Comments on: White House Excludes EPA From Hurricane Response Task Force

By: Frenkee

Frenkee — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 18:57:42 +0000

The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has often exceeded 60,000 kmÂ². It’s the main factor behind the exponentially increasing shark attacks.

Those are mostly due to fertilisers, which nourish algae, which in turn consume all the dissolved oxygen, making areas deadly to fish. Adding poison to the mix might just restore the balance :p

By: Quicksilver ×›×¡×¤×™×ª

Quicksilver ×›×¡×¤×™×ª — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 23:48:27 +0000

Ten days after hurricane Katrina: interim critique

Ten days ago the hurricane struck. I see three broad areas of criticism about the hurricane Katrina disaster: I) Preparation, II) Response, and III) Political smoke and mirrors. Here I am leaving aside the painful social justice questions. What needs t…

By: Greg Kuperberg

Greg Kuperberg — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 07:17:24 +0000

Even after the hurricane, there is an attitude in Washington that the environment is a Democrat.

By: slanted tom

slanted tom — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 22:04:49 +0000

Don’t forget that the floodwaters in New Orleans are being pumped into Lake Ponchatrane and any contaminants will find their way into the Gulf of Mexico.
Isn’t the Gulf already very polluted causing dead areas in some places?

By: thor

thor — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:50:19 +0000

If you will recall, we went through similar things at 9/11.

There were many reports of health risks at ground zero, such as massive airborne asbestos exposure, which were entirely swept under the rug.

(And let’s not even mention the use of depleted uranium in Iraq)

I don’t recall if the EPA was excluded from 9/11 operations.

By: thor

thor — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:43:16 +0000

Now, it’s not at all a bad thing in the world of framing to get people to conflate SPORTSMAN/FISHERMAN=ENVIROMENTALIST.

This kind of thing plays pretty well with the western democrats. Getting this to catch on in the south would do wonders in the red states.

By: Bob Rebert

Bob Rebert — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:30:41 +0000

Where is the impact study for this? I’m concerned about the salamanders fragile ecosystem being destroyed by evil George!

By: Brainwidth

Brainwidth — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 16:27:44 +0000

Where is All the Water Going?

The breach in the 17th Street levee has now been repaired, and the pumps have been turned back on. However, it will take at least 75 days to pump all the water out of New Orleans, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Where is the water going? A…

By: Plato

Plato — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:33:30 +0000

….and on and on….a smoke screen.

Science can be refuted from the original assessment?:)

Just got to know where to begin, and not the other way around. Focus, and stop Latching on too more smoke and mirrors.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:07:35 +0000

I hear this is all EPA’s fault anyway…

On Fox News, I just saw an official from Louisiana (I didn’t catch the name or office) blame the inadequacy of the levees on sport fishermen, whom he referred to as ENVIRONMENTALISTS. Apparently, ENVIRONMENTALISTS opposed strengthening the levees since it would have interfered with sport fishing! Get ready for your conservative backlash against the environment and other useless liberal priorities…

By: Plato

Plato — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 15:06:29 +0000

It is hard to remain neutral in terms of the political biase we might have?

To see the distinctive evidence in terms of science and information, cannot be rejected, if these things are presented. It’s just the plain facts that leave a taste in ones mouth. Destroy’s our biases and leaves us with the idea, of what can be changed or what will needed to be changed in the future.

I have witness this same rejection of science from agenda because of the affront it could cause to methods employed. These are good indicators, that in light of the science, the truth shall not be set free. Then of course, the idea of religious dogma, over sound judgement makes it’s way into our conversations, and all kinds of wonder about the basis of decisions amidst the public views.

Is there a deeper root cause of such descisions that we are not privy too? Then it might be reduced to capitalistic valuation over top of loss of life? Can capitalistic valuation over ride socially dominated societies. You bet it can.

By: Crooked Timber » » Documenting the atrocities

Crooked Timber » » Documenting the atrocities — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 13:16:17 +0000

[...] Risa Wechsler at Cosmic Variance The White House has convened a Cabinet-level task force in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that does not include EPA … One source with the government watchdog group OMB Watch says the administration was “short sighted by not including [EPA] right away,” saying it is likely that toxic material, human waste and other contaminants released as as a result of the hurricane are polluting the area and threatening public health. The source speculates that the White House excluded EPA from the task force because of a fear that agency staff may find politically damaging information, similar to what happened in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, when EPA was critical of the administration’s response to the environmental contamination caused by the terrorist attacks. [...]