Amerika

His ranch is four miles downwind of large industrial plants that spew tons of carcinogens and other toxic substances into the air. Mumme and other ranchers in Point Comfort suspect the factories are contributing to the ill health of their cattle.

Tests have revealed that herds as far as six miles downwind of the factories have more DNA disturbances than other herds not downwind, according to scientists at Texas A & M University. The changes in chromosome structure and other genetic damage can increase the animal’s risk of cancer and reproductive damage.

At the request of local ranchers, the researchers collected white blood cell samples from 21 herds within an 11-mile radius of the industrial facilities. Because of the strong, steady wind from the southeast, researchers expected that if Formosa Plastic Corp. was the main culprit, cattle located downwind or northwest from the industrial complex would show larger genetic disturbances.

The results “provided a strong indication of increased damage” in herds downwind of the industrial complexes, according to the study, published in January in the science journal Ecotoxicity.

Scientific American

I can’t understand why conservatives deny how important these issues are.

Sure, global warming is a liberal flag-waver… but if they’re right, why not act on it?

Or even more: maybe global warming is just one part of a larger process where humans being selfish are wrecking this earth.

Conservatives, when they fail, are directly selfish; liberals are indirectly selfish, using unselfishness/altruism as an argument for their own purity of intent.

Let’s stop playing the childish games and fix the problems. It won’t hurt as much as blowing them off.