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When a Cartoon with Just a Few Words Will Do It.

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When a Cartoon with Just a Few Words Will Do It.
© Tom Toles, The Washington Post
© Tom Toles, The Washington Post

You’ve read or heard that the water crisis in Flint started when Lake Huron-sourced drinking water was deemed too expensive and Flint River water was substituted.

In a nutshell, according to a 2011 study, an anti-corrosive agent had to be added to the river water to make it safe for human consumption at the tap.

Rashes and hair loss in her young patients prompted their vigilant pediatric doctor, Mona Hanna-Attisha of Flint, to do a comparative study of their blood samples earlier and recently to determine lead levels. What was the first return on her work showing a shocking increase of lead levels? A trashing by state officials. For about a week. Then, Mea culpa addressed, some state official announced Dr.Mona’s findings were correct. (Here’s CNN’s take on it.)

Lead is well absorbed by humans, and is especially dangerous to children. Of course that’s why lead was banned in paint products decades ago, and why its removal or complete covering in place in buildings is regulated or subject to regulation.

As to the smoke stack effluent, absorb this quiz, if you will-

Q&A

  • Can you name 3 injurious effects of coal production?
    • A: Coal ash, groundwater contamination from coal slurry and greenhouse gas emissions from its burning
  • Can you name others?
    • A: Mountaintop removal mining, fly ash containing materials toxic or harmful to humans and other life, and acid rain
  • Another/s?
    • A: Health risks to coal miners, coal dust leading to asthma in humans living near mines
  • Others?
    • A: yes
  • Can  we do better? (What do you think?)
  • Was the recent Supreme Court decision on the US EPA’s Clean Power Plan helpful at all?
    • A: It didn’t support the U.S.’s part in the Paris climate deal signed by 194 other nations.

Increasingly, utilities are getting it and switching to cheaper, far less harmful natural gas as fuel for power plants. And, bringing renewable energy sources on line.

This blog has recently spotlighted highly reputable companies acting out of their and their shareholder/customer interests regarding the effects of climate change (nee global warming), i.e., Goldman Sachs and Starbucks. So, the possible environmental agenda of the Supreme Court majority in the referenced decision will likely, in the end, make itself irrelevant.

Late-Breaking News–

The State of Maryland has just filed to appeal a permit issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia allowing Dominion Resources to dump 215M gallons of treated coal slurry into the Potomac River. LOL to marine life, and us in the long run.

New Topic – Leaf Blowers

If you’re like me, you find leaf blowers a true nuisance. Too darned much noise; worse if gasoline powered so polluting the air.

James Fallows, noted author/journalist, wrote in a December 2015 blog post at The Atlantic‘s website extolling the virtues of the newest generation of battery-powered leaf blowers: more powerful–and quieter.

Fallows has joined an effort in his Northwest DC neighborhood to ban loud, 2-stroke engine leaf blowers. In samplings taken from around his neighborhood, Fallows found noise exceeding 80 dB (decibels). 85 dB can lead to permanent hearing loss in humans. Backpack-mounted leaf blowers generate 106 dB according to one source.

leafblowerwithmuffsA consolation is that operators of these cheap leaf blower alternatives often wear ear muffs.