Fears of environmental disaster rise as ship sinks after Houthi attack

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/03/rubymar-houthi-attack-red-sea/

by wslh • 2 years ago

15 18 2 years ago

washingtonpost.com

wslh• 2 years ago

https://archive.is/u03Za

londons_explore• 2 years ago

Do we know the impacts of large amounts ammonium phosphate in the oceans?

Algal blooms?

gazpacho• 2 years ago

Surely this should have been a risk accounted for and the shipment should have been diverted or cancelled? It’s not like the payload was unknown or the possibility of an attack was new?

I really don’t understand why we keep shipping through there. Yes, it will cause 2% (the number I found) inflation. We (US) have had worse. Many places survive (albeit with damage) 100% YoY inflation. Let’s just stop escalating conflicts for money, people’s lives and global peace are worth more than that.

gruez• 2 years ago

The US might only feel 2% inflation, but that doesn't mean other countries (ie. developing ones) are going to get off as easily. Food spending makes up more of their budget there, so the impact will be much higher, not to mention they're poorer to start with and are already feeling the effects from the inflation caused by the pandemic/Ukraine war .

pfannkuchen• 2 years ago

Inflation is a misleading term here IMO. It would cause a shortage in shipping capacity, which would produce a price increase. There is no reason to believe that this would be persistent enough to consider it a change in the value of the currency itself (since the alternative routes may be improved etc). If this is inflation, then everything is inflation.

nradov2• 2 years ago

Why are you trying to make this about the US? We have very little trade through that route. Other countries that do rely on that route obviously can't give in to terrorists regardless of environmental risks.

enterprise_cog4• 2 years ago

Ansar Allah is targeting the US, Israel, and their allies who support Israel.

China can sail the route just fine, for example.

derelicta• 2 years ago

Suddenly the West cares about environmental disasters. Very convenient.

Clubber• 2 years ago

"West cares about environmental disasters"

I don't think there has been a week in the last 20 years where there hasn't been an environment piece in the news. I would argue the West cares very deeply about the environment, certainly more so than the East, Far East and Middle East.

Or looking at it another way, "suddenly The West cares about the Houthis," is more accurate. This is probably a "sell the upcoming military action with Houthi's to the public" piece. They're using the environment angle because they know it will stick better than reporting about it jamming up the supply chain.

tptacek3• 2 years ago

Disruption of international shipping is literally the oldest cassus belli in the entire history of international law, so the idea that anybody is grasping at straws to respond to Ansar Allah is a very weak argument.

Fears of environmental disaster rise as ship sinks after Houthi attack

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