Mankind has always been a major cause for any damage done to the environment. Factories, pollution, deforestation are all activities that are eating away our Earth and we must be ready to face the consequences in future. However, humans are also responsible for causing some stressful environmental disasters. Be it nuclear wars, chemical spills or even war explosions, we are behind everything. All of it had caused loss of lives which is far beyond any compensation. These man-made environmental disasters will make you think what we have done.
1. Pacific Gyre Garbage Patch
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This is a gyre consisting of chemical sludge, plastics and other debris in the central North Pacific Ocean. It clearly shows the ill effects of human ignorance.
2. London’s Killer Fog
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During the winter of 1920, people burnt way too much coal to save themselves from the chills. However, this had an adverse effect on the environment. The smoke cloud containing sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and soot-covered London and killed over 12,000 people.
3. Kuwait Oil Fires
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Following the invasion of Kuwait in 1991, Hussein sent his men to blow the oil wells. His men managed to set 600 wells aflame and the fire lasted for seven months. The oil spill from these wells caused significant damage to the environment.
4. Union Carbide Gas Plant Tragedy
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In 1984, The Union Carbide Gas Plant, India began leaking methyl isocyanate and other poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Exposing 500,000 people to harmful gases and killing up to 16,000, these gases had a long impact on the people.
5. Door To Hell
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Soviet geologists came across a hole 70-meters in diameter in Derweze Turkmenistan. They accidentally exposed methane gas reservoir. Worried about the consequences, they decided to burn it off. To everyone’s surprise, it’s still burning.
6. The Three Mile Island Nuclear Disaster
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Situated on the Three Mile Island, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania the nuclear plant witnessed one of the biggest man-made environmental disasters. The partial meltdown constituted an atmospheric release of radioactive iodine.
7. Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill
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One of the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, wasting around 4.5 million barrels of oil. The oil spill was due to the explosion and sinking of the oil rig into the water.
8. Minamata Disease
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In 1965, Chisso Corporation released their wastewater containing methylmercury into the Minamata Bay and Shiranui Sea. A total of 2,265 people were reported dead by the consumption of polluted water.
9. Love Canal
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It was the 1940s, when an odd smell covered the area of Love Canal near Niagara Falls. People also witnessed an odd seepage leaking from the ground. Upon inspection, it was found that around 21,000 tons of toxic material were buried under the town by a local company. The crestfallen consequences included miscarriages and women giving birth to babies with defects.
10. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
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In 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker collided with Bligh Reef, which resulted in a widespread oil spill. More than 11 million gallons of oil spilt over 500 miles. As a consequence, a quarter million of birds and other wildlife were killed.
11. Chernobyl Plant Explosion
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In 1986, The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant had a critical meltdown which resulted in one of the worst man-made environmental disasters. The meltdown constituted the atmospheric release of radioactive material that was 400 times more powerful than Hiroshima. Several children were born with defects and a number of people suffered from cancer. Investigators stated the place unfit for any activity for up to 200 years.
12. The Cyanide Spill
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In January 2000, Baira Mare witnessed one of the worst environmental disasters. Around 100,000 cubic metres of cyanide-contaminated water was spewed out from a dam. The water killed thousands of fishes and over 100 people were hospitalized due to the consumption of contaminated fish.
