Geen evolutie en ecolutie zonder revolutie!

Albert Einstein:


vrijdag 19 januari 2018

River State Nigeria, alles is bedekt met een laag roet........

Ontving gisteren een petitie van het Care2 team. In deze petitie wordt de deelstaatregering van River State (Nigeria) opgeroepen eindelijk wat aan de al een paar jaar voortdurende enorme luchtvervuiling te doen.

Mensen worden 's morgens wakker en vinden veel van hun spullen onder een laag roet...... Uiteraard zorgt de luchtvervuiling die dit veroorzaakt, ook nog eens voor een aantal aandoeningen zoals kanker....... Organen als hart, longen, nieren en lever raken beschadigt door deze troep.

Hieronder eerst een bericht van 'Medium' over deze zaak, daarna de petitie van Care2. Lees ook de petitie (via o.a. deze link) en teken deze ajb; geeft het door!

Black Soot in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria: “The Danger that Lurks” Behind the Black Particles

According to the Press Release purportedly issued by the Rivers State government dated December 8, 2016, it has been brought to the attention of the Rivers State government the “appearance of strange black soot deposits noticeably seen on cars and rooftops in our environment especially in Port Harcourt and its environs.” The Press Release further stated “that it is apparently obvious that the [Rivers] state government cannot decontaminate the airspace but it can put a stop to the pollution if the source of the soot is located.”
Sources of particulate matter, which can manifest as black soot, include diesel trucks, plants powered by coal/industrial operations, wood-burning stoves (USEPA, 1997). Exposure to black soot can severely impact human health causing premature death, severe asthma, breathing and other respiratory problems, cancer and birth defects (USEPA, 2016). Black soot or “black carbon”, a “harmful air pollutant”, can also contribute to global warming (Sierra Club, n.d.). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, “there is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of black carbon”(IARC, 1996), i.e. black carbon can cause cancer.
Time is of the essence for the Rivers state government to spare no efforts to find the source of the black soot pollution in the Port Harcourt area and to use appropriate technologies to, yes, clean up the soot contamination and “decontaminate the airspace”.

For the longer term, “prevention is better than cure”. To ensure a sustainable environment and foster sustainable development in Rivers state, the Rivers state government should develop effective laws and regulations to prevent pollution in any form, including air pollution, AND enforce such laws and regulations. The polluter pays principle should be the bedrock of environmental legislation not only in Rivers State but in Nigeria. 
The primary role of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999). It is not unreasonable to state that the security of a person may be threatened by poor health. The Rivers state government must protect every person in Rivers state, young and old, rich and poor, from the danger that lurks behind the black soot particles. All breathe the same air as air contaminants do not distinguish between the rich and the poor, young and old, government officials and non-government workers. To whom much is given, much more is required.

Help End Air Poisoning in the Rivers State Community!

People in Rivers State, Nigeria wake up every morning to find black soot covering everything from their food and furniture to their cars and the trees outside. It seems as though the entire community is coated with a fine dust that seeps into everything.

Residents of the state have started a Care2 petition, imploring the global community to help them stop the pollution that is showering down on them. Will you add your voice to their cause?

The soot may look like just a freaky occurrence, but its implications are deadly real. Air pollution is poisoning the people of the town. Everyone is affected — the elderly, children, mothers, fathers, common citizens, and even government workers. Soot is dangerous and can cause premature deaths, asthma attacks, lung diseases and rise in cancer. No one is immune.

That's why the community there is reaching out to us. In order to make sure the government takes them seriously and gets involved immediately, we will have to act together to bring international attention to this public health catastrophe.

The people of Rivers State have asked for our help. Please stand with them and sign their petition.

Thank you,

Miranda B.

The Care2 Petitions Team.

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