MY HOPES were raised by a recent news item about a tanker, planned and designed by Omar Chaalal of the Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain, that would suck up oil spills (Â鶹´«Ã½, 8 March, p 16). If it works, it could at one stroke reduce environmental damage and regain a sellable product.
Chaalal’s oil-recovery ship has a large tank on board that is completely filled with seawater before the ship leaves the dock. On approaching an oil slick, a series of holes in the hull are opened to connect the tank water to the surrounding seawater. Just like a glass full of water that…
