The 15 most toxic places in the world

Alisha_A

OMG. These photos made me want to cry.

I'm thankful for where I live, but ultimately, one polluted place affects us all.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/the-15-most-toxic-places-to-live/apocalypse-now

 

jennyk213

That is so sad, especially the picture of the kids floating in the river amidst the trash. 

jpeazybreezy

The North Pacific Gyre made me the sickest. I have now made a complete comitment to rid myself of plastic as much as possible. I hate the idea of our waste out there in the ocean. I guess it hit home more becuase I wonder how it even got there! That was really eye opening, thanks for posting.

hollyfp

Wow.

jennyk213

jpeazybreezy:

The North Pacific Gyre made me the sickest. I have now made a complete comitment to rid myself of plastic as much as possible. I hate the idea of our waste out there in the ocean. I guess it hit home more becuase I wonder how it even got there! That was really eye opening, thanks for posting.

This may be a stupid question but how does it get out there?  I assume trash on the coast is more likely to end up there if someone litters and it drifts out?  If I throw away a bottle of water in Minnesota, could it make its way there and how? 

SDgirl22

Gosh, those are disturbing images....it really make you think how bad pollution is throughout the world.

Alisha_A

And how...accepted it is. The kids floating in the trash, I mean really, you don't need high-level education to know that garbage water is gross, right?

Did you notice the people standing in the gear next to the nuclear waste had head masks and suits, but bare hands??

Someone posted about the trash gyre a few weeks ago, and that, and the photos of the plastic inside the birds, has really stuck with me. I think mostly it just blows there, eventually. A lot of landfills are uncovered and a lot of trash gets picked up by the wind.

This article says about 1/5th comes off ships, the rest land. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html

What's really crazy to me, I mean, beyond that this exists and its not a cause for major public knowledge and concern, is that many of these articles are years old, and the first I heard of this was here!

 

 

Jeff & Em

As an asthmatic the Linfen, China picture was the most terrifying to me.  There are days I can't breathe because it's too humid out.  How can people breathe in places like that?  Living like that is one of my worst fears. 

The picture of earth from space freakin' ticks me off.  I mean for real?  Pick that *** up when you're fixing stuff out there.  The first time you lose a bolt while repairing something should be the last time.  You realize "Crap!  I can't get that back because it's floating away!" and the next time you haul a magnet out with you or something.  

Alisha_A

As a contact-wearer Linfen freaks me out! I really don't think my eyes could handle that. Then I'd have anxiety attacks which make it hard for me to breathe...ack!

I don't understand how people live these ways... yes, I know they are poor and stuck, but how 'bout turning off the coal? How about the people in the shacks over the river stop throwing the trash into the river? You could make a pile somewhere, not ideal, but its not throwing it in the river.

What horrible lives these people must have. I can't imagine being surrounded by such filth all the time, so depressing.

tarinay

Alisha_A:

What's really crazy to me, I mean, beyond that this exists and its not a cause for major public knowledge and concern, is that many of these articles are years old, and the first I heard of this was here!

 

Its because our previous administration had a tendency to censor information here at home when it affects the public's rate of consumption.  I gather you've heard about James Hansen.

 

daisygirl17

wow. i don't even know what to say.

derky17

Alisha_A:

And how...accepted it is. The kids floating in the trash, I mean really, you don't need high-level education to know that garbage water is gross, right?  Right

Did you notice the people standing in the gear next to the nuclear waste had head masks and suits, but bare hands??  I noticed this too!  I thought to myself "what the ____?"

What's really crazy to me, I mean, beyond that this exists and its not a cause for major public knowledge and concern, is that many of these articles are years old, and the first I heard of this was here!

Sadly, I also think that even if this article were published on the front page of the NY Times TODAY, I think more than 50% of the people reading it, instead of trying to make a difference (however small) would just say "huh.  Glad I don't live there."  So many people either just don't care or just don't understand that the world environment is interconnected.  Its really both infuriating and sad at the same time.  I'm glad to read it, though, it just makes me want to do more and spread the word more vigorously. 

 

jennyk213

tarinay:

Alisha_A:

What's really crazy to me, I mean, beyond that this exists and its not a cause for major public knowledge and concern, is that many of these articles are years old, and the first I heard of this was here!

 

Its because our previous administration had a tendency to censor information here at home when it affects the public's rate of consumption.  I gather you've heard about James Hansen.

 

I had never heard of him and just googled.  It's very interesting but sadly not surprising.

megan0071234

The comments below the pictures (especially the ones for Appalachia coal mining) are almost as disturbing as the pictures. People really really believe that what they are doing is ok & that people trying to help the earth are "out to get them". It was just really sad reading what ignorance is out there.

Alisha_A

jennyk213:

tarinay:

Alisha_A:

What's really crazy to me, I mean, beyond that this exists and its not a cause for major public knowledge and concern, is that many of these articles are years old, and the first I heard of this was here!

 

Its because our previous administration had a tendency to censor information here at home when it affects the public's rate of consumption.  I gather you've heard about James Hansen.

 

I had never heard of him and just googled.  It's very interesting but sadly not surprising.

I've heard of him as an environmentally-focused scientist but I feel like I'm missing something specific in why you pointed him out. (That came out awkwardly)

Have you read his book, Storms of My Grandchildren? Its on my ever-growing to-read list.

tarinay

Alisha_A:

I've heard of him as an environmentally-focused scientist but I feel like I'm missing something specific in why you pointed him out. (That came out awkwardly)

Have you read his book, Storms of My Grandchildren? Its on my ever-growing to-read list.

Here's a link (from 2006) that sums it up - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/17/60minutes/main1415985.shtml

I haven't read it, but thank you for the rec!

SuperGreen

I knew about most of these, sadly, like the North Pacific Gyre.  The one that really affected me was the Earth's Orbit.  I'm curious if that's a real picture or an artist's rendering.  If other intelligent life were to approach Earth, imagine what they would think of us when they saw that!  I for one would definetely turn around and not even attempt to make contact with us.  Perhaps that's already happened.  I just can't believe we do this to ourselves.  Like the photo of Haiti vs. the Dominican Republic.  They're both poor nations, but one can keep their forests and the other can't.