Study Finds Mercury Contaminates All Fish Tested

As reported by Bloomberg regarding a press release (see below) on August 19, 2009

From the news release by the Department of Interior:
"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Scientists detected mercury contamination in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the country, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study released today.

About a quarter of these fish were found to contain mercury at levels exceeding the criterion for the protection of people who consume average amounts of fish, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More than two-thirds of the fish exceeded the U.S. EPA level of concern for fish-eating mammals.
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Additional details:
"The USGS studied mercury contamination in fish, bed sediment and water from 291 streams across the nation, sampled from 1998 to 2005. Atmospheric mercury is the main source to most of these streams — coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury emissions in the United States — but 59 of the streams also were potentially affected by gold and mercury mining. Since USGS studies targeted specific sites and fish species, the findings may not be representative of mercury levels in all types of freshwater environments across the United States.

All 50 states have mercury monitoring programs, and 48 states issued fish-consumption advisories for mercury in 2006, the most recent year of national-scale reporting to the EPA. The EPA regulates mercury emissions to air, land and water. In February 2009, the EPA announced that it intends to control air emissions of mercury from coal-fired power plants by issuing a rule under the Clean Air Act.
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Here is a link to the press release.

U.S. Military Understands Climate Change and Peak Oil

Here are some compelling arguments to address peak oil and climate change:

TreeHugger reports on 4/14/10 "US Military: Massive Oil Shortages as Soon as 2015"


Quoting from TreeHugger: "The US military has warned that surplus oil production capacity could disappear within two years and there could be serious shortages by 2015 with a significant economic and political impact ... the cost of crude is predicted to soon top $100 a barrel."

Reuters has the EIA report article.

Environmental News Service has a CNA assessment article about a military panel coming to the same conclusion.

TreeHugger also reports on 2/1/10 "Pentagon Calls Climate Change a Destabilizing Political Force"

Quadrennial Defense Review

Quoting from TreeHugger: Regarding the first, the report says that "climate-related changes are already being observed in every region of the world, including the United States and its coastal waters."

Heavier downpours, rising sea levels, retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, longer growing seasons and ice-free seasons are all listed as presently occurring. These will have "significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributing to poverty, environmental degradation, and further weakening of fragile governments."