Global Energy

A massive oil spill certainly made headlines in the summer of 2010, though perhaps it diverted attention from another sad situation off the coast of Egypt in the Red Sea. While resources and global media attention flooded towards the well oiled banks of the Gulf Coast, the Red Sea oil spill has been widely underreported. Many environmentalist groups monitoring the area suspect that perhaps the severity of the Red Sea oil spill is the subject of a cover up, actually causing much more damage than controlling interests would lead on. Were word to get out, officials may be worried that it could negatively impact the tourism sector of Egypt’s economy, a major source of revenue for the country. The Egyptian government was notably quiet in the first few days following the oil spill, raising some eyebrows. When the country’s Environmental Crisis Department did finally comment on the issue, it claimed that impact on Egypt’s beaches was minimal, though acknowledged conditions were worse in the Red Sea’s northern islands.Individuals near the beach resort area of Hurghada would say this information is incorrect, and that’s putting it kindly. Not only do some reports claim that a 100 mile stretch of coastline is now polluted with oil, some locals claim that the leak stemming from an off-shore oil platform was yet to be fully contained at the time the government claimed the situation to be resolved. The leak began on June 16, and, if official government reports are to believe, was sealed by week’s end. Of particular concern is the remaining coral reef which stands in harm’s way, a popular scuba destination for Hurghada tourists.The Red Sea shares a border with 9 independent states, though it is believed that Egypt is the only nation heavily affected. Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel, Jordan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan also surround the sea, each with their own stretch of coastal property.