 |
| Arctic: 2750 contaminated sites. Source: Bois (2009). |
By Gundhramns Hammer
June 7, 2015
No place on Earth escapes the impact of human activities. Not even the frozen poles.
We humans have become geotrashing agents.
As geotrashing agents, bluntly speaking, we have fucked up Earth. We have turned this planet into a waste dump.
Let us take the Arctic, for example.
We humans have become geotrashing agents.
As geotrashing agents, bluntly speaking, we have fucked up Earth. We have turned this planet into a waste dump.
Let us take the Arctic, for example.
Bois (2009) has reported a total of 2750 contaminated sites (Table 1) where humans have dumped different types of pollutants (Table 2) in the Arctic alone.
Table 1. Number of contaminated sites in the Arctic.
Data from Bois (2009).
Country
|
Number
of contaminated sites
|
Alaska (USA)
|
509
|
Canada
|
662
|
Finland
|
169
|
Greenland
|
468
|
Norway (including
Svalbard)
|
524
|
Sweden
|
418
|
Russia
|
n/a
|
Total number of contaminated sites in the Arctic
|
2750
|
Table 2. Inventory of pollutants in the Arctic. Data from Bois (2009).
POPs = Persistant organic pollutants; PCBs = Polychlorinated biphenyls; n/a = not available.
Obviously, Bois (2009) has done an excellent job investigating and recording the contaminated sites in the Arctic. It is a must to read.
Unfortunately this is not the end of man´s geotrashing line.
Things in the Arctic are bound to become even worse.
Man´s geostrategic games are already changing in the North with the melting icecaps due to man-made global warming.
Thus, there is a rush for the Arctic.
Faced with an ever increasing mass of consumers always demanding new products in the global markets, oil and mineral companies will do their best to get the new resources to satisfy unsatisfiable customers.
For the time being and at a time when we are running out of time, it seems that our goal still is nothing but to make this beautiful planet a barren land.
How fucking stupid can Homo sapiens be?
Only time wil tell.
References
Bois R. des (2009). 2750 contaminated sites in Arctic. Polar Star Nº 2.
Related article:
NUUK AND CONTAMINATED NOOKS AND CRANNIES IN GREENLAND
Type
of pollutant
|
Number/country
|
||||||
Alaska
|
Canada
|
Finland
|
Greenland
|
Norway
|
Sweden
|
Russia
|
|
Hydrocarbons
|
455
|
158
|
31
|
73
|
218
|
153
|
n/a
|
Heavy metals
|
108
|
65
|
18
|
133
|
363
|
137
|
n/a
|
POPs-PCBs
|
96
|
54
|
1
|
0
|
129
|
25
|
n/a
|
Other hazardous substances
|
12
|
25
|
125
|
22
|
152
|
78
|
n/a
|
Needs further study
|
4
|
455
|
2
|
297
|
159
|
109
|
n/a
|
Obviously, Bois (2009) has done an excellent job investigating and recording the contaminated sites in the Arctic. It is a must to read.
Unfortunately this is not the end of man´s geotrashing line.
Things in the Arctic are bound to become even worse.
Man´s geostrategic games are already changing in the North with the melting icecaps due to man-made global warming.
Thus, there is a rush for the Arctic.
Faced with an ever increasing mass of consumers always demanding new products in the global markets, oil and mineral companies will do their best to get the new resources to satisfy unsatisfiable customers.
For the time being and at a time when we are running out of time, it seems that our goal still is nothing but to make this beautiful planet a barren land.
How fucking stupid can Homo sapiens be?
Only time wil tell.
References
Bois R. des (2009). 2750 contaminated sites in Arctic. Polar Star Nº 2.
Related article:
NUUK AND CONTAMINATED NOOKS AND CRANNIES IN GREENLAND
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