Decaying pipelines in the North Sea may release mercury and radioactive substances, posing significant risks to marine life.
The accumulated mercury in pipelines could increase mercury levels in the sea, affecting the food web and marine biodiversity.
Current regulations allow these pipelines to remain after decommissioning, raising concerns about long-term environmental impacts.
Key quote:
"Even a small increase in mercury levels in the sea will have a dramatic impact on the animals at the top of the food web."
— Lhiam Paton, researcher, Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Graz
Why this matters:
Over time, oil and gas pipelines, often neglected or forgotten, can corrode and leak, introducing hazardous substances into the water. They can cause a range of issues, from physiological stress to genetic damage in fish and other sea creatures. Such contamination can lead to a decrease in biodiversity and can disrupt delicate marine ecosystems.
One of Canada’s largest pipeline operators lobbied the federal government to exclude two major sources of carbon pollution from its emissions cap for the oil and gas sector.
Alberta got Canada's top court to question federal reviews of big projects that could cause environmental harm. Now, Ontario is trying to get the impact assessment law struck down for good.
Gas flares and leaking pipelines from Venezuela’s once-booming oil industry, hobbled by U.S. sanctions and mismanagement, are polluting towns and a major lake.
A $5 billion plan to desalinate seawater in Mexico and pipe it to Phoenix is testing the notion that desert cities can keep growing as the Earth warms.
