the station fire... one year later

On August 26th, 2010, Los Angeles celebrated the first anniversary as 160,557 acres or 251 square miles were destroyed by perhaps one individual dropping flammable materials near mile marker 29 in the Angeles Crest Forest.

Unfortunately no one has been brought to justice for this horrific destruction which cost the state millions of dollars, had a huge impact on the environment and will have an ongoing impact on the health of the forest and surrounding areas. At one point, the fires burned so hot, the earth was scorched, making it prone to water runoff during heavy winter rains. In the springtime, the scorched area refused to allow plant growth and even now, one year later, there are still enormous brown areas where nothing currently grows.

One lesson we should take away from this. The areas surrounding Los Angeles (and, many cities in the Southwest) are extremely sensitive and need to be treated accordingly. When one person can wreck such havoc on our environment, we all lose... not just our health, but the health of those areas which should be protected because ultimately, they protect us.

The photo was taken from Atwater Village the day the burn began.

it's all about the fish...

The failure of BP on the gulf may have far-reaching implications...

If we’ve learned nothing else, we should perhaps treat news coming from Washington and those BP folks with a certain amount of skepticism. When we’re told it’s fine to begin eating shellfish coming from the Gulf, perhaps we should hit the pause button.

Why?

Perhaps because there’s little evidence to support our government’s position of “safe to consume” when talking about the spill and its long-term effect on fish and shrimp for consumption.

In fact, there is far more evidence to support constraint in the fishing industry for a very long time.

Let us revisit for a moment, the failure of the Japanese government in response to the release of methylmercury into the waters near Minamata beginning in the 1930s until late '68 where neither the government of Japan nor the industrial giant, Chisso Corporation took responsibility for the enormous destruction to the environment and the huge toll on human and animal life. In fact, in 2001 there were over 2,000 deaths attributed directly to this lack of regulation of methylmercury.

As you ponder the photo, you should ask yourself if this is the scenario you want to be a part of in the years to come... or better yet, would you want your children to become nothing more than a statistic in BP's abuse to our environment...

In 1959 a report on the disease stated...
“Minamata disease is a poisoning disease that affects mainly the central nervous system and is caused by the consumption of large quantities of fish and shellfish living in Minamata Bay and its surroundings, the major causative agent being some sort of organic mercury compound.” 

In 2010, Chisso Corporation set aside a compensation fund for as-yet uncertified victims.

On a personal note:
Years ago I read a book on the effects of methylmercury in the small fishing village of Minamata and recall being horrified by photos of children (like the one pictured) grotesquely crippled and unable to care for themselves, caught in a forever child-like existence. Frankly, after seeing the photos, I would not wish this on anyone.