Mercury, Lead, Toxic Chemical Poisoning is a More Eminent Threat Than Nuclear War

Newspaper and TV headlines focus on political and nuclear threats but there is a much greater threat coming from China and other countries. That threat is mercury and heavy metals poisoning the air we breathe, the Ocean's coral and fish, our own inland waterways and lakes, our soil and wildlife. This pollution is coming from China, India, and other countries and it is affecting your health and breathing now. This is not even taking into account the pollution coming from our own manufacturing plants.

Mercury has been confirmed as a global pollutant that affects the health of every individual and the Eco-environment of every country. This confirmation comes from many scientists and sources including a report published from China's Safe Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back in 2005. Since that time, scientists have published much scientific evidence to verify this statement. Why don't you hear more about it in the news? The main news stories tend to talk about the mercury problem in fish but the air we breathe is so much more important. Why aren't we protesting Washington about the air pollution that is poisoning us from both here in our own country and abroad? There is so much that is not being done or addressed in Washington.

Pollution Is Affecting Your health and Environment Right Now

Each year, ongoing air pollution from China, India and other countries is more seriously affecting the air and water supplies in the United States. It is showing up now in our fish, wildlife, and birds. It was announced on the Denver news that both fish, birds, and other wild life were showing evidence of Mercury and heavy metal poisoning manifesting itself in deformities and reproductive problems. Some of this pollution is coming from our own manufacturing but a great deal of it is coming from Asia. If we do not do something, what will this same story read in another 10 years?

We already know the many of the toys coming from China contain lead. This did make national headlines and parents should consider this any time when buying toys for their children. Then we have the problems with lead and other chemical contamination found in the Asian herb products and health products as well. But what is not discussed is the chemical assault to the air and oceans that goes on every day. I might add the next article will be dedicated to the mercury contamination going on in the United States today as I write this.

The statistics I will be presenting below should shock you.

There are over 10 industries in China that use mercury in their production process. The 30,000 plus coal mines in China are the biggest offenders. Coal is China's main source for their own energy and export to other countries. Other industries requiring mercury include the manufacture of florescent lights, reagent production, automobiles, electric switches, PVC, batteries, cement, sulfuric acid, metallurgy, sphygmomanometers, and thermometers.

China is the world's greatest source of sulfur dioxide (25.5 million tons) which causes respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to name just two. It is increasing not decreasing at present. Coal burning power stations and coking plants are the main producer of this sulfur dioxide. Underground coal fires pump tons of ash, carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, and sulfur into the atmosphere every year. These underground fires produce as much carbon monoxide each year as all the cars in the United States. These underground fires contribute tons of Mercury into the atmosphere. The numbers vary with the expert but they suggest as much as 48 tons of mercury is released into the air every year.

According to the World Bank and WHO, 300,000 to 350,000 Chinese people die every year from outdoor air pollution and another 300,000 from indoor pollution. This figure is considered low by most sources, with 700,000 dying from indoor air pollution probably being more accurate.

Most Chinese families use coal to heat their homes and many work in coal mines as well. Lung cancer is now the leading cause of death in China. This figure does not include those who are seriously sick, the deformed babies, the failure to thrive infants, the festering skin diseases, the rising cancer rates, and other illnesses that are increasing at an alarming rate each year. This death rate is expected to double by 2020.

Mercury and heavy metal poisoning causes both mental and physical birth defects. Birth defects in China accelerated 40 percent between 2001 and 2006. There are 800,000 to 1.2 million babies born each year with birth defects in China and that is rising every year. Perhaps vaccinations are not the only culprit causing autism and learning disabilities here in the United States.

Pollutants from China reach the United States in days and are rising at a rate of 5 to 10 percent every year. It is estimated that 25 percent of the air pollution in Las Angeles is coming from China and that is not the current figure. Soot, dust, Mercury, Lead, Sulfuric acid from China has been found at the weather observation stations on the summit of Mount Bachelor in the Cascade Range of mountains in Oregon. It is showing up in Colorado parks and rivers and the list goes on. If this is the case now in 2009, what will it look like in another 5 or 10 years? This article does not even address the pollution going on right here in our own country now.

If we do not stop the manufacturing companies both here and in these countries, it will be our children that will be dying. China and India's' pollution is now affecting the air we breathe in the United States, the water we drink, the fish we consume, and the soil our crops are grown in. It is your job to try and effect policy changes in Washington to stop this pollution now. If each one of us just did our individual part to write our congressmen, our state representatives and our president to demand changes now not later we might be able to get it stopped. The problem is that so many believe that their vote, their letter or phone call will not count for much so they don't do anything. Your New Year's resolution should be to do your individual part to get this stopped. If you want to really see what mercury poisoning does to your health, go this link. You will see the deformed children in China and the illnesses in graphic reality. Words cannot adequately show this devastation to human health. I also challenge you to do your part now.

References:

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=392&catid=10&subcatid=66

http://imva.info/index.php/our-sites/

http://news.discovery.com/earth/coal-fire-pollution-global.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Birth+defects+show+human+price+coal/1724965/story.html