Photo Courtesy Of NASA

With so much at stake, corporate interests, bias media, revolving door politicians, and those who follow them are flooding the airwaves with false truths, and flat out propaganda to mislead and confuse the average person. And with almost unlimited funding via large corporate donors, they have made a relentless push to stop environmental action in its tracks. Here are a list of the the most common propaganda talking points they are throwing around these days, and the real truths you can use to counter them.

1. ‘Volcanoes release more Co2 than humans do each year’

This is one of the lamest and easiest to disprove pieces of propaganda that climate change deniers have been using to downplay man’s part in global Co2 emissions. According to the USGS, volcanoes, both above and below the sea release a total of 200 million tonnes of CO2 on average per year. And while that may sound like a huge amount, The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that in 2003, the man made global emissions of Co2 were at 26.8 billion tonnes. That’s right, we spew out over one hundred times as much Co2 per year as all the worlds volcanoes combined. If you want to really blow a deniers mind, after they say that its Volcanoes to blame, make them confirm that they believe volcanoes are able to alter global climate. When they agree that they believe in that, inform them of that fact that they represent less than 1% of man made Co2. Then ask them if they still believe that humans can’t be responsible for global warming if they produce 100 times as much carbon dioxide as the volcanoes.

2. ‘They call it pollution. We call it life’

This talking point about Co2 was used in a series of commercials and op-eds funded by the Competitive Enterprise Institute in 2006 and has become a favorite of climate change deniers ever since. While the CEI may be right in that without Co2, life on our planet would cease to exist. They leave out the fact that carbon dioxide is only good for life at certain levels. Once it goes above a certain ppm, it becomes toxic. If our current level of atmospheric carbon dioxide was increased by 100%, it would result in a constant feeling of drowsiness in those who breathed it. Doubling that again, would result in a narcotic effect on those exposed. And at a concentration of 5-8% it starts to create difficulty breathing, headaches, vision and hearing problems, loss of consciousness, and even death.

3. ‘Scientists predicted global cooling in the 70′s, why should we trust them now?’

The myth that just won’t die. For years now those with their heads buried in the sand have been using this one to try and discredit the current scientific consensus. And much like all the other propaganda, this one holds no water when you look at it closely. While it is true that during the 1970′s there was some talk of global cooling, but it was by no means a consensus. In fact all of it came from a very small number of scientists speculating about possible cooling. They never gave a cause, they never did any major studies, and there was never more than a few dozen reputable scientists who gave it a second thought. The reason this small speculative rumor gained so much attention back then, and still does today is that the media latched onto it like it was the 1970′s version of Y2K.

4. ‘There was record cold temps in _______ this week/year’

The drudge report loves using this one on an almost weekly basis to rile up their followers. Anytime it snows early, or a new record low temperature is recorded, the global warming deniers latch onto it and milk it for all it is worth. Little do they know how uneducated and ignorant they make themselves look to those with even a rudimentary understanding of how weather and global climate differ. And that is the truth of this situation. localized single event weather instances have no relation to long term global temperatures. If they did, Seattle wouldn’t of broken it’s records for both high and low temps over the last twelve months. On the flip side, this also means that a record high temp for one city, state or country also does not equate to proof of global warming either. Frankly, the entire subject needs to die off from both ends of the debate, as it does neither side any good.

5. ‘What about the cooling that took place in the early part of the 20th Century’

Get ready for it deniers, that period of cooling was the result of man made pollution as well. Before the introduction of the clean air act, we released so much particle pollution into the air that we literally were blocking out the suns rays to such a high degree that we lowered the earths temperature 0.2°C. Once we lessened and or banned these forms of pollution, temperatures went back to normal, and also gave us insight into how much our Co2 pollution was warming the planet now that the particle pollution wasn’t masking it.

6. ‘Global Warming Peaked in 1998, It’s Been Cooling Ever Since’

While 1998 was a record year, it was due to multiple factors with an unusually strong El Niño being the main culprit.  On top of that, according to NASA 2005 overtook 1998 as the hottest global temperature, with 2003, 2004, and 2005 trailing right behind 1998. So the trend has in fact kept going, and the notion that 1998 was the end of global warming is entirely a myth propagated by those trying to mislead the general public.

7. ‘NASA lied, 1934 Is Actually The Hottest Year’

As of last year, many global warming deniers started to throw around the year 1934 as the hottest on record. And claim that NASA screwed up their data, or even go as far as to call it a conspiracy. The truth of that is that yes, NASA did screw up, but the 1934 data now claimed as proof that global warming is a scam, is only a half truth. What they fail to mention when they bring up 1934, is that the record temperature was for the lower 48 states only. Meaning that figure represents only 2% of the entire planet. When you look at 1934 globally, it still fits the same time line that the deniers are trying to discredit with this false ‘proof’.

By Mark Johnson

Yes camera’s can be complicated and expensive, but not so much as to warrant using a disposable piece of junk that doesn’t even take good pictures. A point and shoot digital camera can be had for under one hundred bucks these days, and used 35mm film cameras are so hard to sell that many people are giving them away. So you really have no excuse for using a disposable, other than wanting to waste resources and pollute more.

Swiffer

These one use cleaning products ranging from dusters to mops really have become popular with the lazy among us. While they do make cleaning a quick and fairly easy task, they do not clean better than a little elbow grease can do with a wet rag, or an old fashioned mop. Both of which not only cost 10x less, but last for hundreds, if not thousands of uses before having to be replaced.

Disposable Phones

Unless your a drug dealer or terrorist, you have no business throwing your money away and polluting the earth with  disposable cell phones. With all the plastics and toxins used in creating these, they are one of the worst items imaginable for a disposable product.

Non Rechargeable Batteries

This isn’t the 1990′s people, rechargeable batteries have come a really long way the last ten years. For as little as five dollars you can get four packs of high quality double or triple A batteries that will last for hundreds of charges. Which not only makes them better for the environment, but also means massive savings.

Plastic Wrap

That’s right, the magic plastic everyone has come to depend on is also horrible for the environment. It may make life easier, but there are other ways to preserve those leftovers, cover a pie, or secure a freshmen to a flagpole. For food uses, many companies now make alternatives that have elastic edges that can secure a plate or dish and are reusable.

Nonrefillable Pens

This is a product that makes no sense to not buy refillable versions of. The cheap reusable pens are the same price and the same quality as the throwaway ones. And it takes so little effort to change the ink cartridge that even a child could do it. So quit buying bulk packs of disposable pens, and instead buy one pen, and a pack of cartridges.

Styrofoam

We all know how bad this stuff is, we have all heard how long it takes to biodegrade, and yet we keep on using it. Even though there are environmentally friendly, toxin free and recyclable alternatives for food and packaging uses. Sadly, until more cities and states start banning it’s use, you will be hard pressed to avoid this one entirely.

Bottled Water

This multi billion dollar scam of a product has become so popular that we now extract, bottle and ship water thousands of miles just to be able to claim the water you are drinking came from a ‘pure’ source. Most of the companies selling bottled water don’t even source it from an aquifer, but instead get it from a municipal tap. The same tap you use for next to no cost on a daily basis. So just save yourself and the environment a lot of cost, and buy a water purifier, hook it up to your faucet, and enjoy the same quality and taste that the giant corporations tell you can only be had by their overpriced H2o.

Disposable  Audio Books

How anyone would ever consider buying a disposable audio book that costs anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars is beyond me. Nevertheless, they are being sold, and are without a doubt one of the most environmentally unfriendly products ever created.

Shopping Bags

This really has become a hot button issue lately with many cities having banned them, and hundreds more in disucssion about if they should. Proponents of plastic bags argue that they are a nesseciety, and that banning them will only hurt the poor. But the truth of the matter is that all it takes to no longer need them is keeping canvas bags around in your car, backpack or purse when you go shopping. They cost as little as one dollar each, and will last for years. So there really is no reason why anyone shouldnt make the switch today.

By Mark Johnson

The researchers compiled this list based on which cities suffer from the most year-round particle pollution.

Bakersfield, California

Panaramio: John McCall

Pittsburgh/New Castle, Pennsylvania

Panaramio: Vladimir Kharitonov

Los Angeles/Riverside/Long Beach, California

chanceseales.wordpress.com

Visalia/Porterville, California

Panaramio: chsanfino

Birmingham/Hoover/Cullman, Alabama

Panaramio: MatthiasBy

Hanford/Corcoran, California

Panaramio: Kewaneh

Fresno/Madera, California

Panaramio: Chip Stephan

Cincinnati, Ohio

Panaramio: ST314

Detroit/Warren/Flint, Michigan

millenialmayors.org

Cleveland/Akron/Elyria, Ohio

epa.gov

By Elizabeth Wolfe

In 1953, Hooker chemical sold a piece of land that was used as a chemical waste dump to the Niagara falls school district for the purpose of building a school on. Knowing full well of the risks, the school district bought the land for one dollar and agreed to release hooker of all liabilities from the contamination. With the soil disturbed by building,  the entire property, along with residential neighborhoods around it become contaminated causing a plethora of health problems. The contamination at the love canal was the catalyst for the creation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

Minamata disease, Minamata Japan

Starting in 1908 The Chisso Corporation began producing fertilizers in Minamata, and later industrial chemicals such as acetylene and acetic acid. Unfortunately, like most chemical corporations of the era, they drained their waste into the closest body of water. In this case Minamata Bay. in 1956, after many years of dumping their waste, local residents started to come down with a myriad of symptoms ranging from numbness, loss of vision, comas, and even death. Upon investigating the cause of this outbreak, researchers identified mercury poisoning as the cause due to bio accumulation in local sea life that was the primary food source for the local population. Sadly it took 12 years for the Japanese government to finally admit the cause, by which time thousands had been exposed, and many had died. In 2001, the official total of victims had exceeded 2,100 with 1,784  already dead from exposure.

Hanford Nuclear Plant

Combine 1940′s environmental ignorance and the worlds first large scale nuclear power plant, and what you have is a recipe for disaster. As part of the Manhattan project, a secret facility was built in Washington State on the Columbia river to produce the Plutonium for the first atom bombs. During it’s early years, cooling water was drawn into the plant, then after only six hours was released back into the Columbia river. Releasing as much as 50,000 curies per day. On top of that, radioactive waste was released into the air in such large amounts that it spread as far as Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. During the cold war, Hanford was responsible for the majority of the plutonium used for the entire US nuclear arsenal, which resulted in 53 million gallons of radioactive waste that has still yet to be cleaned up.

Bhopal Disaster

In December of 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal India suffered a catastrophic failure that resulted in the release of 42 tonnes of methyl isocyanate gas. Over 2,200 people died that night, with thousands more dying over the next 72 hours. Today, it is estimated that over 25,000 have died from exposure to the gas leak. After many lawsuits, Union Carbide still has not cleaned up the remains of the plant, and close to 400 tonnes of chemicals remain at the facility.

Three Mile Island

On March 29th 1979, a partial core meltdown occurred at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant due to poorly trained staff. Over 13 million curies of radioactive gas were released into the air, making this the largest nuclear disaster in US history. Due to this event, nuclear power plant production in the US came to an almost complete halt, and to this day has not regained the popularity nuclear power once had.

Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill

On the night of December 22nd 2008, the Kingston fossil plants retention pond which contained 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry broke, covering over 300 acres with up to six feet of slurry. Much of it also went down local rivers contaminating the water supply and killing wildlife. As of June of this year, only three percent has been cleaned up, and it is estimated that it could take years, and billions of dollars to remove it all.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

In March of 1989 the Exxon Valdez, a one thousand food long oil tanker struck Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound Alaska resulting in release of 10.8 million gallons of crude oil. As many as 500,000 sea birds, 250 bald eagles, 1,000 otters, 22 orca whales, and billions of salmon died from the spill which in the end covered over 11,000,000 square miles. To this day, wildlife has not recovered, and tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil are still contaminating prince William sound.

Chernobyl

Photo By Carl Montgomery

Without a doubt the worst environmental disaster of all time. Chernobyl released so much radioactive material that it was recorded as far away as Ireland. 56 people died as a direct result of the blast, with conservative figures stating 4,000 will die from cancer. Parts of the ‘zone of alienation’ are the most polluted of any on earth, and can still give off fatal doses of radiation if one was to spend enough time in them. To this day, the reactor has not been decontaminated and poses a serious risk if it was to collapse.

By Mark Johnson

Dzerzinsk, Russia

This city’s residents are now paying the price for chemical waste that was improperly disposed of in the 1930s. The 300,000 tons of chemical waste discarded between 1930 and 1938 have led to an average life expectancy of only 42 years for men and 47 years for women. The water here contains industrial chemicals such as phenol at 17 million times the safe limit.

top-10-list.org

Linfen, China

Located in the Shanxi Province, this city is at the center of China’s coal industry. The air quality is among the worst in the world, and residents claim it is so bad they literally choke on coal dust in the air. The country’s rapid expansion requires huge amounts of coal, meaning there are no plans in sight to improve Linfen.

Blacksmith Institute

Kabwe, Zambia

Once a thriving mining community, this city is now left with the consequences of the mining and smelting of lead that occurred here for almost a century. Safe blood levels of lead are less than 10 micrograms per deciliter and levels higher than 120 mcg/dl often lead to death – concentrations of 200 have been recorded in children in this city.

ecojunk.wordpress.com

Norilsk, Russia

This city, located in the Arctic Circle, is characterized by black snow and air that reeks of sulfur. The world’s largest smelting complex is here, and it emits four million tons of chemicals into the air every year. Foreign visitors are not allowed in Norilsk, following in the Soviet-era tradition of “closing” certain Russian towns for reasons of secrecy.

Blacksmith Institute

Haina, Dominican Republic

Residents of this city, particularly children, suffer from high rates of eye damage, birth deformities, and learning disorders due to lead poisoning from an automobile battery recycling smelter. While the recycling center closed down in 1997, its effects still linger. Such battery re-processing facilities are common in major cities of developing nations, where they often introduce detrimental lead poisoning to the local communities.

iccpurpleclass.blogspot.com

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl is now infamous for the 1986 nuclear disaster that killed 30 people, forced 35,000 to evacuate their homes, and left a 19-mile radius around the plant that is still uninhabitable to this day. The tremendous amounts of radiation released during the meltdown led to skyrocketing rates of thyroid cancer in children in the surrounding area.

Blacksmith Institute

La Oroya, Peru

The children of La Oroya suffer from blood lead levels far over the safe limit, which often leads to mental development problems. The city’s plant life has been destroyed by the acid rain that is caused by excessive sulfur dioxide emissions. This small Andes town has been ravaged by the toxic emissions of an American-owned smelting plant.

Blacksmith Institute

Ranipet, India

The soil and groundwater of Ranipet have been left dangerously polluted by decades of solid waste and runoff from a local factory that manufactures chromium salts, sodium chromate, and a powder used in the leather tanning process. Drinking wells have been abandoned and most crops fail to grow in this region where mere contact with the water causes painful skin lacerations.

Blacksmith Institute

Rudnaya Pristan and Dalnegorsk, Russia

The average child in this area has a blood lead level between eight and 20 times the maximum acceptable amount for a child in the U.S. Thanks to an old (now closed) smelter and improperly transported lead from the local mines, everything from the area’s drinking water to the dust inside homes contains unsafe levels of lead.

ens-newswire.com

Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgystan

A former Soviet uranium plant located in Mailuu-Suu processed more than 10,000 tons of uranium ore between 1946-1968. Some of this material went on the create the Soviet Union’s first atomic bomb. Almost two million cubic meters of radioactive waste now lie in this densely populated and precariously situated region, where residents are twice as likely to suffer from some form of cancer than in the rest of the country. Mudflows, earthquakes, and landslides (all not uncommon occurrences here) constantly threaten to move the toxic waste into rivers and streams, spreading the problem even further throughout the region.

By Elizabeth Wolfe