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."

Comments

Re:Outsourcing

[Jafafa Hots]

"Yep, because when Nike doesn't go in somewhere to charge $.50 an hour to make shoes, alternative jobs will magically spring up that pay the people $7.25. What's more likely is the competition from Nike would have driven up the cost above what they could get without Nike."

21st-century-right-winger to 10th-century-plantation-owner translation: "Our darkies are happy, just look at them dancing! Anyway, if it weren't for me, they'd starve. They can't take care of themselves." We did away with slavery, we did away with child labor, indentured servitude, unsafe workplaces, 80 hour work weeks, etc. All of these moves were infringements on the capitalists' freedom to exploit people to the fullest... so they found other places where they still could.