Our World

Toxic Mud in Indonesia

I just read that boiling mud has been flowing from a crack in the earth in Indonesia. It is estimated that five million tons of toxic mud have spilled from a pizza size hole since last May. This disaster was originally blamed on a quest for natural gas. If this were to be true, it would be a prime example of the environmental costs of obtaining natural resources that we have recently discussed. Some scientists believe the mud flow cannot be terminated and may continue for a few hundred years.

The country initially tried to build dams to stop the mud, but without success. Now, the Indonesian government plans to dispose of the mud by releasing it into the Java Sea via a local river. Not only are they polluting a resource for citizens of their own country, but they are poisoning bodies of water surrounding them. Many of the other nearby islands would also be put into danger.

If the mud is in the sea, it could stop the sunlight from penetrating the water and kill many plants and animals in this ecosystem. It can also not be forgotten that the mud is toxic and harmful to all forms of life. I don't support the idea of dumping the mud into the sea, but it poses a serious question: what else can be done with it? In my opinion their first goal should be to plug the cavity that is causing the flow. Then, they could possibly drill relief wells and dispose of the mud by putting it back into the earth. This might save the oceanic ecosystem and the Indonesian population from the mud.

Indonesia to Divert Mud into Sea

posted by Anonymous @ 10/04/2006 06:32:00 PM