BP’s Disaster Down Under
Australians continue to raise their barbie sticks to say “no” to the proposed liquified natural gas (LNG) plant in the country’s pristine, untouched Kimberley region, off its west coast.
Currently, the massive area’s sprinkling of residents enjoy the company of endangered marine life, including snubfin dolphins, sawfish, turtles, dugongs and lots of fish. They are also fortunate to host the world’s largest population of humpback whales. One of the endangered species endemic to this region is flatback turtles, with approximately 1,000 of them nesting annually at an island off the coast.
However, the unspoiled, delicate environment could soon be over-run with visitors from unsavory entities such as Woodside Petroleum, Chevron, Shell, BP and BHP Billiton. If one remembers our Gulf of Mexico disaster last summer, it’s obvious that these companies aren’t exactly ocean-friendly neighbors.