The Ocean Skeleton

Monday, August 25, 2008

Radiation in Singapore waters?

So here's some environmental news that's a lot closer to home. It turns out that a U.S. nuclear powered submarine that stopped in the Changi Naval base in September two years ago leaked trace amounts of radioactive water into the base. Studies done by both the U.S. and Singapore governments have concluded that the amount of radiation was very low, less than that of a common smoke detector, and had almost no possibility of harming marine life or human health.

However, this is still a chilling reminder that although we depend on water for survival, rely on the ocean ecosystems for our oxygen, and eat food out of the water, we still possess a very loose attitude towards what we put in the ocean, which we depend on for life.

Here's what I think: sure, maybe this time the radioactive water was too minute to cause harm, but let's remember that in the nuclear department alone, the U.S. has plenty of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, Russia has nuclear submarines littering the Siberia coast, in disrepair and leaking radioactivity into the Arctic waters. Aside from that, our oil spills, garbage, and especially our plastic waste seem to enjoy winding up in the oceans. The planet graciously provides what we need to survive, and in return we treat it with extreme callousness. We have to protect our oceans if we want to keep it for the years to come.