The war has just been widened in its scope. As with many other previous war, the casualties are not always human beings. According to National Geographic yesterday:
In the first week of the conflict, Israeli fighter planes struck the Jiyyeh power plant about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Beirut (map of Lebanon).
The attack set ablaze five oil tanks and caused the massive spill along the eastern Mediterranean coast. One of the tanks continues to burn, and officials fear the fire could cause a sixth tank to explode.
Almost as much oil may have entered the water as during the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker incident in Alaska, which led to widespread ecological damage.
This in turn has caused environmental groups to worry about the livelihood of the endangered green turtle species. I wonder if Pelf knows this; she’s passionate about all things terrapins and turtles. I know that she’s working with another endangered species in the Malaysian east coast. I had the luxury of working with her in a conservation effort several months ago.
