World Treaty on Toxic Mercury

Are you thinking about having a child? If so you might have mixed feelings of joy and concern as you are considering all the ways your life will change. There a numerous conditions we hope our children do not inherit from cystic fibrosis to diabetes. For many people these are manageable conditions. One unmanageable disease you might not have heard of in your pre-pregnancy planning is Minamata Disease. Why? Because it is a disease that developed in people due to corporate pollution. It is a neurological condition that can be passed to a developing fetus as the result of mercury exposure to the mother leading to physical deformities at birth. A person with the disease can experience tremors, numbing of body parts, seizures, brain damage, blindness, and in many cases death. Unfortunately several thousand people developed this condition in Japan because a fertilizer turned petrochemical company dumped its mercury containing waste in the waterways of villages outside Tokyo. This occurred from the 1920's through the 1960's by the offender the Chisso Corporation and stands as the worst ongoing mercury poisoning of people in our time. You might ask yourself, "why is this important to me?" It is important to you because your child could be inadvertently exposed to mercury through products you purchase not only from Japan or China but in the United States as well. According to the Environmental Protection Agency there are several mercury containing product categories such as dental fillings, vaccine, hospital equipment, lamps, switches, thermostats, lighting, and light bulbs to name a few. Up until a short time ago mercury was added to toys and jewelry and let's not forget those novelty 25 cents toys in vending machines. Mercury is listed as one of the most dangerous chemicals by the EPA, yet all over the world its use is adversely affecting people often unsuspecting of its risks, such as the workers in this video using it in gold mining processes. All countries need to phase out mercury use in our products and production processes so that a disaster like the one in Minamata or the development of neurological conditions from ongoing exposure to mercury containing products do not befall another person. The treaty that is being discussed in Japan addresses only some aspects of mercury use. We need to speak up for citizens in other countries and lead by example as we demand our federal and states agencies pass laws to stop mercury use in our products and recall and recycle mercury through regulatory mechanisms in our hospitals, schools and other places that are supposed to stand for the health, well being and education of our citizens. Read the story here: http://phys.org/news/2013-10-minamata-mercury-treaty-conference-japan.html