This is from The San Francisco Chronicle ~
The fallout of industrialization has been detected in the forests of the western United States, where some of the country's most pristine sanctuaries are apparently coated with dangerous levels of toxic chemicals.
A federal study released this week found surprisingly high concentrations of 70 contaminants, including mercury and a wide variety of pesticides. The pollution was found in the air, snow, lakes, on plants and in the fish at 20 national parks and monuments, including Yosemite.
The six-year, $6 million study by the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several other federal agencies was the first attempt to measure the affect of airborne contaminants on the ecosystem of national forests.
The mostly man-made toxic substances were apparently spewed into the atmosphere and wafted down like gas into the wild forests of Alaska, remote portions of the Rockies and the redwoods of California.
"It's a fundamental law of nature that what goes up comes down," said Colleen Flanagan, an ecologist for the National Park Service Air resources Division, who admitted that she and the other scientists did not expect to find the amount of contaminants they found.
"The sky isn't falling, but it's a wake-up call."
A federal study released this week found surprisingly high concentrations of 70 contaminants, including mercury and a wide variety of pesticides. The pollution was found in the air, snow, lakes, on plants and in the fish at 20 national parks and monuments, including Yosemite.
The six-year, $6 million study by the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several other federal agencies was the first attempt to measure the affect of airborne contaminants on the ecosystem of national forests.
The mostly man-made toxic substances were apparently spewed into the atmosphere and wafted down like gas into the wild forests of Alaska, remote portions of the Rockies and the redwoods of California.
"It's a fundamental law of nature that what goes up comes down," said Colleen Flanagan, an ecologist for the National Park Service Air resources Division, who admitted that she and the other scientists did not expect to find the amount of contaminants they found.
"The sky isn't falling, but it's a wake-up call."
Go to the SF Gate to read the entire story
1 comments:
our present government does not see these lands as off limits but just as a resource to use later.
these lands are ours and should coveted as such. Without them being healthy we have thrown away their most essential purpose......
the passing on of knowledge through experience.
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