Asbestos and mesothelioma: there are many concerns with the use of fossil fuels. Here is one that we do not generally think about when we drive to the fuel pump.
This article has been donated by the Mesothelioma Center, a US organisation. The facts given relate mainly to the US but also have a wider application. Asbestos and mesothelioma is a "live" issue, which deserves wider recognition.
Some of the original research into mesothelioma and asbestos use in oil refineries was conducted in Italy by Dr Valerio Gennaro. In 1994 his team concluded that
"...pleural mesotheliomas should be considered an occupational disease among oil refinery workers."
The dangerous forms of asbestos found in oil refinery pipework, brake linings and a good many public buildings still continue to pose areat more than a generation after their industrial use was discontinued.
There are 2,000 to 3,000 cases of this horrible disease diagnosed in the US each year.
Here is the article on asbestos and mesothelioma.
Going Green - Good For The Environment, Good For Our Health
The "going green" trend is everywhere, and as consumers, it is very worthwhile to get on board. We may not be able to control many things - the price of gas, the current state of our economy, etc. - but can control the products we buy and how we will use them. For example, we have a choice when it comes to the source of our fuel and energy, and now is a perfect time to consider alternative sources, such as ethanol fuel and solar power for energy.
Reasons to support alternative energy strategies
Why alternative energy? Consider this: the United States is currently home to 150 operational on-shore oil refineries. A vast majority of the fuel we use begins as crude oil that is imported and refined here in these refineries, and although our dependence on U.S. refineries provides a source of income for thousands of Americans, the vast majority of people have noidea of how devastating the environmental and health consequences of utilizing domestic refineries really are. U.S. refineries release millions of pounds of harmful pollutants into the air each year, including mercury,sulfuric acid and benzene, and what is equally disturbing is the amount of deadly asbestos found in every single refinery. Exposure to asbestos has long been connected to the development of , a deadly form of cancer that has no cure.
Old piping poses an increasing risk
The final U.S. refinery was constructed in 1976, a few years before the federal government instituted asbestos usage regulations in an attempt to decrease the harmful health effects of asbestos. Prior to these regulations, asbestos was widely utilized in the form of piping insulation because it was an excellent insulator, and it was the perfect choice for use in oilrefineries because they contained extensive piping systems.
At that time builders and refine...
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