The three Ps of polluting
Polluters Pay for Polluting
I am reminded of a party I attended at Bob Rutherford's home over 65 years ago on the corner of Brookhurst and Cerritos Avenue in Anaheim , California.
One of the guest was Dr. Bruce Halstead, who was to gain fame a few years later with the publication of his monumental 3 volume 1500 page work
"Dangerous and Verminous Marine Animals of the world." Dr. Hallstead had just returned from a trip to Minamata Japan where there had been an emergence of a strange undetectable un treatable neurological affliction which for the lack of a better term was simply known at that time as the "Minamata disease. "
It was so very debilitating, equally affecting juveniles and adults with similar symptoms, loss of body functions, ambulation. speech, hearing. sight- especially affected was the new born .
After much top level investigation by World Health Organization (WHO) and Japanese officials the culprit was determined to be the Chizzo company who had began dumping mercury into the bay which had found its way via the "Etonian Pyramid" to the food chain of the local populace.
The dumping was stopped immediately but the damage was done- The entire populace and generations into the future of Minamata residences had been horribly affected.
American photojournalist Eugene Smith and his wife Alene produced a book simply titled
"Minamata" which opened the eyes of the world the tragic damage a small amount of discarded chemicals can have on a population. I acquired the book and owned it for a number of years - every time I opened it I was shocked at the photographs and reminded that for the grace of God go I and my family.
In the 1960s to 1970s there was a number of SoCal dive personages who produced on a yearly dive programs which were presented to dive clubs,. civic and service clubs- One of my more popular programs which I still have in slide format is "Minamata - the effects of pollution" which was based on Smiths book
Some years later Dr. Halstead and I were catching up on life during a professional meeting and the subject of pollution came up. The good Doctor was shocked to learn that I was still harvesting and consuming inshore sea food which at that time was so abundant off Laguna Beach - oysters, clams, scallops, abalone and fin fish-- I immediately ceased !
@Bruce Justinen I would suggest that you goggle and acquaint your self with Dr. Halstead's work
"Dangerous and Verminous Marine Animals of the world." and especially
"Minamata disease. " and the great book on the effects of pollution by Eugene Smith
"Minamata" as well as the effects of lead in the water..
Pollution no matter how much or how little can be accumulative and is of great concern for the continued health of this great nation
Polluters Pay for Polluting but also remember Pollution Affects the Populace
Sam Miller, III