Venezuela using human hair to contain oil spill

Dec 03, 2023 News, Oil & Gas

Kaieteur News – In an attempt to address the environmental fallout from continuous oil spills, Venezuelans living near Lake Maracaibo have turned to an unconventional solution: human hair. This is according to a report by John Otis of National Public Radio (NPR), an American non-profit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Spilled oil can ruin fishing nets and outboard motors and harm wildlife and livestock, including this calf that wandered onto a Lake Maracaibo beach and is trying to lick off the oil stuck to its body. John Otis for NPR

The shores of Lake Maracaibo, one of South America’s largest bodies of inland water, are grappling with massive oil slicks, a consequence of leaks from underwater oil wells and aging pipelines.

It was stated that as Venezuela seeks to revive its struggling oil industry following a severe economic downturn, increased production is exacerbating the problem. The oil slicks cling to everything they touch — fishing nets, boats, motors, and even animals, such as the distressing case of a calf covered in black petroleum.

During a campaign in Caracas, in October, hundreds of Venezuelans cut their hair to support the initiative that uses human hair to help clean up oil spill in Lake Maracaibo.

The degradation of Lake Maracaibo, historically significant for Venezuela’s oil industry, reflects years of mismanagement and corruption within the state oil company, PDVSA. Cutbacks in maintenance and supervision, compounded by the economic collapse, have left the facilities in a dire state, according to Francisco Monaldi of Rice University.

Despite Venezuela’s recent economic stabilization and the lifting of oil sanctions in October, the country faces challenges as its oil infrastructure struggles to handle increased production. Jesus Urbina of Transparency International reports daily oil spills, with decaying machinery and pumping stations sinking into Lake Maracaibo.

During a recent tour of the lake, President Nicolas Maduro pledged to address these issues, but there’s little evidence of government action so far. In response to the urgent need for cleanup, volunteers have initiated a unique project. They collect human hair from local barbershops, turning this highly absorbent material into biodegradable floating barriers to soak up oil spills on the lake.

A work brigade sponsored by Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA, which critics blame for the oil spills, use shovels and rakes to remove congealed petroleum from a Lake Maracaibo beach. John Otis for NPR

Selene Estrach, leader of the project, sees this grassroots effort as a way to engage citizens in the cleanup. However, despite these initiatives, the challenges persist, and many locals now avoid the once-vibrant waters of Lake Maracaibo.

As the oil industry retools and Venezuela grapples with environmental repercussions, the story of human hair barriers reflects both the resilience and innovation of local communities in the face of ongoing challenges.

(To listen to John Otis production on the oil spill, click: https://www.npr.org/2023/11/28/1215697627/armed-with-barriers-made-of-human-hair-venezuelans-take-on-massive-oil-slicks)

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environmental, human hair, Lake Maracaibo, oil, slicks

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