Science and Technology for Canadians

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Curriculum Connections

Science/Environmental Studies (Grade 9/10)

• Analyse natural and human threats to an ecosystem and propose viable solutions to restore ecological balance.
• Formulate scientific questions about the ecological issue and outline experimental procedures for finding answers.
• Demonstrate the skills required to plan and conduct practical tests on ecological factors.
• Describe the physical and chemical processes involved in the methods used to clean up a contaminated site.
• Describe some of the technologies used in cleaning up contaminated sites.
• Identify and evaluate Canadian initiatives in protecting Canada's ecosystems.

Environmental Studies/Geography (Grade 11/12)

• Analyse the factors that contribute to the fragility and/or resilience of selected ecosystems.
• Analyse the ways in which various groups or individuals depend on a resource [e.g., crude oil] and evaluate the environmental, economic and social implications of their dependence on the resource.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the need for global cooperation in achieving the sustainable use of resources.
• Explain how selected non-governmental organizations assist in finding solutions to environmental problems.
• Explain ways to improve the balance between human needs and the protection of natural systems.

You Should Know...

In the late 1980's, the oil spill associated with the Exxon Valdez along the coast of Alaska led governments to closely examine the ability to cope with similar disasters. The Exxon Valdez accident spilled nearly 50 million litres of crude oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989. The clean-up efforts involved approximately $2.5 billion spent by Exxon - plus about $160 million by the state and the federal governments. Exxon's efforts were concentrated on beach clean-up and oil recovery.

Bioremediation agents are microbiological cultures, enzyme additives, or nutrient additives that are deliberately introduced into sites contaminated by an oil discharge to significantly increase the rate of oil biodegradation to mitigate the effects of the discharge.

In Nova Scotia, under the direction of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a study is underway to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient enrichment to clean up contaminated lands. Scientists knew that bioremediation by nutrient enrichment was feasible in sandy areas (beaches and areas with sandy soil) because of the poor quality of the soil. As low nutrient concentrations were found to limit the rate of oil degradation by natural bacteria contained in the sediments, the addition of fertilizer and/or aeration of the soil improved the process. Recent studies have applied the principles involved in sandy areas to other sites such as cobble beaches and wetlands that have different chemical and physical characteristics.

The study, a co-operative venture between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the United States Environmental Protection Agency is particularly important because the wetlands on the coastal fringes are often the habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including migratory birds and fish.

Questions

1. Analyse the term "bioremediation" – bio ... remedy – and explain it in "layperson's language".
2. Draw a sketch map to illustrate the location of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
3. What is meant by the term "nutrient enrichment" or "nutrient amendment"?
4. How does the addition of fertilizer to oil spills affect the growth of bacteria?
5. Dr. Lee's experiments had two purposes. What were they?
6. What is the role of oxygen in the process of remediation of the soil? How did Dr. Lee's experiment increase the amount of oxygen in the soil?
7. In what ways was this a "controlled" experiment?
8. How was the recovery of the plots measured? What is Dr. Lee's estimate of the increase in speed in recovery by such methods?

Reflection

1. Research to determine locations of oil spills throughout the world during the past ten years. Establish any patterns and/or trends in terms of location, ship ownership, companies involved, weather, or season.
2. How do Dr. Lee's experiments in the wetlands of Nova Scotia reflect sound scientific methodology?
3. Why are studies like this one beneficial for Canada's coastlines and wetlands?
4. Research a major oil spill (Exxon Valdez, Amoco Cadiz, Argo Merchant, Bouchard, Burmah Agate, Cibro, Savanna, Ixtoc I, The Jupiter or the Mega Borg) and evaluate the methods that were used in the cleanup, with a particular focus on the role of bioremediation.
5. Some people believe that one of the solutions to oil spills is to get people to use less oil. This would result in lower amounts of oil being transported around the world, particularly by water. Develop a futures wheel to look at the implications of lowering (by 50 %) the amount of oil used by developed nations like Canada or the United States.
6. Plot the information contained in the chart below on a world map. Use symbols to reflect the severity of the spills. Research ONE of the major spills to determine the cause of the spill and the environmental impact of the spill.

Ship name; Year; Location; Oil lost (tonnes)

• Atlantic Empress 1979 off Tobago, West Indies 287,000
• ABT Summer 1991 700 nautical. miles off Angola 260,000
• Castillo de Bellver 1983 off Saldanha Bay, South Africa 252,000
• Amoco Cadiz 1978 off Brittany, France 223,000
• Haven 1991 Genoa, Italy 144,000
• Odyssey 1988 700 nautical. miles off Nova Scotia, Canada 132,000
• Torrey Canyon 1967 Scilly Isles, UK 119,000
• Independenta 1979 Bosphorus, Turkey 95,000
• Jakob Maersk 1975 Oporto, Portugal 88,000
• Braer 1993 Shetland Islands, UK 85,000
• Khark 5 1989 120 nautical. miles off Atlantic coast of Morocco 80,000
• Aegean Sea 1992 La Coruna, Spain 74,000
• Sea Empress 1996 Milford Haven, UK 72,000
• Katina P. 1992 off Maputo, Mozambique 72,000
• Assimi 1983 55 nautical. miles off Muscat, Oman 53,000
• Metula 1974 Magellan Straits, Chile 50,000
• Wafra 1971 off Cape Agulhas, South Africa 40,000
• Exxon Valdez 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA 37,000

Source - International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited.

Coastal wetlands are generally considered to be fairly "fragile". Identify other "fragile" environments in Canada and determine what is being done to protect these environments.

Many non-governmental organizations - NGOs (Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, etc.) will have a particular "position" on crude oil consumption, production and transportation. Research ONE of these non-governmental organizations to determine its particular stance and some of the activities in which it has demonstrated its position. Offer suggestions for ways in which government agencies and NGOs can collaborate to solve environmental problems.

The Cree Nation has a statement of philosophy that states: "Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, only then will you find that money can not be eaten". Write a short essay to explain this philosophy, its origins and its implications for 21st century society.

Web Sites

www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca
www.tamug.edu/marinepolicy/foucs_pages/oil_spills.htm
www.etcentre.org/home/water_e.html
www.qc.ec.gc.ca/faune/faune/html/spills.html
www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/hww-fap/hww-fap.cfm?ID_species=89&lang=e
www.ns.ec.gc.ca/reports/osrp.html

Assessment and Evaluation

Devise a plan for the cleanup of an oil spill in a coastal area of Canada. In your plan, outline the following:

• methods to be used to contain and clean up the spill;
• government agencies to be involved;
• a sample press release to indicate your plan and progress to the media; and
• environmental groups who might assist with the implementation of the plan.