as the E.P.A) place the pad gently on the water’s surface. They soak up the oil, then get rid of the soaked up oil. How they do that is get a bag and they squeeze the oil into the bag. That’s not the only solution for small oil spills. Experts may want to use a skimmer. There are many types of skimmers. There is one that works kind of like a vacuum cleaner. It soaks up the oil and can sometimes be reused. How the skimmer works is that there are 4 floats on either side of a big basin that has a funnel shape top. The top floats just below the surface of the water. The oil flows into the basin. There is a hose connected to the basin that sucks the oil into a storage tank.
There are also solutions for larger oil spills. The experts may set the oil on fire. You might think that’s bad but it’s not. They only set the surface on fire. The fire sends smoke and gas into the air and leaves ashes in the water. The ashes catch the oil. Some cleanup crews can use chemicals to get rid of large oil spills. Experts get up in planes or boats. The experts spread chemicals on the oil. The chemicals can break the oil into small pieces. Those pieces mix with the oil. Some chemicals may make the oil come together. The oil forms a layer on the surface of the water. The oil is like rubber when combined with chemicals. Another type of skimmer looks and works kind of like a boat, it lifts the oil sheet out of the water. The oil from most spills come up to the shore. The experts squirt the sand and rocks with water to wash oil back into the water body. Sometimes the water can push the oil farther into the rocks. This can cause the oil to harm plants and animals in that area. Experts may add bacteria to the oil on the shore. The bacteria captures the oil and changes it into a harmful substance. This is only for small oil spills.
What can WE Do
You might be thinking what you, yourself can do. I have an answer for that.
We can use a lot less oil. If we use less oil, there won’t be boats or tankers filled with oil in the sea. Then any chance of an oil spill is less likely. One way to save oil is to use less electricity. Electricity is often made by burning oil. Less electricity means less oil. You can write letters to Congress members. You may inform them that you want more laws about oil spills. You can say that you're worried about birds, fish and other animals that live in the sea. You may also say that you think booms, skimmers, chemicals and bacteria should always be kept ready for emergency oil spills. Also you can say that you think oil tankers should have double hulls. If the outer hull is damaged the inner one will still hold the oil and oil won’t spill into the water. YOU can make a difference!
BOOM! You took another trip to the beach, hoping it would be better than the first one. But it wasn’t. The same thing happened. You once more had to be pulled off the beach by your annoying and overprotective mother. “Hey!” You thought. “At least I know what is happening.” Mom, you don’t have to pull me away I know what is happening. Your little brother still doesn't know though. He asks you once more, “What is happening.” “Well.” You say. “I read Accidental Oil Leakage, by Annabelle Ivey, and I found out what causes an oil spill, effects of an oil, solutions and what I can do. If you read it, maybe you can find out too!!”
Glossary
Aquifer……...A source that holds water underground, like an underground lake
Basin……...A bowl shape
Fumes……..A type of gas
Hull…….A layer
Rig……...A machine that pumbs all our oil under water
Tanker……...A big ship that carries oil from place to place
Undersea oil well……...A well underwater that holds oil
By Annabelle Ivey
CRASH! A ship filled with oil spills into the sea. You can’t go swimming anymore. Your mom pulls you away from the water. You sit and wonder. ”What will happen to the animals”? Your parents say you should go home. You hear them say it’s an oil spill and that it’s very dangerous. You decide they're probably right. Your little brother asks,”Whats that”? The question wanders in your mind as you get into the car,”What is an oil spill”? `While you're driving away you see men with a shirt, that say E.P.A (Environmental Protection Agency) trying to clean up the spill with something like a sponge. Another question comes up in your mind,”What are they doing”?
What causes an oil spill?
Many tankers can crash against a coral reef or rocks. For example, the Exxon Valdez, spilled out 11 million gallons of oil, which could fill 1,000 swimming pools. The Exxon Valdez was a tanker. It collided with another tanker and oil came flowing out. When that happens the boat might crack, which can cause oil to leak. When oil enters a water source it spreads onto its surface and does not stop. When one water body gets polluted, it spreads onto all water bodies until cared for. Why it spreads is because all water sources are connected and that hasn't changed in 1 billion years.
Everything needs water, so if that water source gets polluted and spreads, the plants and animals near that water will soak up the oil in the water. Tankers aren’t the only ones that can cause an oil spill. For example an undersea oil well can start to leak. How this can happen is A pipe near the shore can break and if it’s filled with oil it can cause an oil spill. Also a ship or tanker can come across a oil rig. The tanker may hit a rig and oil comes pouring out. Another cause is that a vehicle carries oil, if the vehicle crashes the oil can come spilling out. When the oil touches dirt and is not treated before it rains, the rain can push the oil into the ground. That oil can reach groundwater or an aquifer, which we drink from, and that water will then become polluted. Sometimes workers on a tanker need to clean their oil tanks out and flush the old oil out in the water. The same thing happens as when a vehicle crashes.
Effects of an oil spill
All around the world oil spills are happening. Which means all around the world dangerous things are happening. Animals are dying because they get covered with oil. The oil gets shoved into fish gills and they die. The oil does not just kill fish it also kills shrimp and crabs by getting into their bodies. Nobody knows how many of them died. Many birds like geese,ducks and other seabirds got the sticky oil stuck to their feathers. They couldn’t swim or fly. Over 300,000 died from the Exxon Valdez spill! Sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals and killer whales all swallowed the oil. Oil contains poisonous fumes, the animals then breath in those fumes. The animals bodies got coated with oil.
Thousands of them can die.
Solutions
Many oil spills happen, which means many people work to help clean up. Remember when I talked about the sponge? That is a way to clean up a small oil spill. It is called a pad. First they have to use a boom. A boom is like a rope or collar. The boom stops the oil from spreading.How the pad works is that the it has many layers. The experts (such as the E.P.A) place the pad gently on the water’s surface. They soak up the oil, then get rid of the soaked up oil. How they do that is get a bag and they squeeze the oil into the bag. That’s not the only solution for small oil spills. Experts may want to use a skimmer. There are many types of skimmers. There is one that works kind of like a vacuum cleaner. It soaks up the oil and can sometimes be reused. How the skimmer works is that there are 4 floats on either side of a big basin that has a funnel shape top. The top floats just below the surface of the water. The oil flows into the basin. There is a hose connected to the basin that sucks the oil into a storage tank.
There are also solutions for larger oil spills. The experts may set the oil on fire. You might think that’s bad but it’s not. They only set the surface on fire. The fire sends smoke and gas into the air and leaves ashes in the water. The ashes catch the oil. Some cleanup crews can use chemicals to get rid of large oil spills. Experts get up in planes or boats. The experts spread chemicals on the oil. The chemicals can break the oil into small pieces. Those pieces mix with the oil. Some chemicals may make the oil come together. The oil forms a layer on the surface of the water. The oil is like rubber when combined with chemicals. Another type of skimmer looks and works kind of like a boat, it lifts the oil sheet out of the water. The oil from most spills come up to the shore. The experts squirt the sand and rocks with water to wash oil back into the water body. Sometimes the water can push the oil farther into the rocks. This can cause the oil to harm plants and animals in that area. Experts may add bacteria to the oil on the shore. The bacteria captures the oil and changes it into a harmful substance. This is only for small oil spills.
What can WE Do
You might be thinking what you, yourself can do. I have an answer for that.
We can use a lot less oil. If we use less oil, there won’t be boats or tankers filled with oil in the sea. Then any chance of an oil spill is less likely. One way to save oil is to use less electricity. Electricity is often made by burning oil. Less electricity means less oil. You can write letters to Congress members. You may inform them that you want more laws about oil spills. You can say that you're worried about birds, fish and other animals that live in the sea. You may also say that you think booms, skimmers, chemicals and bacteria should always be kept ready for emergency oil spills. Also you can say that you think oil tankers should have double hulls. If the outer hull is damaged the inner one will still hold the oil and oil won’t spill into the water. YOU can make a difference!
BOOM! You took another trip to the beach, hoping it would be better than the first one. But it wasn’t. The same thing happened. You once more had to be pulled off the beach by your annoying and overprotective mother. “Hey!” You thought. “At least I know what is happening.” Mom, you don’t have to pull me away I know what is happening. Your little brother still doesn't know though. He asks you once more, “What is happening.” “Well.” You say. “I read Accidental Oil Leakage, by Annabelle Ivey, and I found out what causes an oil spill, effects of an oil, solutions and what I can do. If you read it, maybe you can find out too!!”
Glossary
Aquifer……...A source that holds water underground, like an underground lake
Basin……...A bowl shape
Fumes……..A type of gas
Hull…….A layer
Rig……...A machine that pumbs all our oil under water
Tanker……...A big ship that carries oil from place to place
Undersea oil well……...A well underwater that holds oil
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