03-12-2008, 12:11 AM
[cool][#0000ff]I spent about 6 months on a temporary work assignment in New Orleans (before Katrina). That is no joke down there. NOBODY drinks tap water except for those who can't afford filtered or bottled water. In fact, many people use the excuse that they only drink alcoholic beverages because the alcohol kills the contaminants. As good an excuse as any, I guess. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Since New Orleans is at the bottom end of the mighty (polluted) Mississippi river, the water that goes by in the river is a chemical soup from all of the legal and illegal dumpings of agriculture, industry and municipalities upstream. They joke that night fishing is easy in the "Big Easy"...'cause all de fish, dey glow, y'know?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, the chemical "plume" that extends out into the Gulf of Mexico...from the delta of the Mississipi...has left a vast barren underwater wasteland. Where shrimp, crabs and many species of fish once lived and propagated there is now only a huge field of toxic ooze on the bottom of the Gulf. It grows bigger every year and has spread back into some of the marshlands that grow all of the new shrimp, crabs and fish...and provide food and shelter for millions of migratory waterfowl.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Sadly, even if we ceased polluting tomorrow, those "dead zones" would take generations to heal themselves...if ever. The question is WHERE AND WHEN DO WE START THE PROCESS?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since New Orleans is at the bottom end of the mighty (polluted) Mississippi river, the water that goes by in the river is a chemical soup from all of the legal and illegal dumpings of agriculture, industry and municipalities upstream. They joke that night fishing is easy in the "Big Easy"...'cause all de fish, dey glow, y'know?[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]And, the chemical "plume" that extends out into the Gulf of Mexico...from the delta of the Mississipi...has left a vast barren underwater wasteland. Where shrimp, crabs and many species of fish once lived and propagated there is now only a huge field of toxic ooze on the bottom of the Gulf. It grows bigger every year and has spread back into some of the marshlands that grow all of the new shrimp, crabs and fish...and provide food and shelter for millions of migratory waterfowl.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Sadly, even if we ceased polluting tomorrow, those "dead zones" would take generations to heal themselves...if ever. The question is WHERE AND WHEN DO WE START THE PROCESS?[/#0000ff]
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