An hour ago, I posted an air quality index chart for Ottawa with a reading of 192, ‘Unhealthy’.
Now it has jumped to 207, ‘Very Unhealthy’
An eerie, thick, yellow, miasmic pall has settled over the area. Take care out there. #AirQuality#Weather#ForestFires#Pollution#Ottawa
(1/7) Every year on June 5th, the World Environment Day is held. It takes aim at #plasticpollution, which is one of the gravest threats to the planet and our health. It brings together millions of people from across the globe, engaging them in the effort to protect and restore the Earth. This day has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach over its past decades. #BeatPlasticPollutionhttps://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
(6/7) All #plastic particles up to 5 mm in diameter are considered to be #Microplastic. It’s created when plastic waste is exposed to environmental conditions such as solar irradiation and abrasion where it slowly breaks down. One problem is that our water treatment and processing infrastructure are currently not designed to deal with this new type of #pollution.
"‘Forever Chemical’ Companies Covered Up Dangers for Decades
(...) Woodruff is the senior author of a paper published on Thursday in the journal Annals of Global Health that examined internal documents from DuPont and 3M, the two largest makers of PFAS, and found that the companies used tactics similar to the tobacco industry in order to suppress, obfuscate, and delay public knowledge of the chemical’s toxicity. This happened over the course of decades—starting as early as 1961, and has lasted into the 2000s.
These companies’ actions not only resulted in increased cancer rates amongst its employees, but might have also caused birth defects in at least two pregnant factory workers. The new findings underscore the need for greater regulation amongst the chemical industry—as well as the dangers posed by PFAS."
Concern is growing that a significant climate event is unfolding at the Panama Canal, with the potential of impacting one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Last week, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said drought conditions in the region persist, affecting water availability for passage through the locks and raising the potential of further restrictions
How about this idea instead? Let's just STOP FLYING SO MUCH!!
Nationalize the airlines and shut them down. Take over the factory farms and close them for good.
Except that probably makes way too much sense. It's what any thinking person with a conscience would do.
But capitalists don't care. They don't care about killing animals or polluting the atmosphere or even bringing about the end of civilization. None of that matters to them if there's 💵 money 💵 to be made!
Regardless of politics, culture wars, and regulations, if you have a gas stove and can replace it or encourage your landlord to replace it, do it
We lived with a gas stove when my kids were 2-8. Every winter one of them would develop a cough that lasted at least a month. My oldest was diagnosed with cough variant asthma
After moving to a home with electric stove, respiratory problems disappeared. No asthma. My $0.02
Meanwhile in #india their National Council of Educational Research and Training seems to think #pollution#evolution and #democracy are not that relevant, so they removed them from the curriculum of most students.
#Dyson's next new product looks to be a form of air purification system you wear like underwater breathing apparatus to help you deal with urban #pollution.
This is the same private sector response to a public realm problem that made US car manufacturers have soft suspension on vehicles to deal with under-maintained roads, and as such is a classic collective action problem.
We need collective action to deal with pollution not some #scifi product that just makes it bearable for the wealthy!
Here is a crazy idea, instead of inventing new and potentially environmentally dangerous methods to "store" carbon, let's just burn less fossil fuel?
This method proposes to take leftover corn bits (called corn stover, a mix of leaves, cobs and other bits), burn it at a high temperature, convert it into "bio-oil" and then inject it into old oil reservoirs.
A few issues here:
Corn (for ethanol or livestock feed [the two largest uses]) is harmful to the environment (water and environment pollution)
Used reservoirs can and do leak liquids
The new "bio-oil" can leak and its chemically unknown slurry can enter water sources
Production of "bio-oil" is energy intensive and expensive
Nothing lasts forever, not even "bio-oil"
Instead of inventing new technology to allow us not to deal with the causes of climate change, we could just use less energy and/or use renewable technology.
#OTTAWA | Long-awaited amendments 2 #CanadianEnvironmentalProductionAct (CEPA) passed final vote in #HouseOfCommons today. Passage o #BillS5 marks significant milestone towards better protecting people in Canada & the #environment from #pollution & toxic chemicals. We look forward 2 new provisions entering into force & call for them 2 be implemented 2 highest standards.
Bill S-5 is 1st major update 2 #Canada’s environmental law since 1999.
>"As long as they keep talking about global climate change, they are not gonna go anywhere. 'Cause no one gives a s--- about that," Arnold Schwarzenegger says.
@pivoinebleue Labeling is important. Think how people who are concerned about climate change are labeled socialists and tree huggers. Pollution is something that is more readily visible and tangible for people. But there also needs to be labeling for those who oppose stopping pollution. Make the enemy tangible and easy to remember. If this isn't done, the changes won't come quick enough.