Post by NoCoal on Jun 30, 2016 22:39:23 GMT 5.5
www.island.lk, 12th August 2013, By Ranil Senanayake
While the science of poisoning by agrotoxins has been well established and its effects made public by writers like Rachel Carson. Since 1962, one wonders where our Environment Ministry has been all these years.
I have been writing on the issue from 1978 but there was no interest from any politician running this ministry. Now that the truth is becoming impossible to hide, suddenly there is interest, but let us see which politician acts in our defence. But, aside from the damage being wrought by agrotoxins who is taking an interest in the massive damage to our health, our biodiversity and our cultural artifacts that will be affected by the monstrous coal fired power plants that are being foisted on this nation?
The Norochcholai power plant was foisted on us without any environmental impact assessment. The upcoming Sampur plant is even worse. While volumes have been written on the folly of investing in coal as the energy source of a nation and the public and environmental health risks they bring. We have borrowed huge sums of money to create the problem prone Norochcholai coal fired power plant in an area that will ensure that the South West winds will carry the resulting polluting gasses over the NCP and blanket Dambulla, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
Why coal?
As a recent report on coal states: "Air pollution from Coal fired power plants is varied and contributes to a significant number of negative environmental and health effects. When coal is burned to generate electricity, the combustion releases a combination of toxic chemicals into the environment, and thus the human body. A November 2009 report on the effects of coal by the Physicians for Social Responsibility found that coal combustion affects not only the human respiratory system, but also the cardiovascular and nervous system".
The public health and environmental watchdogs of Sri Lanka seem to have been asleep to these issues. What coal-powered power plants bring to one county they will certainly bring to another! This then will be the legacy that those who promoted and benefitted from dirty coal fired power plant will bring to the people of the NCP already suffering from an epidemic of poisoning through agrotoxins So, crying about the fate of farmers suffering from heavy metal poisoning through cheap fertilizer and agrotoxins, while ignoring the huge health burden being brought about by the coal fired power plants seems very cynical. (See Fig 1).
There are two sinister demons lurking in the gasses that emit from coal-fired power plants. After an intensive study, the U.S. Geologic Survey analysis indentifies that an important component of acid rain comes primarily from coal-fired power plants and industry, often hundreds of miles upwind (See Fig 2).
These gasses are:
Sulphuric acid which is formed the by conversion of sulphur dioxide emitted from power stations, melting processes, home fires, car exhausts and other sources. It contributes about 70% to the overall acidity of deposition.
Nitric acid, which is formed from nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from fossil fuel combustion. It contributes about 30% to the overall acidity of deposition.
Their effects on the environment range from deteriorating human breathing disorder (asthma, bronchitis, lung oedema) to choking plant leave pores (forest loss) to affecting soil and water chemistry to Corroding stone and brick walls of buildings and monuments.
When people die of acid deposition it is usually caused by excess mucous production in the bronchi, leading to chocking from a lack of oxygen, or a heart attack. A 2011 report by the American Lung Association found that coal-fired power plants produce more hazardous air pollution in the United States than any other industrial pollution sources. A 2004 report by the Clean Air Task Force estimated that soot pollution from power plants contributes to 24,000 premature deaths, 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks, and tens of thousands of hospital visits and asthma attacks each year.
As if this was not enough of a problem demanding national attention. The potential action of these acids on our national patrimony raises nightmares. The action of acid rain on the Parthenon in Athens and the architectural treasures of Venice, as well as numerous stone buildings in the U.S. suggest our future. These treasures are being destroyed steadily by acid rain from upwind power plants and factories.
Does anyone think of the Aukana Buddha, Thanthirimale and Vatadage—history we had brought down for so long? Will it be scarified on the alters of the barbarians? If the Sampur Coal fired power plant ever sees the light of day the pollution will double and cover the area all year round. The Norochcholai plant will pollute the region along the South West winds and the Sampur plant the region during the North East winds. (See Fig 3)
Global Warming is real, Carbon Dioxide increases are real and as we add acidifying gasses to the toxic load in our atmosphere for short term gain in power, the acid rains will also become real and wash our monuments away in the same way that the processes creating these rains, will wash our identity away. If people in power or if the Buddhists of this country who claim loyalty to our Buddhist heritage continue to ignore the need to abandon these monstrosities immediately, history will judge them as the villans who allowed the destruction of our patrimony.
While the science of poisoning by agrotoxins has been well established and its effects made public by writers like Rachel Carson. Since 1962, one wonders where our Environment Ministry has been all these years.
I have been writing on the issue from 1978 but there was no interest from any politician running this ministry. Now that the truth is becoming impossible to hide, suddenly there is interest, but let us see which politician acts in our defence. But, aside from the damage being wrought by agrotoxins who is taking an interest in the massive damage to our health, our biodiversity and our cultural artifacts that will be affected by the monstrous coal fired power plants that are being foisted on this nation?
The Norochcholai power plant was foisted on us without any environmental impact assessment. The upcoming Sampur plant is even worse. While volumes have been written on the folly of investing in coal as the energy source of a nation and the public and environmental health risks they bring. We have borrowed huge sums of money to create the problem prone Norochcholai coal fired power plant in an area that will ensure that the South West winds will carry the resulting polluting gasses over the NCP and blanket Dambulla, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
Why coal?
As a recent report on coal states: "Air pollution from Coal fired power plants is varied and contributes to a significant number of negative environmental and health effects. When coal is burned to generate electricity, the combustion releases a combination of toxic chemicals into the environment, and thus the human body. A November 2009 report on the effects of coal by the Physicians for Social Responsibility found that coal combustion affects not only the human respiratory system, but also the cardiovascular and nervous system".
The public health and environmental watchdogs of Sri Lanka seem to have been asleep to these issues. What coal-powered power plants bring to one county they will certainly bring to another! This then will be the legacy that those who promoted and benefitted from dirty coal fired power plant will bring to the people of the NCP already suffering from an epidemic of poisoning through agrotoxins So, crying about the fate of farmers suffering from heavy metal poisoning through cheap fertilizer and agrotoxins, while ignoring the huge health burden being brought about by the coal fired power plants seems very cynical. (See Fig 1).
There are two sinister demons lurking in the gasses that emit from coal-fired power plants. After an intensive study, the U.S. Geologic Survey analysis indentifies that an important component of acid rain comes primarily from coal-fired power plants and industry, often hundreds of miles upwind (See Fig 2).
These gasses are:
Sulphuric acid which is formed the by conversion of sulphur dioxide emitted from power stations, melting processes, home fires, car exhausts and other sources. It contributes about 70% to the overall acidity of deposition.
Nitric acid, which is formed from nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from fossil fuel combustion. It contributes about 30% to the overall acidity of deposition.
Their effects on the environment range from deteriorating human breathing disorder (asthma, bronchitis, lung oedema) to choking plant leave pores (forest loss) to affecting soil and water chemistry to Corroding stone and brick walls of buildings and monuments.
When people die of acid deposition it is usually caused by excess mucous production in the bronchi, leading to chocking from a lack of oxygen, or a heart attack. A 2011 report by the American Lung Association found that coal-fired power plants produce more hazardous air pollution in the United States than any other industrial pollution sources. A 2004 report by the Clean Air Task Force estimated that soot pollution from power plants contributes to 24,000 premature deaths, 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks, and tens of thousands of hospital visits and asthma attacks each year.
As if this was not enough of a problem demanding national attention. The potential action of these acids on our national patrimony raises nightmares. The action of acid rain on the Parthenon in Athens and the architectural treasures of Venice, as well as numerous stone buildings in the U.S. suggest our future. These treasures are being destroyed steadily by acid rain from upwind power plants and factories.
Does anyone think of the Aukana Buddha, Thanthirimale and Vatadage—history we had brought down for so long? Will it be scarified on the alters of the barbarians? If the Sampur Coal fired power plant ever sees the light of day the pollution will double and cover the area all year round. The Norochcholai plant will pollute the region along the South West winds and the Sampur plant the region during the North East winds. (See Fig 3)
Global Warming is real, Carbon Dioxide increases are real and as we add acidifying gasses to the toxic load in our atmosphere for short term gain in power, the acid rains will also become real and wash our monuments away in the same way that the processes creating these rains, will wash our identity away. If people in power or if the Buddhists of this country who claim loyalty to our Buddhist heritage continue to ignore the need to abandon these monstrosities immediately, history will judge them as the villans who allowed the destruction of our patrimony.