Environment Blog- February

Renewable energy
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Trifling away scarce energy resources is taking a huge toll on our lives. The gradual burning out of all natural assets necessitates rethinking the way we live life. Hundreds of alternatives can be considered, yet very few countries and very few individuals consciously adopt energy-saving habits.

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Unilever to quit using shark liver oil
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Today well over a third of European sharks are threatened with extinction. Marine conservation organisation, Oceana has been fiercely campaigning against shark liver oil, also known as squalene. Squalene is an organic compound found in certain animal and plant sources, and  serves as an emollient in cosmetic products, such as creams and lotions. Sharks' livers are the biggest source of squalene oil and deep-sea sharks have especially large reserves of squalene.

Recently food and cosmetics giant Unilever has announced that it will switch to plant-based squalene in its cosmetics and household products the company manufactures. Boots, Clarins, L’Oreal and Estee Lauder have also embraced the change.

Sharks play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. Sharks, and those in particular deep-sea species, are slow-growing, cannot recover their populations fast enough. Sharks are also used as a by-catch in fisheries.
 

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Environmental Pollution
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Save Water
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Some measures for saving water include collecting rain water or even water used to wash vegetables to water houseplants. Take a shower rather than a bath. Collect rain water for use in the garden. Don’t run the tap whilst cleaning your teeth. Only boil as much water as you need when making drinks etc. Don’t leave taps (faucets) dripping - repair any worn washers. Only wash full loads in washing machines and dishwashers.

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Industrial poisoning
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 Agro-chemical poisoning in Chile

Thirteen farm workers from the Region VII town of Pelarco were taken severly ill after  they were sprayed with plaguicides.

The incident took place in a small farming sector called Bajo Lagunilla. The workers, employees of the company Sociedad Agricola Beyce had informed their bosses that they were going to be working in the fields. Company officials chose to ignore health and safety concerms and got the entire area- and the workers—sprayed with the toxic insecticide Zero 5 EC. Workers are regularly exposed to plaguicides and environmental contamination.

The thirteen employees  complained of symptoms with severe headaches, nausea, stomach aches, and shivers, and all of them were hospitalized. The workers were given  chemical baths and placed under observation for several days before being allowed to return home.

The 710 workers cited by Chile’s Health Ministry often risked serious health threats. More than 39 percent of those accidents involved chemicals the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as “extremely” and “very” dangerous.The real number of poisonings in recent years has been estimated to be anywhere between 2,500 to 3,000.  The fact is, for every case that’s reported, four go unreported.

It came about that these businesses in Chile violated a range of industry safety norms nor did not report accidents to local authorities. They failed to equip workers with adequate protective gear, among other things. They did not take care to construct chemical showers and emergency cellars in the event of an accident, and disregarded the mandate on the barring of fumigation where workers were present.  The fines imposed on them are not very intimidating either. 

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