Mercury pollution treaty proposed (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

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Environment ministers meeting in Nairobi have initiated a process that should end in a legally binding, international treaty.

The landmark decision was taken by more than 140 countries attending the governing council of the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep).
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American position

The key factor enabling ministers to agree a way forward has been the willingness of the new US Obama administration to buy into a treaty.
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He said that a half of all mercury deposition within the US now came from sources outside its borders, and that only international coordination could address the problem.

The previous Bush administration had steadfastly opposed legally binding measures to control mercury.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7902092.stm

The lone holdout finally discovers sanity ...

[tabatha]

1. Yes. Good news.

[excess_3]

2. poor people don't deserve CFLs

oil companies don't like the idea of
poor people having any type
of florescent lighting ...
does not burn enough gasoline

[One_Life_To_Give]

3. Coal is the real culprit

Coal smoke is full of heavy metals. Without significant pollution controls/scrubbers we get tons of Hg and other toxic heavy metals comming down in rain water etc.