Environtmental and Global Health

Archive for the ‘Pollution of the Earth’ Category

All scientists are now confident that air pollution remains one of the main environmental problems in cities and that even current levels of pollution affecting the health of the population. The sources of polluted air we breathe day and night from various sources but the main is that given by the burning of vehicles. Traffic is primarily responsible for the urban local air pollution, caused by nitrogen oxides and suspended particles that are generated by combustion engines and other mechanical aspects of wear such as brakes or pneumatic. Read the rest of this entry »

These are the substances most important pollutants because of their greater volume or greater toxicity.

Classical pollutants:

- Carbon dioxide (CO2): The main gas responsible for global warming.

- Nitrogen oxides (NOx) contribute to the formation of ground level ozone and smog.

- Hydrogen chloride (HCl): Very soluble in water, forms a very strong acid called hydrochloric acid, responsible for the formation of acid mists in environmental conditions of humidity and for investments. Such a situation may cause irritation of eyes and other sensitive human tissues and respiratory problems.

- Sulphur dioxide (SO2): Principal responsible for the destruction of almost one third of the forests of central and northern Europe by acid rain. Read the rest of this entry »

Pollution

Pollution and toxic waste are a poorly understood aspect of progress. Human beings do not realize the magnitude of the problem. Live every day with thousands of chemicals that reach him through the water, air, land and the products they consume. Currently, there are between 80,000 and 120,000 synthetic chemicals in production and released into the market an average of 3 new synthetic chemicals per day. There is very little information about many of these compounds and their impact on the environment and health of people.

The emission to the environment of these substances pose a serious risk to life. Every newborn has on your body and contaminants in the environment by human activity. The continuing contamination, daily quiet is much more severe than occasionally splashing the pages of newspapers. Accidents Valdex-Exxon supertankers, Aegean Sea, Prestige …-, of industrial-plant biocide of multinational Union Carbide in Bhopal, India, remain small when compared with the amounts of pollutants are discharged annually worldwide. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the pillars upon which modern science was built, starting in the second half of the sixteenth century, based on which attempted to show its superiority over other systems of knowledge of the world, was its high predictability, but this is not equal for biotechnology.

One of the pillars upon which modern science was built, starting in the second half of the sixteenth century, based on which attempted to show its superiority over other systems of knowledge of the world, was its high predictability.

Traditionally believed that science is the activity that has unquestioned ability to predict events in the various fields or levels of study. The basis of this thesis is to a large extent, the ontological reductionist conceptions important role played in modern philosophy.

According to this thesis, among others nominated by René Descartes (1596-1650), all bodies in the universe are composed of essential parts, the sum of which determines the properties of everything that these parts are homogeneous, independent of each other, that the effects produced are always preceded by the cause and effect of each one of them is a cause, only one, which is constant while conditions remain unchanged.

These theses have always had great acceptance among circles of scientists, philosophers, politicians and civil society, and classical mechanics is the paradigmatic example of corroboration of the validity of those theses, and with them, high predictive ability of the science. Classical mechanics deals with very simple systems, whose behavior can be predicted with great precision, such as the motion of a planet around the sun or of a billiard ball on the cloth. The variables involved in these systems are very few and can be managed comfortably.

But with the development of life sciences has shown that science can not always be predictive showing in classical mechanics. In living systems the quantity and quality of the variables are numerous and therefore so are the interactions between the constituent parts of these systems.

To complicate matters further, the constant interaction of each and every one of those variables with the external environment makes the ability to predict their behavior is restricted to simple aspects of their operation, but at the time they are integrated the cluster of interactions and relationships between the other parties of these with the whole and of all the parties, such predictive ability is greatly reduced.

This is found routinely in studies of ecology and evolutionary processes in which it is not possible to have a preview of what will happen to a living system, much less when it comes to long-term processes.

Although this has been shown every day, advocates of GM food production will have insisted on living systems implement a methodology for the classical mechanics, uncritically acting in response to complaints by opponents of the development of organisms genetically modified.

Thus, it is intended that if there are harmful effects of GMOs to human health or ecosystems in the short term, or are not “statistically significant”, it concludes that you can continue manufacturing and marketing. Escapes consider that genes may have cached information for generations and generations, and then you get to express, through combinations of genes are impossible to predict. Overlooked that there is always a unitary relationship of cause and effect relationship between a gene and its protein product, but a single gene can produce, in ways not fully understood, many features, or parts of them (known as ” pleiotropy “) or sometimes certain features can only be expressed if there is a specific combination of genes.

It further argues that in any case there is no completely safe technology and that, therefore, biotechnology can not be considered particularly dangerous.

Friends of the Earth has analyzed a range of foods on sale in supermarkets in search of unlabelled GM corn. Have been found contaminated products, like microwave popcorn or coloring for paella. Data from the Spanish Food Safety Agency (EASA) confirm that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are in our diet without consumers knowing it can not help it. Friends of the Earth demands respect for the right to a healthy, safe and free from GMOs.
The legislation requires that if a food contains genetically modified, this information appears on the label. However, contamination is tolerated up to 0.9% in each ingredient without which the consumer has to be informed, in practice allowing GMOs to enter into our diet without which we could avoid it.

Friends of the Earth has discussed various foods with corn as main ingredient, not labeled as GM. Three of these products containing GMOs [1]. Data from the AESA analysis performed periodically to corn and soy products show that in the years 2004 and 2005, between 15 and 17% of food tested contained GMOs. These products are not identified as GM, including baby food and baby milk, yoghurts, ready meals and meat products [2].

David Sanchez, Head of Agriculture and Food Friends of the Earth said: “The law does not allow consumers to exercise our right not to eat GM. Despite the social rejection of these foods are coming into our diet without us being informed. “

The origin of this widespread presence of GMOs in food products is explained by the conditions under which GM maize is grown in Spain since 1998 and imports of GM soya. The lack of transparency and the absence of actual control information and prevent farmers can avoid seeing their crops contaminated by GM maize or the separation between raw materials and conventional transgenic or ecological effective.

The uncertainties about the safety of GMOs to human health and the environment continue. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Elena Espinosa said in an interview to 20 Minutes on 12 February this year that GM: “Never have provided environmental impact studies or guarantees about the health of consumers.”

David Sanchez added: “GM in our country are beyond our control and contaminated food ends. Meanwhile, the maximum charge in Agriculture and Food acknowledges doubts about its safety. We can not afford to continue experimenting with our health and our environment. “

Astronauts returning from his trip with a new mindset that makes them feel more appreciative of the Earth and understand the need for treatment.

From space is not the border, especially, economic interests, but some of the very bad influences, such as pollution of the atmosphere.

85% of the air near the Earth in the troposphere, a thin layer of only 15 km higher layers of the atmosphere has a little air, but protect us from UV (ozone layer) and meteorites (ionosphere).

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Introduction to biological, chemical or physical to the half outside. Any undesirable change the natural composition of the medium.

Lands
Wetlands (marshes, mangroves) is one of the ecosystems that produce more alive. Therefore, a large ecological importance and the danger disappeared. Overall assessment of the first revealed that more than 1,200 million hectares (equivalent to the combined areas of China and India) have experienced a serious degradation in forty-five years, according to data from the World Resources Institute.

Waters
Contaminate water is life itself. The entire life cycle, reproduction and human food, animal and marine who is affected. Currently, all the oceans of the world affected by oil spills. Almost every year, spilled into the sea 3.5 million barrels.

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