A SERIES of staggering statistics brought to light by the Environmental Quality Institute at the University of North Carolina at Asheville indicate that most states are facing considerable problems with the toxin mercury. One in six American women of childbearing age has mercury levels high enough to put an embryo at risk. Currently, 630,000 infants are born every year with unsafe mercury levels. The study did also produce results on a state by state basis: 27.5 percentof women in the state of Virginia had mercury levels above the Environmental Protection Agency's threshold of one microgram per gram. Given that the Bush administration has proved itself a difficult if not impossible venue through which to approach policy for a safer environment, local institutions such as the University should begin taking action on their own.
When a coal plant burns coal, mercury isreleased into the air; it later falls back down in the form of rain, accumulating in bodies of water. According to the Sierra Club, the mercury then undergoes a chemical change, transforming it into a toxic kind of mercury called methylmercury. In lakes, streams, oceans and rivers, methylmercury finds its way into various species of fish and shellfish, but because some fish are eaten by others, those on top of the food chain such as sharks accumulate the highest amount of methylmercury. When enough of this accumulates in people, it can inflict neurological damage (such as cerebral palsy and retardation), particularly affecting fetuses.
The Bush presidency has shown complete disregard for safe environmental policy, particularly in terms of mercury regulation. For example, rather than continuing enforcement of the mercury regulations in place for several decades, the administration has finalized and put into place a plan that allows for at least three times more mercury pollution. The influence of coal plant lobbyists in this matter is no secret, as The Washington Post reported last September that "passages in the Bush administration's proposal for regulating mercury pollution
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 4 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
