Why we still can’t stop oil spills from damaging the environment: It has been more than half a century since the world looked on in horror as the Torrey Canyon spilled some 100,000 tons of crude oil onto the coast of Britain. But when just 1,000 tons of fuel oil leaked from the bulk carrier Wakashio last month off Mauritius, it still caused the worst ecological disaster in the island nation’s history.

“About 75 per cent of the plants and animals are endemic to the island or to the Mascarenes,” said Vikash Tatayah, a conservation director at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. “Lost genetic diversity will never come back.”

So why are we still struggling to find a fast and effective way to tackle one of the most damaging of industrial accidents? Here are the options.

Why we still can’t stop oil spills from damaging the environment: It has been more than half a century since the world looked on in horror as the Torrey Canyon spilled some 100,000 tons of crude oil onto the coast of Britain. But when just 1,000 tons of fuel oil leaked from the bulk carrier Wakashio last month off Mauritius, it still caused the worst ecological disaster in the island nation’s history.“About 75 per cent of the plants and animals are endemic to the island or to the Mascarenes,” said Vikash Tatayah, a conservation director at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. “Lost genetic diversity will never come back.”So why are we still struggling to find a fast and effective way to tackle one of the most damaging of industrial accidents? Here are the options.Read More