A closer look
When Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956 and subsequently blocked it with sunken ships, global logistics had a collective meltdown. Vessels were forced into a massive, expensive detour around the Cape of Good Hope. Instead of crying about fuel costs, shipping magnates realized that if they had to take the long route, they might as well carry absurd amounts of cargo. The political closure directly triggered the invention of the modern colossal supertanker, forever changing how we ruin the oceans.
