It’s in Brazil this time.

I wonder if it has anything to do with this spill in 2011…

From the link to the story of Chevron in Ecuador:

Such sentiment holds strong appeal to those who claim that people here, like Ms. Ruíz’s 16-year-old son, are dying from the pollution that Texaco spawned. Citing scientific studies, the plaintiffs claim that toxic chemicals from Texaco’s waste pits, including benzene, which is known to induce leukemia, have leached for decades into soil, groundwater and streams. A report last year by Richard Cabrera, a geologist and court-appointed expert, estimated that 1,400 people in this jungle region — perhaps more — had died of cancer because of oil contamination.

~~~~~~~~~

Note that even Chevron agreed that they had spoiled what once was a pristine jungle.  Even worse is Petroecuador has dirtied its hands with contributing to the mess.  Despite their protests, they cannot pass off their own responsibilities.  <sigh>

I found this update to the above story.

You might recall the story of the proposed mining operation in an untouched part of Wisconsin.

I’m thoroughly convinced that these people are not going to be happy until they’ve destroyed every natural habitat and ecosystem.

~~~~~~~~~

Another reason the dolphins might be beaching themselves is mercury.  A report here on gold mining operations and the threat of mercury….a compelling story.

After being poisoned with mercury, Jose Atehortua suffered terribly:

In the ensuing weeks, Atehortua’s molars fell out; he was besieged by ringing in his ears, loss of hearing and appetite, impaired vision and balance, and damaged kidneys — ailments common to acute mercury vapor intoxication. But somehow kidney dialysis worked, and, slowly, movement returned to his arms and legs. Four months later, Atehortua returned to the entable, famous among Segovia’s miners as the azogado who had miraculously recovered from paralysis.

~~~~~~~

The above symptoms are common with us on the mercury poisoning group.   I personally had ringing in the ears, diminished hearing and appetite, darkened vision, balance issues, kidney impairment, liver impairment, and dental issues including loose teeth.   The alarming thing of this article is that they are thinking it was just a one time deal, instead of him probably suffering from long term poisoning until one night his body had had enough and gave out.  It took me a year after amalgam placement to start having monthly migraines.  Another year to start showing low thyroid symptoms, another year to start with memory loss and weight gain (even though I was still exercising)….and so it’s not as easily dismissed.  I wonder now if this guy, if he continued to work there, is still alive or if he is, whether he is seriously disabled–mentally or physically.

Now expand all of this out to how it must be affecting dolphins and other sea mammals….one can understand why they are losing their senses and beaching themselves.   Moving the entable to another location, while continuing to enable mercury exposure, is not going to help anyone–human nor animal.  And as in the previous story, why pollute a rural area?  Just stop, already.  Just stop.  Gold is not worth it.  All the gold in the world will not buy back your health….this paragraph attests to that:

Meanwhile, evidence is accumulating that more chronic varieties of the acute symptoms endured by Atehortua are affecting the most vulnerable segment of the population. In neurological tests administered to 196 children in Segovia, aged 7 to 13, 96 percent failed at least one measure of intoxication, whose indicators include attention, memory, language, and executive functions. These data are included in a UN health report, published in January, which describes the mercury situation in Antioquia as “dramatic.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

**edited to fix goof on above paragraph.