W T F ????!!!!

Barefoot TJ

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Mar 5, 2010
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I was checking Weather.com, and saw this. At first, I thought this person was sitting in a dump, then I read the headline: World's Most Polluted Rivers

http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/worlds-most-polluted-rivers-20130627

05984509-a00e-4265-be35-cf974f1e7807_650x366.jpg
 
TJ, that's got nothing on the Pacific Sea of Trash. Google it. I think it's about the size of Texas if memory serves me correctly out in the Pacific Ocean. It amazes me that we humans are so hell bent on ruining our world.
 
Well, when folks start griping about how "restrictive" and "anti-business" environmental law are, I point to examples such as this. Yes, regulations can be a PITA, but considering the alternative would be Tianjin or Beijing, I can live with the PITA

For reference, Tianjin (that's not fog):
images


Beijing
r
 
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I thought that first picture was Los Angeles. :nailbiting:
 
That article on property rights would be great for the 19th century, before chemicals toxins. However, there are far more toxins being produced nowadays. I'm no pinko liberal, but I understand chemistry and physiology. Heck, even prescriptions are now a source of contamination for our water supply. I can see when someone throws trash on my lawn. I can't see things on a molecular level, particularly the stuff that gives people cancer. I'm hopeful that one day, there will be a cure for the various types of cancers, as long as we don't create new ones.
Time: Environmental Toxins
 
That article on property rights would be great for the 19th century, before chemicals toxins. However, there are far more toxins being produced nowadays. I'm no pinko liberal, but I understand chemistry and physiology. Heck, even prescriptions are now a source of contamination for our water supply. I can see when someone throws trash on my lawn. I can't see things on a molecular level, particularly the stuff that gives people cancer. I'm hopeful that one day, there will be a cure for the various types of cancers, as long as we don't create new ones.
Time: Environmental Toxins
I guess I just have to disagree on the basis that people tend to learn about what they need to to take care of their own stuff, and it has historically always been more effective than common or governmental centralization of regulations. And historically including recent history.
 
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But forgive me for pointing out (since you brought it up) that government was a, if not the, primary problem with both of those things
I am very well aware of who was at fault for Agent Orange. I never suggested trusting the government to fix everything. Far from it these days! Again, I'm no lover of big government. (Actually, you're the one who keeps bringing up the government. I haven't mention the government until this post.)

I'd just like to know what toxins are getting into our food, water, and air. Property rights isn't going to tell us any of that. Independent testing might do that.

I guess I just have to disagree on the basis that people tend to learn about what they need to to take care of their own stuff
Clearly, from the obesity epidemic, lifestyle-related health problems, and predominance of the population that wears ill-fitting shoes that people are relatively uneducated and really can't "take care of their own stuff". Back to the original photo, I'm pretty sure that the poor fellow in the river of trash is relatively powerless to change his situation against whatever corporate, government, or social ills that have contributed to that pollution.

No easy solutions here, but identifying the problems are a start! Though without identifiable solutions, it becomes depressing fairly quickly. No surprise that many people just resign themselves to their situation.
 
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HBS: I'm not a big fan of political/environmental/social debates. I'm going to concede that I agree with you that property rights are an important foundation to start with. I do agree that people are responsible for themselves. As for solutions, I don't have any, given how self-serving and enmeshed that corporations, politicians, and governments are these days. I'll end my side of the discussion at that, as I come to this site to discuss barefoot running and general health topics. Feel free to reply and speak your mind, as I respect your opinions. I'll continue to enjoy hearing about your many adventures.
 
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The third world gets shipped our rubbish to recycle and what they can't sell gets dumped in the river because there isn't the infrastructure in place to deal with it. This mess is a product of western consumerism so we're all responsible for it one way or another.
 
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