AP Environmental Science

According to environmental groups, Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya will lose their ice covers withing 25 to 30 years.

WHY? Well, deforestation and industrial pollution is not stopped the ice will continue to disappear according to Fredrick Njau of the Kenyan Green Belt Movement. Statistics indicate that 82% or Kilimanjaro’s ice has already been lost over 80 years. Mount Kenya has lost 92% of its ice over 100 years.

RESULTS: “Both mountains are important water catchment areas in Kenya, with many rivers orginating from them. These rivers are major sources of water and powered generated dams.” Specifically 7 rivers depend on Mt. Kenya on which millions of people rely on.

WHATS BEING DONE: The World Bank will buy Kenya’s carbon through the carbon credits program, which gives money to countries who plant new trees. Hopefully the newly planted trees will absorb 800000 tons of carbon before the year 2017. This would help elimate industrial pollution causing the ice to melt, while raising money for Kenya.

The carbon cretdits seem like a really good sollution. I don’t know what type of restrictions are put on factories and such in countries like Kenya, but maybe that should be stricker than what it is now. It seems like the melting ice on the mountains would really affect the people of Kenya and I am surprised that people have not taken a stronger opposition to the deforestation and industrial pollution already. About 85% of both mountains ices have been lost already.

 Warning: Snows of Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya Vanishing       Associated Press  http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/

Toxic waste was illegally dumped off of the Ivory Coast main city Abidjan. Somehow toxic waste on a tanker which was docked at the city’s port excaped and was dumped at 17 different “mostly open-air sites in the lagoon area.” “We have now reached 10 deaths, 102000 (medical) consultations and 70 people have been hospitalized,” according to the helth ministry spokesman Simeon N’Da. Most people who were sick from these toxic wastes were vomiting, and had diarrhea, nosebleeds, and nausea.

The hospitals were packed as residents claimed illness due to the toxic wastes; however, the government supports the position that the numbers are so large because some people just wanted free medicine.

It is still uncertain how the toxic waste was disposed of. Investigations are still underway. The waste was unloaded from the Panamanian-registered Probo Koala which is chartered by Trafigura, a Dutch based oil trader.

The company says that no wrongdoing was committedk, claiming that Tommy, a waste disposal company, was in charge of the slops.

“The company’s director and West Afrcia regional director have been detained in Abidjan and face charges under Ivorian toxic waste and poisoning laws.” As well, the Probo Koala has been impunded in Estonia’s Paldiski port.

At this poing 14 out of the 17 toxic waste sites have been cleaned.

It is really unfortunate that these toxic wastes were disposed of leaving people dead and seriously ill. Whoever did this, whether it was an accident or on purpose, should fess up and take the consequences. I believe whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing because it wasn’t just dumped at one site, it was dumped at 17 sites.

Ivory coast toxic waste death toll rises to 10  BY: Peter Murphy and David Mardiste http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=SA0112&articleID=C22AD21309A726D5666C93E080AC