And now, the environmental mess
The fighting in Lebanon hasn’t just created a political and economic mess – there’s also an environmental crisis to contend with. Israeli strikes on a power station south of Beirut last month caused at least 10,000 tons of oil to spill into the Mediterranean. About 100 miles of Lebanese coastline are now covered by the ...
The fighting in Lebanon hasn't just created a political and economic mess - there's also an environmental crisis to contend with. Israeli strikes on a power station south of Beirut last month caused at least 10,000 tons of oil to spill into the Mediterranean. About 100 miles of Lebanese coastline are now covered by the oil slick, which is spreading rapidly into the sea. Experts are predicting the spill and the month-long delay in clean-up operations will have a devastating effect on tourism, fishing, and marine life in the area. There's also concern about widespread asbestos inhalation from destroyed buildings. OPEC has donated $200,000 to the coastline clean-up, but millions more are needed for what some say will be a 10-year recovery.
Unfortunately, Lebanon doesn't have a monopoly on oil woes. The Philippines is currently struggling to contain the worst spill in its history. A tanker sank in bad weather last week, creating an oil slick nearly 20 miles long. And yesterday, a Japanese tanker collided with a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean, spilling about 1.4 million gallons of crude. Both are sure to wreak havoc on the local marine environment. For more info on oil spills, check out this graphic of spills worldwide since 1960.
Unfortunately, Lebanon doesn’t have a monopoly on oil woes. The Philippines is currently struggling to contain the worst spill in its history. A tanker sank in bad weather last week, creating an oil slick nearly 20 miles long. And yesterday, a Japanese tanker collided with a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean, spilling about 1.4 million gallons of crude. Both are sure to wreak havoc on the local marine environment. For more info on oil spills, check out this graphic of spills worldwide since 1960.
More from Foreign Policy


Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.


So You Want to Buy an Ambassadorship
The United States is the only Western government that routinely rewards mega-donors with top diplomatic posts.


Can China Pull Off Its Charm Offensive?
Why Beijing’s foreign-policy reset will—or won’t—work out.


Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Erdogan has focused on Stockholm’s stance toward Kurdish exile groups, but Ankara’s real demand is the end of U.S. support for Kurds in Syria.