Scientists categorize Earth as a 'toxic planet'

by Guest Tue Mar 07, 2017 7:54 pm

Humans emit more than 250 billion tonnes of chemical substances a year, in a toxic avalanche that is harming people and life everywhere on the planet.

"Earth, and all life on it, are being saturated with man-made chemicals in an event unlike anything in the planet's entire history," says Julian Cribb, author of 'Surviving the 21st Century' (Springer International 2017).

"Every moment of our lives we are exposed to thousands of these substances. They enter our bodies with each breath, meal or drink we take, the clothes and cosmetics we wear, the things we encounter every day in our homes, workplaces and travel.Mr Cribb says that the poisoning of the planet through man-made chemical emissions is probably the largest human impact – and the one that is least understood or regulated. It is one of ten major existential risks now confronting humanity, he describes in Surviving the 21st Century.

"The European Chemicals agency estimates there are more than 144,000 man-made chemicals in existence. The US Department of Health estimates 2000 new chemicals are being released every year. The UN Environment Program warns most of these have never been screened for human health safety," he says.
"The World Health Organisation estimates that 12 million people – one in 4 – die every year from diseases caused by 'air water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change and ultraviolet radiation', all of which result from human activity."

Examples of the toxic avalanche include:

Manufactured chemicals – 30 million tonnes a year
Plastic pollution of oceans – 8mt/yr
Hazardous waste – 400 mt/yr
Coal, oil, gas etc – 15 gigatonnes (billion tonnes) a year
Lost soil – 75 Gt/yr
Metals and materials – 75 Gt/yr
Mining and mineral wastes - <200 Gt/yr
Water (mostly contaminated with above wastes) – 9 trillion tonnes a year.

"Industrial toxins are now routinely found in new-born babies, in mother's milk, in the food chain, in domestic drinking water worldwide. They have been detected from the peak of Mt Everest (where the snow is so polluted it doesn't meet drinking water standards) to the depths of the oceans, from the hearts of our cities to the remotest islands.

"The mercury found in the fish we eat, and in polar bears in the Arctic, is fallout from the burning of coal and increases every year.

"There is global concern at the death of honeybees from agricultural pesticides and the potential impact on the world food supply, as well as all insect life - and on the birds, frogs and fish which in turn depend on insects."
Mr Cribb says an issue of chemical contamination largely ignored by governments and corporations is that chemicals act in combination, occur in mixtures and undergo constant change. "A given chemical may not occur in toxic amounts in one place – but combined with thousands of other chemicals it may contribute a much larger risk to the health and safety of the whole population and the environment."
Medical science is increasingly linking issues such as obesity, cancers, heart disease and brain disorders such as autism, ADHD and depression to the growing volume of toxic substances to which humans are exposed daily.

"Despite attempts to regulate chemical use, only 21 out of 144,000 chemicals have so far been banned. In countries such as the United States, attempts are apparently under way to roll back chemical regulation, exposing the population to ever-greater health risks."

Mr Cribb says solutions to the threat of global poisoning exist, but require the co-operation of consumers, government and industry worldwide.

"First, we need a new Human Right – a right not to be poisoned. Without such a right, there will never again be a day in history when humans are free from man-made poisons.

"Second we need a global alliance of consumers who will reject toxic products or products made with toxic processes – and give industry the economic incentive to switch to 'green chemistry' and other safer systems.
"Our communities need to adopt 'zero waste', where nothing is discarded but all substances are re-used and toxic ones made safe."

"People need to understand that these poisons are only released because we as consumers send our dollar demands to industry to make things as cheaply as possible. This takes no account of the damage to human life and health. So we are all, in a sense, getting away with murder.

"If consumers demand safe, healthy, green products and are willing to pay industry a little more to make them safely, we can cleanse our planet within a generation.

"We all end up paying chemical toxicity one way or another. It's a simple choice – pay at the supermarket, or pay at the hospice."

Surviving the 21st Century describes what humanity as a whole must do, and what individuals can do to turn back the toxic tide.

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-02-scientists-categorize-earth-toxic-planet.html#jCp

by eddie Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:20 pm

Yep we toxic alright.

by 'Wolfie Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:33 am

The simple solution :

Let humankind wipe itself out over the next few hundred years..

Then watch nature re-balance the books over the next 100,000 years or so. Sure, it may not be the same as it was even 500 years ago -- but it would still be a helluva lot better than what it is now..

Scientists categorize Earth as a 'toxic planet' 2708656666

Scientists categorize Earth as a 'toxic planet' 2708656666

by Ben Reilly Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:22 am

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

The simple solution :

Let humankind wipe itself out over the next few hundred years..

Then watch nature re-balance the books over the next 100,000 years or so. Sure, it may not be the same as it was even 500 years ago -- but it would still be a helluva lot better than what it is now..

Or, a solution that lets the planet heal with human beings still on it:

If someone came into your house and started knocking holes in the walls, dumping trash on the floor, spraying bug poison everywhere and when you told them to stop, they told you that you were interfering with their right to get rich, what would you do?

That's what we should all do.

by 'Wolfie Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:51 am

:

A 'Ten Point' Plan :

Shoot the lobbyists

Strangle the corporate bosses

Remove every parasitic & wastrel "royal" family in existence

Sack the politicians (replaced with genuine democratic peoples' representatives..)

Have teachers, ambo's, firies, nurses, farmers + foresters, doctors, lawyers paid 'on merit'

Introduce compulsory population controls across China, India, Africa, parts of Europe -- until populations are reduced to "sustainable levels" Basketball

Force mining, oil/energy and 'agribusiness' industries into supporting reforrestation, cleanup and 'biodiversity' efforts -- under threat of losing all their assets as compensation for "damage done"

Introduce "security" measures/guarantees over access to minimum necessary levels of water, food, clean air, energy supplies

Make adequate welfare, healthcare and education levels a central part of "human rights" issues, and a core part of every country's constitution/charter

Remind everyone that there is no point in attempting to maximise production, returns or "profits" -- IF you destroy any future on this planet in the process

Y'all know it makes sense !!!

flower

by nicko Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:30 pm

I agree with most of your post, accept the bit about out Royal Family.

As I took the Queens" Shilling" and vowed to protect her and her Royal Family i'm afraid I'D have to kill you !!!

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Scientists categorize Earth as a 'toxic planet'

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