Thad Allen, of course, denies that the delay was prompted by the White House. Give me a break, is anyone going to blame their boss for an idiotic decision? Absolutely not. Allen is going to fall on his sword for the so-called "White House". This disaster is growing every day and every day we are given more hope that mysteriously fades into the darkness.
I know I can't be the only person on this planet that has watched the live feed from the bottom of the gulf and doubted the validity of the images we are seeing. Just this week, on all the networks there was a sigh of relief that the cap was in place and the gushing oil was nowhere in camera view. It seemed to be stopped, but now it's like that never happened. We should forget that cumulative shout of relief that was resounding from the gulf coast states. I honestly believe we are perceived as mindless fools that will sit by and allow our environment be destroyed without a fight. Now once again the so-called live feed is producing images of thousands of barrels of oil emitting from the well head.
Oh but wait, this is just a one day delay and by the end of today the cap will be in place and all will be back to normal in the gulf. Sure, and tomorrow there will be another delay and another and another. While all the delays are happening we are all at risk of being destroyed. Just yesterday we were finally told why the dispersant (Corexit) is being distributed under water, not just on the surface and not just on shore. It seems the rumors we have heard about the huge amount of methane gas that is present in the waters is actually a tremendous threat. BP or Washington or our military or NATO or NOAA or whoever is in charge, is so concerned about the methane that they are pouring millions of gallons of Corexit under the sea to try to keep us all from literally blowing up.
Arsenic: Arsenic exposure plays a key role in the pathogenesis of vascular endothelial dysfunction as it inactivates endothelial nitric oxide synthase, leading to reduction in the generation and bioavailability of nitric oxide. In addition, the chronic arsenic exposure induces high oxidative stress, which may affect the structure and function of cardiovascular system. Further, the arsenic exposure has been noted to induce atherosclerosis by increasing the platelet aggregation and reducing
fibrinolysis. Moreover, arsenic exposure may cause arrhythmia by increasing the QT interval and accelerating the cellular calcium overload. The chronic exposure to arsenic upregulates the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule and vascular endothelial growth factor to induce cardiovascular pathogenesis.
Cadmium: Cadmium has no constructive purpose in the
human body. Cadmium and its compounds are extremely
toxic even in low concentrations, and will
bioaccumulate in organisms and
ecosystems
Chromium: It is more toxic in larger amounts.
Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is toxic and
carcinogenic, so that abandoned chromium production sites need
environmental cleanup.
Copper: In sufficient amounts, copper salts can be poisonous to higher organisms as well. However, despite universal toxicity at high concentrations, the Cu
2+ ion at lower concentrations is an essential trace
nutrient to all
higher plant and animal life.
Lead: Lead is a poisonous metal that can damage nervous connections (especially in young children) and cause blood and brain disorders. Like
mercury, another
heavy metal, lead is a potent
neurotoxin that accumulates in soft tissues and bone over time.
Lead poisoning was documented in
ancient Rome,
ancient Greece, and
ancient China.
Mercury: Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world mostly as
cinnabar (
mercuric sulfide), which is the source of the red pigment
vermilion, and is mostly obtained by reduction from cinnabar. Cinnabar is highly toxic by ingestion or inhalation of the dust.
Mercury poisoning can also result from exposure to soluble forms of mercury (such as
mercuric chloride or
methylmercury), inhalation of mercury vapor, or eating fish contaminated with mercury.
Nickel: Exposure to nickel metal and soluble compounds should not exceed 0.05 mg/cm³ in nickel equivalents per 40-hour work week. Nickel sulfide fume and dust is believed to be
carcinogenic, and various other nickel compounds may be as well.
Nickel carbonyl, [Ni(CO)
4], is an extremely toxic gas. The toxicity of metal carbonyls is a function of both the toxicity of the metal as well as the carbonyl's ability to give off highly toxic
carbon monoxide gas, and this one is no exception. It is explosive in air.
Sensitized individuals may show an
allergy to nickel affecting their skin, also known as
dermatitis. Sensitivity to nickel may also be present in patients with
pompholyx. Nickel is an important cause of contact allergy, partly due to its use in jewellery intended for
pierced ears.
[43] Nickel allergies affecting pierced ears are often marked by itchy, red skin. Many earrings are now made nickel-free due to this problem. The amount of nickel which is allowed in products which come into contact with human skin is regulated by the
European Union. In 2002 researchers found amounts of nickel being emitted by 1 and 2
Euro coins far in excess of those standards. This is believed to be due to a
galvanic reaction. It was voted
Allergen of the Year in 2008 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
Zinc: The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that zinc damages nerve receptors in the nose, which can cause
anosmia. Reports of anosmia were also observed in the 1930s when zinc preparations were used in a failed attempt to prevent
polio infections. On June 16, 2009, the FDA said that consumers should stop using zinc-based intranasal cold products and ordered their removal from store shelves. The FDA said the loss of smell can be life-threatening because people with impaired smell cannot detect leaking gas or smoke and cannot tell if food has spoiled before they eat it.
Recent research suggests that the topical antimicrobial zinc pyrithione is a potent
heat shock response inducer that may impair genomic integrity with induction of
PARP-dependent energy crisis in cultured human
keratinocytes and
melanocytes.
Cyanide: Many cyanide-containing compounds are highly toxic, but some are not.
Nitriles (which do not release cyanide ions) and hexacyanoferrates (
ferrocyanide and
ferricyanide, where the cyanide is already tightly bound to an
iron ion) have low toxicities, while most other cyanides are deadly poisonous.
Prussian blue, with an approximate formula Fe
7(CN)
18 is the blue of
blue prints and is administered orally as an antidote to poisoning by
thallium and radioactive
caesium-137; the large ferrocyanide anion is an effective getter for heavy monovalent cations. The most dangerous cyanides are
hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and salts derived from it, such as potassium cyanide (KCN) and sodium cyanide (NaCN), among others. Also some compounds readily release HCN or the cyanide ion, such as
trimethylsilyl cyanide (CH
3)
3SiCN upon contact with water and
cyanoacrylates upon
pyrolysis.[
citation needed] The cyanide anion is an
inhibitor of the
enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (also known as aa
3) in the fourth complex of the
electron transport chain (found in the membrane of the
mitochondria of eukaryotic cells). It attaches to the iron within this protein. The binding of cyanide to this cytochrome prevents transport of electrons from
cytochrome c oxidase to oxygen. As a result, the electron transport chain is disrupted, meaning that the cell can no longer aerobically produce
ATP for energy. Tissues that mainly depend on
aerobic respiration, such as the
central nervous system and the
heart, are particularly affected.
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: Some types of organochlorides have significant toxicity to plants or animals, including humans. Dioxins, produced when organic matter is burned in the presence of chlorine, and some insecticides such as
DDT are
persistent organic pollutants which pose dangers when they are released into the environment. For example, DDT, which was widely used to control insects in the mid 20th century, also accumulates in aquatic food chains. Because the body is not able to break down or dispose of it, and it interferes with calcium metabolism in birds, there were severe declines in some bird predator populations. When chlorinated solvents, such as
carbon tetrachloride, are not disposed of properly, they accumulate in groundwater. Some highly reactive organochlorides such as
phosgene have even been used as
chemical warfare agents.
Rachel Carson brought the issue of DDT pesticide toxicity to public awareness with her 1962 book
Silent Spring. While many countries have phased out the use of some types of organochlorides such as the US ban on DDT, persistent DDT, PCBs, and other organochloride residues continue to be found in humans and mammals across the planet many years after production and use have been limited. In
Arctic areas, particularly high levels are found in
marine mammals. These chemicals concentrate in mammals, and are even found in human breast milk. Males typically have far higher levels, as females reduce their concentration by transfer to their offspring through breast feeding.
Just for your info, Sonjay Gupta interviewed a NOAA laboratory scientist who was in charge of the lab that is testing the seafood from the gulf for oil contamination. Dr. Gupta asked the NOAA scientist about the testing procedure for Corexit. "CURRENTLY THERE IS NO TEST FOR COREXIT CONTAMINATION" in the seafood they are reporting is "safe for consumption".
Dr. Sonjay Gupta Interviews NOAA Seafood Testing Lab
Eating gulf coast seafood? How did your Corexit go down and how will you feel when you start hemorrhaging from every orifice of your body? That's what is happening to the spill workers, at least 1,500 of them as reported last week.