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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Oil Related Health Problems in the Gulf



Photograph © 2010 Robert Glenn Ketchum

Yesterday, I ran a post from the news about how workers cleaning up the Gulf oil spill are beginning to experience health problems especially lung related ones. The history of this is very clear. In California during the Santa Barbara spill and in Prince William Sound (AK) where volunteers cleaned up after the Exxon Valdez ran aground, many, many workers reported ill effects. Many of them have had permanent damage and are still sick.

My good friend, marine biologist Riki Ott, Ph.D., has written a couple of books about the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its aftermath. They should be required reading, so pick them up: ‘Not One Drop – Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill’, ‘Sound Truth & Corporate Myth$: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill’


Before I have blogged about the food chain being poisoned by the oil spill, and it will be, but just as importantly, everyone that has contact with this mess will suffer in some way.

ONCE HURRICANE SEASON STARTS THESE POLLUTANTS AND THE AIRBORNE PARTICULATES THAT COME WITH THEM WILL BLOW ASHORE AND RAIN DOWN ON STATE AFTER STATE, CROP AFTER CROP, WATER SOURCE AFTER WATER SOURCE CONTAMINATING EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH.

All of the Southeast will be affected. More frighteningly, so will their water and food sources. In the future, I WANT the government to mandate food labeling that will tell us from what body of water the seafood catch comes, because anything from the gulf will be dangerous to eat for decades. Perhaps this will also be true for the land-based foods crops once these toxins start to blow onshore. This oil spill disaster is going to be much larger and more dangerous than anyone realizes once the damage and the legacy of it play out over time.

#rgk

2 comments:

  1. NPR news is reporting there are few cases (11) of oil spill related illnesses to those working on cleaning contaminated areas, and that those cases of illness are not serious. What's happened to the information about the previous cases of serious illness from the Exxon Valdez stated in your blog? Is this being ignored? What are your thoughts on this Robert?
    VA

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear 'VA' - With regard to the Exxon Valdez spill, the corporation has worked hard to prevent much aftermath press.

    For the best information, read Riki Ott's books, as previously posted:

    'Not One Drop – Betrayal and Courage in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill’, ‘Sound Truth & Corporate Myth$: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill’

    You should also check out her site: http://www.rikiott.com/

    In addition, to better understand how the body is affected by oil & hydrocarbons, view Brian Williams' special report:
    http://ht.ly/1Tn6S

    #rgk

    ReplyDelete

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