Thursday, March 25, 2010

The World's Largest Body Of Fresh Water: Recent Battle

97% of the water on the earth is ridden with salt that is undrinkable unless treated with enormous amounts of energy and money. Of the other 3% that is fresh water, 20% of that is located in the Southern region of Siberian Russia at Lake Baikal.

With 1,700 species of animals not found anywhere else in the world and with that percentage of fresh water, you would think that we would care for it.



Interestingly enough:



"Baykalsk Pulp and Paper Mill was constructed in 1966, directly on the shore line, bleaching paper with chlorine and discharging waste into Baikal. After decades of protest, the plant was closed in November 2008 due to unprofitableness. In March 2009 the plant owner announced the paper mill would never reopen. However, on 4 January 2010 the production was resumed. On 13 January 2010 Vladimir Putin introduced changes in the legislation legalizing the operation of the mill, which brought about a wave of protests of ecologists and local residents." (S)


4 comments:

Tucker Hunter said...

I love you...still.

a. said...

because Russia is a country of absurd almost in any sphere (believe me, i live here)

Zach said...

I think you will appreciate this. A library of water in Iceland.

http://www.libraryofwater.is/flash/main.html

Pete Halupka said...

LA, most countries are behaving absurdly as of late.


Zach- Roni Horn is one of my favorite artists but I had never seen this, thank you.