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Cleaning up the Most Toxic Pollution in the World
Hugh Pickens writes "Blacksmith Institute has published their list of the most polluted sites in the world compiled by comparing the toxicity of the contamination, the likelihood of it getting into humans and the number of people affected. For example, ninety-nine percent of the children living in and around the poly-metallic smelter at La Oroya in Peru, owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation, have blood lead levels that exceed acceptable limits. Scientific American says that despite the massive pollution, it would be relatively cheap and easy to clean up the most dangerous hazards. For $15,000, the radioactive contaminated soil from the Mayak plutonium facility on the shore of the Techa River in the Russian town of Muslyomova could be dug up, saving an estimated 350 lives. 'For about $200, the cost of a refrigerator, we are able to save someone's life,' says Richard Fuller, founder of Blacksmith."
Please tell me more about this $200 fridge.
Companies do accounting to determine the value of everything, including the cost of lawsuits due to deaths caused by their products. Maybe the companies determined that, to them, a human life costs less than $200 dollars. This is not a joke. This really happens.
certain weeds of the Astragalus and Stanleya Genus can clean up areas high in selenium and plants that have high levels of glutathione can help mop up cadmium and other toxic metals. the Astragalus especially can take up oxyanions of the chromium group [molybdenum and tungsten, likely chromium as well] not only that but bacteria like deinococcus radiodurans can withstand high radiation levels can interestingly they bind metals to certain chemical groups, specifically sulfur and selenium compounds. they can also reduce metal ions common to toxic waste sites and in effect lock them up as mineral deposits so that they are not leaching into water supplies. If the metals are not mobile, they are not nearly as poisonous or dangerous as they are leaching into the local water supplies.
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
To find out if the Slashdot crowd honestly cares about the enviroment, or are simply hypocritcal AlGore elitists, just watch how this thread gets moderated.
Many of the "companies" you are citing are or were principally owned by government organizations, and are/were immune from litigation. In the cases where they weren't, they were situated in countries where the law does not provide any kind of protection or possible recourse for the poor.
For all you people who complain about litigation, this is why we have it. If your actions adversely affect others, they can seek financial compensation and punitive damages. This has the effect of correcting negative eternalitys if and when they are discovered, and giving people good reason to be careful in determining all the effects of their actions.
How does Bhopal, India not make the list? The Union Carbide/Dow Chemical disaster still hasn't been cleaned up. There's estimated to be thousands of tons of toxic waste sitting in the middle of the city. We're a sick, sad world that things like this happen.
It is to increase short-term profits. I have been working towards doing manufacturing in the USA and it has been suggested more than once that it should be moved to China. And EVERYBODY says to go their because it is cheaper. It is never to escape regulations. Why is it cheaper? Because China cuts corners on manufacturing and has their yuan fixed to the dollar( via basket, but still fixed). The ppl that I talked to wanted me to lower the weight of the item that I was looking to build. In particular, thin material. When I pointed out that it would not last as long and would be low quality, they pointed out that it simply means that much sooner before another sale. Regulations were never mentioned.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
I know people have to use chemicals to control insects. The ones that does not disintegrate is not a good idea.
"What have we got to lose except a massive trade deficit?"
The Chinese hold a significant amount of U.S. currency as a backing reserve for their own. They could announce that they are selling off all U.S. currency reserves, which would sink the value of the dollar almost overnight.
This would send the U.S. into a severe inflation-based depression that would make the deflation-based on in the thirties look like a mild recession, since the Fed is seemingly only capable of inflating the currency even more in a vain attempt to fix economic crises.
This would hit us at the time of a record setting downturn in the real-estate market which has not quite hit the bottom yet, and also with record setting government debt as far as the eye can see that could no longer be paid for by printing more money, forcing many people who depend on social security and medicare to, well, just die.
This would easily cause mass civil unrest, starvation, and rioting as the younger people who are left lose their homes and jobs and can no longer afford to pay for luxuries like heat and food.
So, yeah, other than that, we've got nothing to lose.
But it's ok, we're counting on the Chinese government not to do that because they'd also experience a recession and starvation, and history tells us that concern for the public welfare is always first and foremost when the Chinese government makes decisions.
If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I wondered have any other slashdot readers had the misfortune of actually going to any of these places?
I myself live and work in Azerbaijan and have driven through Sumgayit. It's a horrific industrial wasteland. We spent 30+ minutes driving at highway speed through abandoned factory complexes. Our driver even pointed out the chlorine processing plant, and inforrmed us that if you walk on the ground around the plant puddles of mercury form in the holes left by your boot prints.
Paul Gogarty