La Mode Verte
Environmental Awareness Through Media ProductionsArchive for Venezuela
Common Earthworms Used to Remove Toxic Metals from Soils
e360.yale.edu 7th December 2010
Quoted from source:
‘Scientists in South America are exploring the use of common earthworms to clean contaminated soil and liquids at former industrial sites and landfills. According to a study published in the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, earthworms, which process waste and soil in gardens, have the potential to safely — and cheaply — remove toxic metals including lead and mercury from contaminated materials. In one study, researchers at the Universidad Centro Occidental Lisandro Alvarado in Venezuela found that in just two weeks earthworms were able to remove arsenic levels from soil with 42 to 72 percent efficiency, and reduce mercury content with 7.5 to 30.2 percent efficiency. In addition, they found that compost produced by worms worked as an effective absorbent substrate for cleaning wastewater contaminated with metals such as nickel, chromium, and lead.’
Landslide Devastates Colombian City of Medellin
www.bbc.co.uk 6th December 2010
The heaviest rainfall in four decades has caused a huge landslide in the Colombian Andes, possibly killing as many as 50 people in the city of Medellin. Although only one body has been recovered from the rubble so far by rescue teams with sniffer dogs, more than 50 homes were buried in the La Gabriela district of Bello, north of Medellin. One Red Cross worker has claimed that as many as 200 are missing. Seven have been rescued alive. The confirmed dead bring the total amount of lost life due to landslides this year to 176 in Colombia alone, according to the Red Cross. Many more have had to leave their homes. In response to the devastation, the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said: “this tragedy we are experiencing, not only in the Atlantic coast but across the country, has no precedent in our history. We estimate that there will be more than two million people affected”. In the adjacent country of Venezuela, 70,000 have been displaced by similar flooding. The President Hugo Chavez has stated that he will seize private land to shelter those who have lost their homes. The extreme weather has been caused by the La Nina climatic phenomenon.
BP Sells Gulf Oil Assets to Pay for Deepwater Horizon Disaster
www.bbc.co.uk 25th October 2010
Quoted from source:
‘BP has said it will sell its interests in four Gulf of Mexico oil fields to Japan’s Marubeni as part of its moves to pay for the oil spill there. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to raise $650m (£413m). BP is in the process of selling assets worth up to $30bn to meet clean-up and compensation costs. Last week, the company announced it would sell business interests in Vietnam and Venezuela for $1.8bn. BP has owned the assets in the four fields for less than a year. It bought them from Devon Energy alongside other assets in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and Azerbaijan. Andy Hopwood, a BP executive, said: “When BP acquired Devon’s Gulf of Mexico assets, it was clear that these four fields did not fit well with the rest of our business in the region.” A company statement added that BP’s other interests in the Gulf of Mexico would not be affected by the sale – which is expected to be completed in early 2011 – and that the company remained both the largest producer of oil and gas in the region as well as being the largest holder of leases. BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on 20 April, killing 11 workers, and ultimately leaking an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. The well was finally permanently sealed on 19 September. The total bill for compensating victims currently stands at about $11.2bn (£7bn).’
