Heptachlor is one of many pesticides known by the acronym POPs.
That makes them sound almost benign. Their actual name is Persistent Organic Pollutants. Many of these effective pesticides will persist in soil, plants and animals for many years. They also have the ability to bio-accumulate. They can remain in a body over many years and each additional exposure adds to the poison load. Recent investigations have shown that humans do not have to handle or apply theses POPs to accumulate a load of poison. Studies conducted in California’s Central Valley where agriculture is a major industry have shown that one only needs to be in the area where the pesticide is used to have it show up in the blood. Tests done on inside workers – teachers, clerks and the like – showed significant levels of contamination. Agricultural workers were not part of the investigation. People far from the contaminated agricultural sites can also acquire POPs. Eating crops grown in contaminated soil, eating fish, dairy, fatty meats from animals exposed will also pass along the poisons. It is becoming increasingly important for consumers to make judgements and choices about where their food is sourced. It is also important for those who look for the “organic” label on their foods to consider whether the country of origin has high levels of pollution and whether the organic designation is made by a reputable organization. Sources: Science Daily US National Library of Medicine Natural Resources Defense Council Journal of Chilean Chemical Society
1 Comment
Military personnel were sent to camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to interview prospective immigrants. They were assisted by UN personnel and numerous checks of identity and background were conducted before the refugees were given the green light to emigrate to Canada.
Canada Border Services Agency(CBSA) has worked closely with Pearson Airport officials to bring online a vacant terminal separate from the commercial part of the complex to enhance the ability to further screen new arrivals. "With our many partners, we have worked to make new arrivals as comfortable as possible, while protecting the integrity of the arrival process," said the CBSA's Regional Director General Goran Vragovic in a news release. As well as finalizing the paperwork, the new arrivals will be given warm clothing appropriate for their destination. It may come as a surprise to many that many of the people who live in the camps do not wish to emigrate. Their wish is to return to their own country when peace is achieved. Those that arrived on Thursday were personally greeted by PM Justin Trudeau who was filmed helping new residents with warm clothes. Sources: CBC CNN Ethiopia has been hit with a devastating drought that has killed crops and livestock and dried up wells. This is the worst drought the farmers have faced since the 1980s when the combination of drought and fighting killed a million people. Currently there are about 8.5 million people who are in need of emergency food supplies. The number is expected to swell to around 15 million by next year. The UN is urging donor nations to give generously to avert a repeat of that tragedy. In spite of great need in many areas, they have received about $200 million. Estimates of need hover in the one billion dollar range. The Ethiopian government is coping as best it can, but food reserves are meager. They are expected to be exhausted by year end. The weather phenomenon known as El Nino(the Christ Child) because of its appearance close to the Christmas season is particularly strong this year. The past summer was very warm and has heated the Pacific Ocean to record temperatures. The vast ocean in turn influences weather around the world. Some areas will receive record breaking downpours and others no rain at all. The north of Africa is experiencing drought. Somalia is coping with flooding which has displaced upwards of 90 000 people. The whole of the east coast of Africa is experiencing the effect of this year’s El Nino. Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa are coping with drought. Zimbabwe is expected to have 1.5 million people in immediate need of food aid. Climate scientists have predicted that as the planet warms, old weather patterns will become disrupted. Some areas will receive more rain, others less. Some areas will experience warmer winters, others colder. But the trend is a higher global average. The polar regions have been showing some of the greatest increases in average temperature. Canada is experiencing current winter temperatures of 3 to 4 degrees Celsius this winter season. Sources: Al Jazeera All Africa NOAA A former military man, Buhari has initiated sweeping reforms which now include supplying the military with bullets and footwear. While much money had been earmarked for the military under the former regime, little was actually spent on equipping the troops.
In spite of the stepped up military actions, the extremists continue their mayhem. On the weekend a group of them invaded a small town near Chibok and all but destroyed it. They looted and burned most of the town. Operating with seeming impunity, they struck the village twice. Two days earlier they rustled 200 head of cattle from the community. The terrorist group is seeking to establish a caliphate that would enforce their philosophy. They have made friends with the terrorist of the Islamic State. IS accepted a pledge of allegiance from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in March, giving the group its first foothold in sub-Saharan Africa in its efforts to create a global caliphate. BBC Sources: Al Arabiya All Africa The Gulf Today BBC China is the world’s heaviest polluter, partly because of its heavy dependence on coal. The manufacture of cement also contributes particulate matter as well as copious amounts of carbon dioxide to the air. Other areas in the northeast are suffering with poor air quality as well. Harbin, the capital of Heilonjiang Province is enclosed in smog.
A traveller’s account of landing in Beijing and proceeding to the airport terminal illustrates the pervasive nature of the Chinese smog. It can be so intense that inside visibility is reduced to a few dozen meters. It is a sensation unlike any other, which gives a traveler the sense of impending suffocation or drowning. Forex TV At the climate conference in Paris, the Chinese delegates have vowed to start reducing their carbon footprint by 2030. In the meantime massive amounts of particulate matter and noxious gases are entering the shared atmosphere. Sources: BBC News Xinhua News Forex TV |
Barbara McPherson
Blogger, gardener, farmer. Working toward food security and a 30 foot
diet. Addicted to reading. Love this planet, especially my little corner
on Vancouver Island, Canada Archives
October 2016
Categories
All
|