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America's worst man-made environmental disasters
America's 10 worst man-made environmental disasters
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Gerald Herbert/AP
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marmalade0604
Jan 11 2013 at 4:17 PM
I just read a really plausible novel called The Prophesy Gene and the main characters unravel a number of unintended genetic mutations as a result of the 1980s Aral Sea environmental disaster in Central Asia and the accidental release of a genetically modified strain of anthrax. Some people eat oxen that have grazed on vegetation that has absorbed the anthrax (since soil is where anthrax naturally occurs) and those people's digestive systems irreparably stop working. Most of them suffer a
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slow, painful death. The characters also undercover fungus and viruses hidden in a cave in Northern Canada. They know that they could be released into the air shortly and cause a pandemic, but they also discover that the fungus also consumes carbon dioxide and water and releases hydrocarbons as its waste product, effectively reversing global warming. Unfortunately, though, scientists don't realize this and will probably destroy the fungus because they don't understand it. The book is by Stuart Schooler. His website is www.stuartschooler.com and there is a link to a blog and a YouTube video at http://vimeo.com/53365895.
Alex
Nov 08 2012 at 10:45 PM
What about the contamination of cattle feed with PBB in 1973-74 in Michigan? It is estimated every person in the state was poisoned. 9 million people.
Diana
Sep 04 2011 at 11:13 PM
I find it wrong that you would refer to huracanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc., as disaster. Just because humans die when these happen does not make them a disaster. They are nature being its natural way.
Dawn
Dec 02 2012 at 2:11 AM
Somebody needs to go back to school and pay attention in science on the classification of disasters... It's called geology
Guest
Sep 26 2011 at 5:54 PM
Wrong.
Natural disasters level towns, destroy families, etc. Even if they're natural, it doesn't mean disaster doesn't entail. I'm sure you'd change your mind pretty quickly if you found yourself in one.
Ramanan Malini
Jun 17 2010 at 11:50 AM
If people don't wake up to the presence of the 21st Century's New Messiah we will be dead within 100 years. The time has come to discover whether life means anything, and whether we need to Live or Give Up!
Rockdoctor
Jun 15 2010 at 5:50 PM
I'd add these for your consideration:
1) Introduction oif smallpox and other European diseases to western hemisphere - killed 10's of millions
2) Distruction of western forests, grasslands and buffalo in pursuit of "manifest destiny"
3) Pyrite smelting - Ducktown, TN after 100 years it is still a mess
4) More smelting Sudbury, Ontario - So bad it was used to train the moon walkers
Momof2children
Jun 15 2010 at 11:41 AM
the world is groaning under the weight of us all now...we need to be better stewards of the Earth...we are its caretakers.
The planet is in our hands
As millions of gallons of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico last year — killing wildlife, contaminating waters and threatening the fragile ecosystem — it was hard to determine the worst part of the disaster. But perhaps it was the fact that it was preventable.
Most environmental disasters — earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and wildfires — lie outside human control, but some of the world’s most devastating catastrophes were caused by people. As mankind continues to pursue fuel, food and building materials, we’re polluting ecosystems and destroying the planet we depend on for survival. Here’s a look at the 10 worst man-made environmental disasters in U.S. history. When it comes to environmental destruction, the blood — or oil — is often on our hands. (Text: Laura Moss)
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