OPERATION WATER POLLUTION: CLEAN UP
Grades: 9-12
Time: 10-14 hours, plus homework to make poster
Problem #1:
You are a researcher for Environment Canada, specifically Canada’s coastlines. Recently, there was an oil tanker spill on the BC coastline. This oil spill has been devastating for the local economy and the ecosystem as a whole. The citizens on the coast are furious and they demand compensation and answers for the whole situation.
Your first job is to find out all that could have been affected by this spill. What sort of animals could have been affected? How many people live on the coast?
Problem #2:
Now that you have gathered all of the preliminary information that you need, it is time to schedule a clean up. From the information you have gathered and the information sheet, it is now your job to figure out the best possible solution for this clean up job. You know that this has affected many people and animals and will have a long-lasting effect on the area.
You need to find a clean up solution that is quick and can effectively clean up the area completely.
Problem #3:
Now that a solution for the clean up has been found, it is time to inform the people of the surrounding area regarding what has happened and your government’s plans for clean up. To do this, you will be creating a poster board with all the essential information that the people need to know. This poster board will be copied and the copies will be posted on and near the coastline.
The information that you post on this poster board must be accurate and informative, but short enough to keep someone’s attention.
Operation Water Pollution: Clean Up Information
The specifics of the oil spill are as follows:
- It covers more the 40 km of land and ocean, with over 70% of it being ocean.
- It has affected the wildlife in the area, such as pelicans, seagulls, and the fish populations, so the clean up must involve them as well.
- 400 000 barrels of oil were spilled into the ocean and on the land.
- The oil was in the crude phase.
- Cleaning will involve cleaning the oil spill and getting the tanker out of the water safely.
- The financial and environmental hit to BC is quite extensive so clean up needs to be as efficient and cheap as possible.
