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17 · Friday, June 18, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Oil disaster should have us looking at changing our lifestyle By Lindsay Williamson GRADE 11, T.A. BLAKELOCK T hursday, April 20, 2010. Black Thursday has once again returned to choke us all, the black oil of the Deepwater Horizon oil well leak is drowning the very liquid that, not only makes up 71 per cent of our world, but is the most essential thing to all life, as we know it. On April 20, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, owned by Transocean and leased to BP, was drilling when methane gas from the well shot up, upsurged onto the platform, ignited and exploded. Eleven workers have not been found and the Deepwater Horizon sank on April 22 -- Earth Day of 2010. The same afternoon, an oil slick started to appear and spread from the site of the sunken rig and on April 24 it was discovered that a broken wellhead was leaking a large amount of oil. BP is trying to rectify the situation while also trying to gather the oil to cover its losses. A containment chamber, called a Coffer dam, will be dropped down over the wellhead in an attempt to suck up the oil from the chamber through a pipe, to the surface and into a barge. However, this plan may take a week or two to complete. The company is also trying a relief well to siphon the oil away from the damaged wellhead, but that could take 90 days. The oil has made its way into the wetlands. It will get stuck in the mud, the swamp water and the damp grass forever becoming a poisoned part of the once healthy area. Beaches and tourism will suffer as balls of flattened oil wash ashore. The same can be said for small businesses dependent largely on tourism and the local fishing industry. There are concerns about the oil spreading via the Loop Current, the winds and, possibly, a hurricane, which could pick up the tainted oil water and damn any remaining un-oiled land with a killing black rain. The Loop Current is of great concern. This current connects to the Gulf Stream, which heads towards Europe. Aside from contaminating more locations along the east coast of the U.S., a change in the Gulf Stream could cause noticeable climate changes all around Europe. The Exxon Valdez oil tanker pumped out a total of 10.8 million gallons of oil. The Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico has been pumping out anywhere between 25,000 to 30,000 gallons per day for 57 days. This is not something we can just turn off if we switch off television coverage or change channels. It doesn't just stop. As we go on with our lives, the oil pumps out in thousands of gallons a day. The oil will be here long after graduation next year. Canada is seventh on the oil consumption chart at 2,290,000 barrels a day. This is not healthy. Things need to change. Oil is not limitless, there must come a time when it is gone and we must find a healthier way to live on the earth. The ocean will not stop bleeding for days, maybe weeks to come, but maybe we can start healing the scars. O'Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP welcomes Alia Rosenstock O'Connor MacLeod Hanna LLP, Halton's largest full service law firm, is pleased to welcome Alia Rosenstock to our team of specialized professionals. Alia Rosenstock practices in the areas of Municipal and Real Estate Law. Her law practice focuses on representation of private and public sector parties on minor variances, consents, development applications, expropriations, tax sales and heritage matters. Alia's practice involves appearing before local and regional committees and council, Committees of Adjustment and the Ontario Municipal Board and Ontario Courts. Alia can be reached directly at Tel: 905.842.8030 ext. 3350 Fax: 905.842.2460 Email: rosenstock@omh.ca 700 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON, L6K 3W5 www.omh.ca Ê Ê * TRAFALGAR Coming Soon BRANT ST UPPER MIDDLE RD CAROLINE ST WALKERS LN BRANT ST N SERVICE RD DORVAL DR ROYAL FORD DR WINDSOR DR RD DUNDAS ST POSTRIDGE DR Coming Soon LAKESHORE RD E Now Open WESTWOOD MALL ETUDE DR ST ANDREWS THOMAS ST QUEEN ST S Coming Soon QUEEN ST W BRONTE ST -- Brampton -- 9045 Airport Road Ê Ê (905) 791-1751 AIRPORT RD BELLWOODS SHAW ST GOREWAY DR NAVY ST LIVINGSTON AVE AVE AVE QUEEN ST E UPPER BRANT PLAZA DORVAL CROSSING WEST DERRY RD W OLD PINE ST -- Burlington -- 2201 Brant Street -- Burlington -- 3450 Dundas Street -- Burlington -- 495 Brant Street -- Oakville -- 280 N. Service Rd. W. -- Oakville -- 601 Ford Drive -- Oakville -- 2365 Trafalgar Road -- Oakville -- 150 Lakseshore Rd. E. -- Malton -- 7205 Goreway Dr. -- Grimsby -- 44 Livingston Ave. -- Milton -- 6901 Derry Road W. -- Streetsville -- 241 Queen St. S. -- Toronto -- 869 Queen St. West (905) 335-3191 (905) 319-5005 (905) 639-7526 (905) 842-7141 (905) 845-2996 (905) 257-6885 (905) 338-3443 (905) 677-7482 (905) 945-3444 (905) 876-8882 (905) 858-6161 (416) 203-0862