Chemicals in our everyday lives affecting us before we're even born?

 Staff, The CNN Wire, and CNN Medical News Producer Stephanie Smith. "Everyday Chemicals May Be Harming Kids, Panel Told." CNN. Cable News Network, 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2013

               After reading this article I want to do something to stop all of this pollution that humans are putting into the air but that would require me to throw away all of my basic needs including wants! I feel that some of this can be prevented though. According to CNN, only 5 products have been banned by the Toxic Substance Control Act in 37 years; resulting in people going to the store, buying a cleaner for example, going home and cleaning with it, then releasing unwanted chemicals in the air that we breathe in. All of this is causing problems with humans before they’re even born. Research has been done to prove that babies come into this world ‘pre-polluted’ because they breathe and eat what their mother does. Also research has found a negative correlation between higher chemical levels in a mother’s umbilical cord to the baby causes lower IQ scores. Hopefully a law can be passed to get rid of some unwanted chemicals and start banning ones before it can be released!   

Taconite Mining UPDATE

"Wis. GOP Set to Roll Mining Bill - WEAU.com - WEAU 13 News - News and Sports - Eau Claire and La Crosse." WEAU RSS. WEAU, 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2013

      There has been an update on the Taconite Mining issue. Voting is going to take place starting this week! Legislature’s budget committee-Monday (Today!), Senate-Wednesday, The Assembly-First week of March, and the Republican leaders in the assembly are shooting for March 6th. If this bill is passed and this industry goes on with their project it could affect our water resources and drive Wisconsinites out of their own homes. This bill shouldn’t even be considered. When it’s your home or state being ruined you take an offense but these people from this big corporation don’t care; they’ll rip up our land and leave. All to create jobs and get a couple paper clips. Random people from all over are going to show up to work at these mines not making jobs for us.. At least Scott Walker backs the proposal bill.

Quirmbach, Chuck. "Business Group Speaks Up For Taconite Mine." WPRNews.org. Wisconsin Public Radio, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2013

              

         Today the Taconite debate continues, the state’s largest business group got together and discussed whether the mine should go through or not. The opposed bill will be brought up to the state capital soon. The DNR is not sure how much this will affect our environment and how. A study to determine the impact Northern Wisconsin would take around $20 million dollars! Do we want our beautiful Northern Wisconsin made into mines and take the risk of it affecting our Great Lakes and our precious water?? They say it will create a lot of jobs which is always needed but now everybody has to vote; their environment or jobs that will only last for a couple years then just be left in ruins.

Environment

           When getting on the subject of environment there’s a lot to talk about; from recycling, oil, chemicals, ozone layer, destruction of land, water, etc. I think that people don’t think about how much everything in their daily lives effects the environment. It’s 11 A.M. and I can name three things I’ve done today that effected the environment in a bad way; one being that I used hairspray this morning which released chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) into the air, biting away at the ozone layer one molecule at a time. I’m not much of an outdoors person but I do enjoy the beauty of landscape. One recent issue that really gets under my skin is the Taconite Mining that people want to do in the Penokee Range up North, WISCONSIN. There are miles of beautiful trees, waterfalls, land, animals homes that they want to ruin for a couple paper clips. The reason I get so worked up about this is because it has been a tradition every year for my family to go camping up North at Madeline Island. I’ve never been to the Penokee Range, it’s a little west of where I go every year, but pictures I’ve seen look just as beautiful as Bayfield and Madeline Island. Another interesting fact about the taconite mining is that a bill just came through congress saying that if they follow through with the mining any houses in the way or water damage (most likely will happen) is not their fault. Most likely people are going to be forced of their homes. The rivers they want to destroy as well are the main water ways to our great lakes. I fear the day when we destroy every beautiful piece of land and are left with ruin of dirt and mines. Slowly but surely it’s happening; people need to open their eyes and fight back for beauty of our environment.