Air quality

Mass storage is always a target for the lunatics. Have you got an arson detector unit? If not I fear you lamentations will go unappreciated until you can come up with one.

Arson is the icing on the cake, the whole plastic recycling dump was illegal. Not to worry about the lamentations, I don't expect appreciation, I do it for fun.

Again I must stress the need for vigilance. How did a illegal dump appear in the first place. Why wasn't it reported to the appropriate authorities and if it was why was action not taken against the dumpers? It would appear you are suffering from apathy and selfishness and an acute dose of criminality. Shoot a few offenders - and the rest will take care of itself.

The BBC report that the Environment Agency said: "Hanbury Plastics Recycling (Stoke) Ltd operated the site at Redhills Lane and it is an illegal waste site.

"We instructed the company to remove the waste, which went from a peak of around 10,000 tons to about 1,500 tons at the time of the fire."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-38878262

It's a longer story, with toxic twists and turns, as these things often are, but, broadly speaking, that's it. 'Authorities' that are supposed to protect the public from toxic dumps and toxic fires are either underfunded or otherwise not up to the job. If the Environment Agency fails to protect the environment, it should bring legal proceedings against itself and impose a heavy fine on itself, that's it's job.

The company directors should now be charged with criminal dumping and causing environmental pollution with its toxic waste. They should be given a prison sentence, banned from operating any such company again and fined for the whole cost of the removal and cleaning up of the site. The judgement should include for further prison if the fines are not paid or any of the rulings are breached in the future. You will not stop these 'crooks' (for that is what they are) if insufficient sanctions are not made. The law is too weak or isn't being applied. As for the Environmental Agency it is underfunded and doesn't possess sufficient resources or clout to keep pace with modern day life and its weaknesses.

The business of dealing with toxic waste needs to be more carefully and heavily regulated than 'ordinary' buinesses, obviously because of the effect on the public when it goes wrong. It isn't just a financial consideration.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/108458/only-6pc-people-in-the-north-west-think-their-air-quality-is-bad-despite-toxic-levels-of-air-pollution-in-the-region

It seems very few people, six% in the north-west think the air they breathe is 'bad'. Technically it is quite bad, it's a matter of perception, what people are used to etc. On a day to day basis, traffic fumes are probably the most immediate air pollutant, and that can be very localised.

We did what was possible with the 'Clean Air Acts' in the 1960's and slowly reduced the industrial pollutions in the air and the rivers. The increase in traffic (1,000%) couldn't be surmounted and so it is no surprise that the levels have gone back up for air pollutants. Remove the diesels and replace with electric and hydro. Again it can only be accomplished through legislation whereby there will be winners and losers. Toxic fires through bad practices is again a legislative process - the fines and incarcerations should be tougher and steps will have to be taken as regards storage and timely recycling. There are no quick fixes. Man is his own worst enemy -.

Humanity's ingenuity is a double edged sword. Advances in technology bring problems as well as benefits. As knowlege and technology advance, it becomes apparent many of the products we use cause serious long term damage to us.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/108417/exposure-to-certain-insecticides-linked-to-childhood-behavioural-difficulties-research-suggests

This correlation has been known and discussed for the last few decades. Research hasn't been able to make a safe and acceptable diagnosis regarding it all. Personally I have always been convinced that the upsurge in asthmas and allergies is down to the use of home and garden and land chemical sprays or wipes - ever since DDT - and that 'too clean' and 'too bacteria free' is a very bad thing for our environment as we were never supposed to 'live' in such a bug-free world. (None of this should be related to viruses). As with the over-use of anti-biotic s and the consequent viral changes in the viruses themselves making the anti-biotic useless so to the over-use of anti-bacterial s many of which are vital for our ongoing health. Too clean is a bad thing. As for the chemicals themselves attacking the nerves and brain actions - I would say it certainly isn't helping and their use should be banned in favour of GM cropping a.s.a.p. To my mind the stomach can handle anomalies far better than the brain as that is what it was made for.

Yes, we eat GM crops without any apparent ill effect. Traditionally, people tend to think of a poison as something you eat or drink that hurts your 'tummy'. And of course this is to be avoided, however, due to advances of technology, cleverly synthesised chemical products inadvertently containing poisons are just as likely these days to be in the air, in sprays, in plastics, paints, cosmetics, containing usually small but repeated doses of nerve agents, carcinogens, solvents and hormone disruptors, absorbed through the skin and via the environment.

To some people, this is old news, but it would be good if more people were wary of using toxic products, then there would be less of them in the environment, the water cycle, the food chain etc.

Todays' toxic recycling fires are all to the south, so far -one in South Wales, of two thousand tonnnes of "rubbish" burning at a recycling plant. (They have a fire there once a year.)
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/two-thousand-tonnes-rubbish-fire-12684675

An "inferno" at a recycling plant in Devon.
http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/exeter-fire-at-marsh-barton-huge-operation-to-fight-blaze-at-devon-contract-waste-recycling-centre/story-30174149-detail/story.html

And, firefighters have managed to put out a "severe" recycling fire in the West Midlands.
http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2017-03-01/severe-fire-put-out-at-recycling-plant/

The problem we have is oncoming generations and education of the same. Put against the constant bombardment of the advertiser the uninitiated public has no chance leading as they do such a scramble for life and little time for 'education'. An example would be 'Old Spice' one of the first mass market products of our generation and - did anyone question what was in it? Of course not. It made one smell nice and possibly attractive to the opposite sex so 'splash it all over' and bugger the consequences -???????? Legislation required world wide to remove any and all know 'possible' harmful chemicals in all personal and domestic products - and now watch the pigs flying overhead -. The educated avoid them if at all possible the rest slowly poison themselves - and so it goes on.

Chemical/industrial fires - down to storage problems. Again legislation to stop mass storage which in turn will increase the costs of recycling. Arson - quite another problem but without mass storage the problem will decrease a little. We live in a dangerous world made all the more-so by our advancement in technologies. There is always a cost to everything we do - but you know what - we keep increasing by the billion every three to four years. So more fodder for the 'man-traps' and don't worry about ever running out of 'fodder'. Welcome to my world if you have only just arrived.

We did in the 50's in Rochdale almost every winter when the smogs came. Not that the Martindale masks were any good but it did stop some of the filth both coming in and going out as one got totally pissed off as the mask got wetter and wetter -. Clean Air Act 1962 stopped most of it as the mills closed down and the industries fell away. The road pollution was always known about and not considered too bad - but of course the roads had far less transport on them in those days. Spaghetti junction at Birmingham was always in the news even in those days for its gross pollution - so nothing is new and nothing has really changed and we continue to die from crap in the air. Its part of today's great canvas of 'life' in the 21st century. Never mind - as long as we can keep the terrorist wars in other people's countries one must consider it a boon that we only have dirt in the air and not shrapnel.

Very true. It impresses me how unaware many people seem to be about traffic fumes, you see people clustering around heavy fumes, dragging their children with them; and 'town planning' as if air pollution didn't exist. Perhaps some are more aware of it more recently?

All governments have been aware of the problem for decades but it doesn't do to keep the 'plebs' informed and to do so would cost a lot of money. Better a few thousand die - it's cheaper. But it comes as no surprise to my generation who tried to tackle it in the first place and at least got some of the crap away elsewhere. The silly part about it is the reality of the situation whereby the world is always going to have some 'forms' of detrimental environmental problems to contend with. Rid the air of fossil-fuel contaminants to find we have stuffed it full of chemical contaminants or viral or bacterial or man-made quantum physical elements. We are, and always will be, our own worst enemy as we strive to conquer the universe and beyond. Man is simply a tool for the use of -.

Todays' recycling fire is on Merseyside, again.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-39217746
Large plume of smoke etc.

Yes I know - we have another here in South Wales - had five fires there in five years - and so it goes on.

Is that the recyling fire at in Llandow that's been burning over a week? That's a long time, perhaps it's a lot of compressed plastic? People have had to move out of their houses, businesses going down. I wonder if employees are forced to carry on working at the nearby business park.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-39238494

If the recycling firms who have these fires were forced to pay compensation to those affected, they might get better at fire prevention.

And therein lies the rub - - - . Government legislation flags lamentably well behind the good intent. Recycling without adequate safeguards and sanctions - so what's new???? I believe that the South Wales fires have recently hit the news here and pollution from open-cast mining and that the residents have now got UN backing for 'actions' to be taken this day - - - - - . Which particular day that was and if it was only for a day remains a little obscure - I suspect that's all the smoke clouding the issues. We shall have to wait and see - when it all clears - - phew - - .

Carefully sorted and collected recycling being burned en masse so reguarly with massive thick plumes of toxic black smoke across the land is making recycling look pretty pointless.

It's cycling without the 're-'. Not an entirely new innovation and one that everybody did in my younger days -'cause we had open fires instead of central heating. Now it is being collected and burned wholesale in order to reduce the stockpiles and garner the insurance payouts (premiums going up are discounted in heavier collection charges applied) and everyone , other than local residents, are not unduly concerned. You may consider this explanation as frivolous - and it is - however it is also true. Which makes the whole thing ludicrous. A bit like 'life' really. But as we are not here long enough to make a substantial difference the 'game' goes on.

A sort of 'crash for cash' scam? Spending other people's health and lives for insurance payouts, on an industrial scale.

Most certainly. The only thing that is new in this 'manipulation' of the overheads is the double affrontry of the smile and plaudits welcomed by the participants for their 'save the planets resources' schemes whilst they secure ways of legal disposal (accidents or natural ) and keep down their essential outgoings. It's not rocket science and very difficult to expose by the authorities. A massive pile of rubbish is bound to attract areas of self-combustion under almost any circumstances. The only answer would be to restrict and cordon off each daily 'collection' thus reducing 'accidents' and heavily fine for breaches and 'accidents' consequently occurring. It would then become 'unaffordable' both in time, area/space, and policing and not such as lucrative a business as before. So what's the answer -. Is there one? -- Discuss ---.

Where do people learn these pyrotechnic business methods, do they go to evening classes?

From people like me. And yes. The evenings and early dawns are the best times to render unto Caesar that which is Caesars' - or to put it another way - that which should always be the final analysis when making insurance payments on a regular basis. Never pay in more than you draw -. Or in another parlance - Instituting a Jewish stock-take. Simples really -