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From the residue of mining to untreated sewage, the world is grappling with a host of environmental problems
October 22, 2008 | 6
Small-scale gold miners, like this man in Thailand, use toxic mercury to extract the gold from dirt. Heating the combined elements with a blowtorch drives off the mercury--polluting the local and global environment--and leaves gold nuggets behind....[More]
There is very little, if any, oversight of La Oroya mine in Peru, which allows U.S. owner--the Saint Louis–based Doe Run mining company--to extract lead, copper and zinc without safeguards, poisoning local miners and their families....[More]
This sewer runs right through a dump and into a small town in the African country of Guinea. Residents of this town are among the at least 2.6 billion people worldwide who have no access to sanitation, according to the World Health Organization....[More]
Uncontrolled emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and other pollutants from industry and vehicles leads to pollution clouds over cities, like this haze hovering over Russia's Stalin-era industrial showcase, Magnitogorosk....[More]
Workers in the developing world, such as this one in Kenya, sort through used lead-acid car batteries, which are then melted down to extract the lead, poisoning the workers, their families and the local environment....[More]
Agricultural toxins, such as DDT, are among the threats in a longer list of pollution problems, including coal power plants and oil refineries as well as industrial contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs....[More]
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Drink Up: Taking the Salt out of Seawater
The False Promise of Biofuels
Phosphorus Famine: The Threat to Our Food Supply
Sea Change: Environmental Group Gives First-Time Nod to Sustainable Salmon-Farming Method
The African Green Revolution
Speaking Out on the "Quiet Crisis"
Drinking from a Bottle Instead of the Tap Just Doesn't Hold Water
Threat Down Below: Polluted Caves Endanger Water Supplies, Wildlife
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6 Comments
Add CommentEliminate sewage altogether by adopting composting toilets and grey water recycling. The grey water could either be used for irrigation or processed in a similar fashion to how sewage is processed now. Since black water (containing human waste) is no longer in the system, it's much cleaner and easier to process. Basically we can all reduce water use, eliminate water contamination from human excriment, save the city a ton of money on waste water processing, and get free fertilizer. The city can even offer a free compost collection service, then turn around and sell the compost to farmers. Just doing that will eliminate a ton of polution.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI take it when you quote smog in cities, you include smoke particles in indoor kitchen fires, which are one of the worlds most important pollutants, causing millions of lung conditions?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn addition, kitchen smoke-related disease can be eliminated by adopting charcoal burners, thereby avoiding what are in reality thousands of millions of sick children and adults.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisregarging the smalter at La Oroya, you failed to mention that the Peruvian govrnemnt owned that plant for 20+ years and literally ran it into the ground. Since Doe Run purchased the plant they have invested hundreds of millions of dollars on the air and water pollution measures. They have installed three water treatment plants where none existed before, and they have installed dozens of air pollution control devices. They are emiting less that 1/3 of what was being elited under the government's control. Additionally they are under increasing pressure from the Peruvian government to do even more. To say there is no oversight is irresponsible and misleading.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi think we should take more care of our enviroment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi like your views on this subject. i am researching a paper on global pollution and would like to discuss this particular area of recycling. if interested please reply to my profile... thank you
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