It may have escaped your notice: an immense federal project involving 440 scientists from 32 laboratories around the world have discovered that millions of bits of human DNA, once thought to be "junk", play critical roles in controlling how cells, organs and other tissues behave. (NY Times, Bits of Mystery DNA, Far From "Junk", Sept. 5, 2012). It didn't escape my notice that this discovery "can also help explain how the environment can affect disease risk".
The environment didn't take up much space in either Mitt Romney or President Obama's national convention speeches, but the effect of toxics on human health could have provided a major opening for our political candidates to explain the value of regulations.
It goes without saying -- or should -- that regulations protecting Americans from toxics are a complete failure. There is no better example than the influence of mercury in the state of Florida.
Mercury is an extraordinarily potent neurotoxin. And it is increasingly ubiquitous in the environment. Those "do not eat fish" warnings? Serious, serious business. Industry claims that winds from China and power plants and incinerators make it impossible to regulate mercury. It's a lie.
The body only has so much assimilative capacity to absorb mercury; after that, bad things happen.
Mercury deforms life in its initial stages. Why, then, isn't the Religious Right all over this problem? Some of the highest concentrations of mercury in the world are right here, in South Florida. Scientists have made no progress in influencing governmental policies or regulations to tighten down on the culprits. Those culprits, unsurprisingly, can be traced directly to the use of sulfur as an additive in the production of sugar just north of the historic Everglades.
The hottest, hot spots for mercury are just south of sewage outfall canals, used by the polluters who control the Florida legislature and dominate Congress. Why do they inflict so much punishment on taxpayers? Why isn't the Tea Party in full throated revolt against the polluters?
It may be because the cognitive skills of all Floridians is already being harmed by too much mercury in the environment. "Take two tax cuts, roll back a few regulations and call me in the morning" was a good laugh line in President Obama's speech last night, but it doesn't account for the massive damage being done by polluters who have slipped under the radar by claiming that they can self-police their pollution better than regulations, or, that regulations harms "jobs".
Science tells us otherwise, but one political party -- the GOP -- doesn't even believe in science. Just ask Fox News or Karl Rove.
The environment didn't take up much space in either Mitt Romney or President Obama's national convention speeches, but the effect of toxics on human health could have provided a major opening for our political candidates to explain the value of regulations.
It goes without saying -- or should -- that regulations protecting Americans from toxics are a complete failure. There is no better example than the influence of mercury in the state of Florida.
Mercury is an extraordinarily potent neurotoxin. And it is increasingly ubiquitous in the environment. Those "do not eat fish" warnings? Serious, serious business. Industry claims that winds from China and power plants and incinerators make it impossible to regulate mercury. It's a lie.
The body only has so much assimilative capacity to absorb mercury; after that, bad things happen.
Mercury deforms life in its initial stages. Why, then, isn't the Religious Right all over this problem? Some of the highest concentrations of mercury in the world are right here, in South Florida. Scientists have made no progress in influencing governmental policies or regulations to tighten down on the culprits. Those culprits, unsurprisingly, can be traced directly to the use of sulfur as an additive in the production of sugar just north of the historic Everglades.
The hottest, hot spots for mercury are just south of sewage outfall canals, used by the polluters who control the Florida legislature and dominate Congress. Why do they inflict so much punishment on taxpayers? Why isn't the Tea Party in full throated revolt against the polluters?
It may be because the cognitive skills of all Floridians is already being harmed by too much mercury in the environment. "Take two tax cuts, roll back a few regulations and call me in the morning" was a good laugh line in President Obama's speech last night, but it doesn't account for the massive damage being done by polluters who have slipped under the radar by claiming that they can self-police their pollution better than regulations, or, that regulations harms "jobs".
Science tells us otherwise, but one political party -- the GOP -- doesn't even believe in science. Just ask Fox News or Karl Rove.
2 comments:
That explains a lot of our readers...
I'm truly glad I have my wells tested annually, which test out just fine, but I still use 5 stage water filters for my drinking water.
The problems with the pollution from Big Sugar is frightening to anyone who lives in South Florida and for a nano second study's Everglades restoration/protections.
Perhaps that explains the legislature, in addition to the voters (but I give the voters a pass because their votes were probably stolen if they voted AB)!
To ALL politicians down here, we know who takes Big Sugar funds and who their related too. Wait until this hits close to home, maybe you'll wake up!
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