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UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 8:32 pm
by boomerang
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2 ... ce-says-UN
water is killing more people than wars and other violence, the United Nations announced on World Water Day.
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Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:23 pm
by suthdj
boomerang wrote:http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2 ... ce-says-UN
water is killing more people than wars and other violence, the United Nations announced on World Water Day.
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So to demonstrate polluted water they throw in more pollutants.

I love this quote
Without decent latrines in their iron-walled huts, people are forced to defecate into plastic bags, which are then unceremoniously thrown out of the door.
Because digging a hole is to much effort,they lack the basic hygiene training or they just don't care?

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:59 pm
by karl
Water is the world's greatest commodity. It's easy to say "lets send some people down there and dig a well", but that's not necessarily the case. People and organizations trying to do "good" have often poisoned the very people they are trying to help by giving them access to the newly drilled wells which contain unhealthy amounts of arsenic and other harmful contaminants. If you've seen a picture of low dose arsenic poisoning from a water supply you would cringe. This study is old news but the problems still exist.

For the record, food coloring won't pollute anything.

Edited to clarify.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:16 pm
by casingpoint
Water doesn't kill people. Dirt does.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:26 pm
by Keith B
casingpoint wrote:Water doesn't kill people. Dirt does.
Dirt doesn't kill people. If that was the case, just about every little boy I have ever known would be dead. :lol:

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Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:30 pm
by shortysboy09
Keith B wrote:
casingpoint wrote:Water doesn't kill people. Dirt does.
Dirt doesn't kill people. If that was the case, just about every little boy I have ever known would be dead. :lol:

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Haha, at least he wore eye protection. Can't fault him on that.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:54 pm
by LarryH
Right. Pollutants kill people.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:53 pm
by suthdj
karl wrote:Water is the world's greatest commodity. It's easy to say "lets send some people down there and dig a well", but that's not necessarily the case. People and organizations trying to do "good" have often poisoned the very people they are trying to help by giving them access to the newly drilled wells which contain unhealthy amounts of arsenic and other harmful contaminants. If you've seen a picture of low dose arsenic poisoning from a water supply you would cringe. This study is old news but the problems still exist.

For the record, food coloring won't pollute anything.

Edited to clarify.
If it is not H2O it is a pollutant. May be harmless but still it does not belong.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:26 pm
by karl
Do you know what comes out of your kitchen tap? A lot more than pure water, yet most would not consider that contaminated water.

"What is in our water?"

Edit: And that is purified water.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:29 pm
by bizarrenormality
karl wrote:Do you know what comes out of your kitchen tap? A lot more than pure water, yet most would not consider that contaminated water.
The people who buy Britta and Pur filters might disagree.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:43 pm
by karl
bizarrenormality wrote:
karl wrote:Do you know what comes out of your kitchen tap? A lot more than pure water, yet most would not consider that contaminated water.
The people who buy Britta and Pur filters might disagree.
Most. I have used filters to get rid of the taste alone when I lived in Oklahoma but I was never concerned with any other quality. Water is graded on taste, appearance, and content. Wells for the city of Norman had high arsenic content when compared to the rest of the nation so they were closed. The numbers were not even close to the content of third world countries. It was on the order of several multiples less if I remember correctly.

I think most that use filters filter the taste, few are legitimately concerned about the content in the USA without using them on the recommendation of the persuasive company's commercials or a popular health magazine.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 10:38 pm
by casingpoint
Some recent court cases have challenged what waters the EPA can regulate in the United States. Polluters are interpreting the findings to read certain waters can no longer be federally regulated and proceeding to return to their old nasty ways and dump in the nearest creek. So, Third World, here we come.
http://www.celsias.com/article/clean-wa ... le-pollut/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:33 am
by Kythas
Dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), is one of the deadliest substances known to man. I'm surprised the EPA isn't regulating it, since according to the website http://www.dhmo.org/:

1. In every instance of school violence around the world, the perpetrator of that violence has been proven to have ingested DHMO prior to their violent act.
2. DHMO overdose can cause kidney failure in dialysis patients.
3. DHMO has been found to be a major component of cancerous tumors.
4. DHMO in its gaseous form has been known to cause serious burns and blisters of the skin.
5. DHMO has been found to be a major factor in accidental drownings.

Despite these concerns, this deadly compound is used without most people's knowledge in various commercial applications:

1. It is a major component in baby food
2. It is a major component in beer
3. DHMO is commonly sprayed on vegetables in supermarkets to keep the vegetables looking 'fresh'
4. The Federal government - even NASA - has spent billions of dollars researching this dangerous substance.

According to the above referenced website:
One of the most surprising facts recently revealed about Dihydrogen Monoxide contamination is in its use as a food and produce "decontaminant." Studies have shown that even after careful washing, food and produce that has been contaminated by DHMO remains tainted by DHMO.

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:03 am
by Fangs
I was waiting for that, Kythas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There might be one or two NSFW words, I don't remember

Re: UN says water more deadly than guns

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 1:24 pm
by MechAg94
I am FOR reasonable environmental regulations and enforcement as long as we are talking about stuff that is really a pollutant (not CO2). When I saw the OP on water, my first thought was companies dumping process or waste water back in rivers. It might not even be intentional. I think copper has started to be regulated the last 10 or 15 years. I believe we have moved away from using copper alloy heat exchangers because of that.

It is important for the plant I work at. The nearby major river is 200 yards away. All our storm water runoff goes straight there. If you are talking about navigable water ways, the Coast Guard can end up getting involved.