Chornobyl Questions

1. Where did the incident take place?
2. What caused the explosion to happen?
3. How did the disaster effect the people that lived in the area?
4. What makes this disaster unlike any other in the history of mankind?
5. What did the Russian government do about the disaster?

Questions for the Panel

1. Why do you think that the Love Canal is safe when there is still chemicals in the canal?
2. How do you know for sure that all of the chemicals in the ground and air are uncontaminated?
3. Why do you think that the area is not same when we have been cleaning it for more than three years?
4. If the EPA says that the Love Canal is a safe place, then why do you think that it is not.
5. The Love Canal is the most tested real-estate in America, so why is it not safe?

8-30-10 Catalyst

The big blizzard of 77 that overflowed the canal and caused the chemicals to become much more of a problem. When it melted and all the water drained, it took all of the chemicals with it. Cancer is one of the main health hazards that all the chemicals caused, but along with that came other defects in human health, like mutations in newborns. Other than putting people's health at risk, the chemicals also effected the environment in different ways such as polluting the rivers and creeks so that they cannot support life. They make trees and plants die, and present health risks for animals.

Hazards of Oil Dispersants

To put it frankly, we are poisoning our oceans with many different types of materials. But one of the biggest poisons are oil dispersants. Even though they are suppose to be helping our oceans by cleaning up oil, they might not be doing just that. These dispersants cause internal bleeding, and hurt the same organs oil does, such as nerves, kidneys, blood, and the liver. They also cause damage to gills, and cause chemical pneumonia. In fact, when mixed together, oil and certain dispersants (like corexit) are more toxic then when they are separate. Such as dispersants can break down lipid membranes, therefor making it easier for the oil to get into the organism. What makes matters even worse is the fact that the coral reefs will be hit the hardest, and they hold many endangered species. Also, when air breathing animals go above water to breathe, they breathe in toxic fumes. All of the dispersant's can cause birth defects, no matter how they get into the organism. So what we are basically trying to do is solve one problem, but in the process, we create an even bigger problem. That is possible because when we put the dispersants(supposedly the answer to the oil spill) we are creating an even more toxic mix.
I believe that corexit and other dispersant's are more dangerous than oil because they can seep into through your skin(as was previously stated) and damage an organism that way. They have petroleum, metal, and arsenic among other toxic ingredients that BP refuses to mention.

Chemical Dispersants

1. How much damage do the dispersants do to plants?
2. What are the main ingredients in these chemicals?
3. Now how many of these are harmful?