DEATH IN GEORGIA

An echo of Bhopal is being heard this week in Georgia, where a strange, onion-like smell has pervaded neighbourhoods around Philips Service Corp. Whilst still not sure what it is, some are naming n-propyl mercaptan as the culprit, a compound in the thiol group.

As yet no human fatalities have occurred, but smaller animals are dying; residents report that the birds have stopped singing.

A comment posted on the citizen.com site asked: "Where is Erin Brokovich? We definitely need her and her law firm to come here and kick some butt!"

Where is W? Oh, he is spending his time in New Orleans trying to make up for the last year's disaster. Ealier this week a waitress asked him if he was going to turn his back on them.

We are having to ask the same of our leaders, including those entrusted with environmental protection. Names like James Watt come to mind and we know we can not trust them (and neither could the US Justice Department).

In the UK there are many questions about what is really going on, remember, John Prescott was once entrusted with the environment, so it makes one wonder. Are they just sitting there at the top taking bribes? Look at David Miliband's support of GM; then ask him if he knows anything about hemp (a comment about hemp on his blogspot was deleted earlier this month).

Switch channels over to the Food Standards Agency and look at the tests they have conducted on cod liver oil, which led them to recall a number of brands for having PCBs and dioxins. Yet, cod liver oil is VAT exempt as a nutritional supplement, whilst hemp seed oil is taxed, at 17.5%.

On top of that, much of this oil is coming from abroad, thus effectively hurting the British economy. Is it that the fish lobby is exerting influence on UK politicians to act against the health and economic well-being of the UK?

I hope the chemical spill in Georgia does not take a turn for the worse. Bhopal is still recovering from its tragedy, in part brough about by officials who were allowing the chemical companies to get away with murder. Better to be a thorn in their side than die from their negligence. I might have gotten a hostile response from MP Barry Gardiner's press person when I asked that he be interviewed about hemp earlier today, but so what? We've seen what we get when we let them go unchecked. I am happy to make thwart their efforts to be negligent and sell out to corporate influence. What I would be unhappy about is doing nothing and then having reason to complain. Or being dead from n-propyl mercaptan, dioxins or any of the other harmful chemicals they are allowing to be used.