An other man made enviormental disaster

[Heretic_Cata]

Yet another reason why Hungary should be razed to the ground.

 

[Rashiminos]

I wonder if any notable changes in Danubian populations will occur in the next few years.

 

[El_Machinae]

I cannot get over the level of spillage involved. The amount of collected & stored waste is amazing. The fact that it could flood is really so scary: you'd think that someone could have realised that there was toxic waste that could result in flooding.

This is the disadvantage of poverty combined with a weak government. As small-government as I am, these types of disasters need to be pre-empted if we're going to thrive in the 21st century.

 

[innonimatu]

Different industrial waste products are different.

The fact that a mine can safely release a certain amount of tailings that will be diluted into the natural environment doesn't mean that a mass spillage of an entirely different substance, which is already described as having killed everything in the river in question, is "no big deal".

Otherwise you'd have to be claiming that cyanide spills at gold mines are "no big deal".

They are a big deal - locally. But the level of international alarm which the media invokes over these things is not justified.

 

[Arwon]

Sure it is. Pictures of torrents of red mud (which might pretty much kill the Danube, no less) are friggin scary. That's compelling news!

 

[GinandTonic]

Volume of the spill seems to be a similar scale to the Gulf oil leak.

 

[Ajidica]

Question: Of the countries further down the Danube, how much of their drinking water is pulled from the Danube?

 

[Lillefix]

I think this is a very informative picture in regards to what actually happened:

How anyone could allow this is beyond me.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

Question: Of the countries further down the Danube, how much of their drinking water is pulled from the Danube?

I think most of the cities close to the Danube take water from it. (and there's PLENTY) The other cities get it from Danube tributaries mainly - so i guess they're safe. My city is next to the Danube-BlackSea channel so we're mostly screwed. But i'm in the 1/4th of the city that gets water from an underground spring tho. You can taste the difference between danube filtered water and the spring filtered water. Anyway i hope our crap filtering stations will actually filter the waste.

Then there's the problem of the sludge killing stuff in the danube delta natural reservation ...

 

[Arwon]

They are a big deal - locally. But the level of international alarm which the media invokes over these things is not justified.

Also, what level of international alarm would you consider a justified invocation?

 

[Zelig]

what else could it be blamed on? pure chance? god? they have clearly been negligent otherwise things like this doesn't happen. The only other option is sabotage, but thats totally crazy

No matter how much you concentrate on safety, there is always a chance of something going wrong.

 

[mangxema]

I cannot get over the level of spillage involved. The amount of collected & stored waste is amazing. The fact that it could flood is really so scary: you'd think that someone could have realised that there was toxic waste that could result in flooding.

This is the disadvantage of poverty combined with a weak government. As small-government as I am, these types of disasters need to be pre-empted if we're going to thrive in the 21st century.

What he said. People here were freaking out about the Gulf oil coming our way, but at least that didn't have the potential to contaminate the drinking water supply. Also, the prospect of your house flooding with sludge--toxic or not; look at the stains on those stone walls!--is pretty horrifying.

 

[Karalysia]

So I hear they're bracing for a second wave of toxic sludge just as large because another resivor containing it is cracking and this one is close to Budapest. If Hungary is destroyed it should be annexed by Austria.

 

[innonimatu]

Also, what level of international alarm would you consider a justified invocation?

The media in the countries downriver picking up the story?