Sunday, August 28, 2005
THE GEOPOLITICS OF KATRINA
A Category 5 hurricane, the most severe type measured, Katrina has been reported heading directly toward the city of New Orleans. This would be a human catastrophe, since New Orleans sits in a bowl below sea level. However, Katrina is not only moving on New Orleans. It also is moving on the Port of Southern Louisiana. Were it to strike directly and furiously, Katrina would not only take a massive human toll, but also an enormous geopolitical one.
The Port of Southern Louisiana is the fifth-largest port in the world in terms of tonnage, and the largest port in the United States. The only global ports larger are Singapore, Rotterdam, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It is bigger than Houston, Chiba and Nagoya, Antwerp and New York/New Jersey. It is a key link in U.S. imports and exports and critical to the global economy.
The Port of Southern Louisiana stretches up and down the Mississippi River for about 50 miles, running north and south of New Orleans from St. James to St. Charles Parish. It is the key port for the export of grains to the rest of the world -- corn, soybeans, wheat and animal feed. Midwestern farmers and global consumers depend on those exports. The United States imports crude oil, petrochemicals, steel, fertilizers and ores through the port. Fifteen percent of all U.S. exports by value go through the port. Nearly half of the exports go to Europe.
The Port of Southern Louisiana is a river port. It depends on the navigability of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi is notorious for changing its course, and in southern Louisiana -- indeed along much of its length -- levees both protect the land from its water and maintain its course and navigability. Dredging and other maintenance are constant and necessary to maintain its navigability. It is fragile.
If New Orleans is hit, the Port of Southern Louisiana, by definition, also will be hit. No one can predict the precise course of the storm or its consequences. However, if we speculate on worse-case scenarios the following consequences jump out:# The port might become in whole or part unusable if levees burst. If the damage to the river and port facilities could not be repaired within 30 days when the U.S. harvests are at their peak, the effect on global agricultural prices could be substantial.
# There is a large refinery at Belle Chasse. It is the only refinery that is seriously threatened by the storm, but if it were to be inundated, 250,000 barrels per day would go off line. Moreover, the threat of environmental danger would be substantial.
# About 2 percent of world crude production and roughly 25 percent of U.S.-produced crude comes from the Gulf of Mexico and already is affected by Katrina. Platforms in the path of Katrina have been evacuated but others continue pumping. If this follows normal patterns, most production will be back on line within hours or days. However, if a Category 5 hurricane (of which there have only been three others in history) has a different effect, the damage could be longer lasting. Depending on the effect on the Port of Southern Louisiana, the ability to ship could be affected.
# A narrow, two-lane highway that handles approximately 10,000 vehicles a day, is used for transport of cargo and petroleum products and provides port access for thousands of employees is threatened with closure. A closure of as long as two weeks could rapidly push gasoline prices higher.
At a time when oil prices are in the mid-60-dollar range and starting to hurt, the hurricane has an obvious effect. However, it must be borne in mind that the Mississippi remains a key American shipping route, particularly for the export and import of a variety of primary commodities from grain to oil, as well as steel and rubber. Andrew Jackson fought hard to keep the British from taking New Orleans because he knew it was the main artery for U.S. trade with the world. He was right and its role has not changed since then.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
School To Unveil Three-Prong Program (LOL! I love that)ed.
CANTON, Ohio -- There are 490 female students at Timken High School, and 65 are pregnant, according to a recent report in the Canton Repository.
The article reported that some would say that movies, TV, videogames, lazy parents and lax discipline may all be to blame.
School officials are not sure what has caused so many pregnancies, but in response to them, the school is launching a three-prong educational program to address pregnancy, prevention and parenting.
The newspaper also reported that students will face mounting tensions created by unplanned child-rearing responsibilities, causing students to quit school and plan for a GED. This will make it difficult for the Canton City School District to shake its academic watch designation by the state.
According to the Canton Health Department, statistics through July show that 104 of the 586 babies born to Canton residents in Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center had mothers between 11 and 19.
The newspaper reports that the non-Canton rate was 7 percent. Canton was 15 percent.
Copyright 2005 by NewsNet5
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Toxic Products Surround You
In 1998, a laboratory accident in Dr. Pat Hunt's lab alerted her and many other scientists to the dangers of even tiny amounts of certain chemicals present in many of the products we use.
When a temporary employee mistakenly used a harsh alkaline floor detergent to clean the cages of the mice she was studying, the animals' eggs began to develop serious chromosomal problems. The detergent caused the plastic in the cages to begin to disintegrate, which allowed a chemical called bisphenol A -- an endocrine disruptor -- to leach into the animals' food and water.
Dangerous to Children
Endocrine disruptors are present in many household products. These man-made chemicals affect the hormones that control development and function in our bodies. There is mounting evidence that they can cause harm in the development of fetuses and children, who are particularly sensitive to the chemicals because they have not yet developed the protective mechanisms present in adult bodies.
Disruptors Everywhere
Endocrine disruptors come from many sources:
- Bisphenol A, a common ingredient in many plastics, including those in reusable water bottles and resins lining some food cans and dental sealants, can change the course of fetal development in a way that increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Exposure to phthalates can lead to incomplete testicular descent in fetuses. Phthalates are found in vinyl flooring, detergents, automotive plastics, soap, shampoo, deodorants, fragrances, hair spray, nail polish, plastic bags, food packaging, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage bags, and intravenous medical tubing.
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), found in grease- and water-resistant coatings like Teflon and Gore-Tex, is a likely carcinogen.
- Runoff from parking lot sealant is a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are likely carcinogens and possibly reproductive toxicants.
- An insecticide called methoxychlor and a fungicide called vinclozolin caused changes to male mice born for as many as four subsequent generations after the initial exposure.
You Have Been Exposed
Only in the past five years or so have scientists developed tests sensitive enough to measure the very low doses of these chemicals present in our bodies and the environment. They found that phthalates and PFOA are present in nearly everyone.
"They're all around us," said Dr. Shanna Swan, a phthalate researcher. "In food, in household dust, and in products, but they're invisible. People don't know when they're exposed."
The technology currently exists to make products such as plastics that do not contain endocrine disruptors. However, it may be difficult to convince industry manufacturers to make the switch.
USA Today August 2, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
I've written about the dangers of bisphenol A, PFOA and phthalates many times on this Web site. The dangers they present are the inevitable result of flooding our environment and your body with synthetic chemicals with unknown effects.
So many products contain endocrine disruptors that trying to avoid them may seem like a hopeless struggle. But, in fact, there are a number of practical techniques you can use to limit your exposure to these and other common toxins.
Avoiding Toxins in Your Food and Drinking Water
- As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic foods. At the very least, use free-range organic eggs.
- Raw milk products are a key to staying healthy. They are best obtained locally, if possible.
- Rather than eating conventional fish, which is often contaminated with PCBs and mercury, use a high-quality purified fish or cod liver oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested.
- Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
- Avoid processed foods -- remember that they're processed with chemicals!
- Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
Avoiding Toxins in Your Personal Care Products
- Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available, or you can search online for them.
- Similarly, switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics.
- Have any metal fillings removed, as they're a major source of mercury. Be sure to have this done by a qualified biological dentist.
- Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances, as they can pollute the air you are breathing.
- Throw your Teflon pans away.
- Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Allergy Sensitivity Doubles Since 1970s
Scientists Don't Know What's Behind Increase (Aug. 8) -- More than half of all Americans test positive in response to one or more allergens, double the percentage who did 30 years ago, a new study reports. Note from TK: Scientists don't know? Depends on the scientists they speak to. There are studies indicating that allergies are the result of vaccination (I cite them in Childhood Vaccination: Questions All Parents Should Ask - see above).
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050808071709990002&ncid=NWS00010000000001
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Who is the FDA really protecting?
Canada Regulators Order Top-Selling ADHD drug withdrawn (FDA keeps it on market)
Canada pulled the top selling drug Adreall citing sudden deaths from users on February 9, 2005. Adderall is linked to 20 deaths - 14 children and 6 adults plus 12 strokes (2 in children) which is higher than other ADHD drugs. Adderall was prescribed to 11,000 Canadians.
It is still prescribed to 700,000 children and adults in the US. The FDA hasn't pulled it, reporting on its website that it "does not feel immediate changes are warranted."
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US
This article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is the best article I have ever seen written in the published literature documenting the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm.
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This information is a followup of the Institute of Medicine report which hit the papers in December of last year, but the data was hard to reference as it was not in peer-reviewed journal. Now it is published in JAMA which is the most widely circulated medical periodical in the world.
The author is Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and she desribes how the
ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:
- 12,000 -- unnecessary surgery
- 7,000 -- medication errors in hospitals
- 20,000 -- other errors in hospitals
- 80,000 -- infections in hospitals
- 106,000 -- non-error, negative effects of drugs
These total to 250,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!
What does the word iatrogenic mean? This term is defined as induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of a complication of treatment.
Dr. Starfield offers several warnings in interpreting these numbers:
- First, most of the data are derived from studies in hospitalized patients.
- Second, these estimates are for deaths only and do not include negative effects that are associated with disability or discomfort.
- Third, the estimates of death due to error are lower than those in the IOM report.
If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. In any case, 225,000 deaths per year constitutes the third leading cause of death in the
Another analysis concluded that between 4% and 18% of consecutive patients experience negative effects in outpatient settings,with:
- 116 million extra physician visits
- 77 million extra prescriptions
- 17 million emergency department visits
- 8 million hospitalizations
- 3 million long-term admissions
- 199,000 additional deaths
- $77 billion in extra costs
The high cost of the health care system is considered to be a deficit, but seems to be tolerated under the assumption that better health results from more expensive care.
However, evidence from a few studies indicates that as many as 20% to 30% of patients receive inappropriate care.
An estimated 44,000 to 98,000 among them die each year as a result of medical errors.
This might be tolerated if it resulted in better health, but does it? Of 13 countries in a recent comparison, the
- 13th (last) for low-birth-weight percentages
- 13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall
- 11th for postneonatal mortality
- 13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes)
- 11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males
- 10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males
- 10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males
- 7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males
- 3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males
- 10th for age-adjusted mortality
The poor performance of the
There is a perception that the American public "behaves badly" by smoking, drinking, and perpetrating violence." However the data does not support this assertion.
- The proportion of females who smoke ranges from 14% in
- The
- The US has relatively low consumption of animal fats (fifth lowest in men aged 55-64 years in 20 industrialized countries) and the third lowest mean cholesterol concentrations among men aged 50 to 70 years among 13 industrialized countries.
These estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent Institutes of Medicine report, and if the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000.
Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the
Lack of technology is certainly not a contributing factor to the
- Among 29 countries, the
- It is possible that the high use of technology in
- Supporting this possibility are data showing that the number of employees per bed (full-time equivalents) in the
Journal American Medical Association
DR .MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
Folks, this is what they call a "Landmark Article". Only several ones like this are published every year. One of the major reasons it is so huge as that it is published in JAMA which is the largest and one of the most respected medical journals in the entire world.
I did find it most curious that the best wire service in the world, Reuter's, did not pick up this article. I have no idea why they let it slip by.
I would encourage you to bookmark this article and review it several times so you can use the statistics to counter the arguments of your friends and relatives who are so enthralled with the traditional medical paradigm. These statistics prove very clearly that the system is just not working. It is broken and is in desperate need of repair.
I was previously fond of saying that drugs are the fourth leading cause of death in this country. However, this article makes it quite clear that the more powerful number is that doctors are the third leading cause of death in this country killing nearly a quarter million people a year. The only more common causes are cancer and heart disease.
This statistic is likely to be seriously underestimated as much of the coding only describes the cause of organ failure and does not address iatrogenic causes at all.
Care, not treatment, is the answer. Drugs, surgery and hospitals are rarely the answer to chronic health problems. Facilitating the God-given healing capacity that all of us have is the key. Improving the diet, exercise, and lifestyle are basic.
Effective interventions for the underlying emotional and spiritual wounding behind most chronic illness are also important clues to maximizing health and reducing disease.
Related Articles:
Medical Mistakes Kill 100,000 per year
US Health Care System Most Expensive in the World
Author/Article Information
Author Affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Md. Corresponding Author and Reprints: Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Room 452, Baltimore, MD 21205-1996 (e-mail: bstarfie@jhsph.edu).
References
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Milbank Q. 1998;76:517-563.
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3. Starfield B. Primary Care: Balancing Health Needs, Services, and Technology.
4. World Health Report 2000. Accessed
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6. Law M, Wald N. Why heart disease mortality is low in
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Annu Rev Public Health. 2000;21:569-585.
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12. Wilkinson R. Unhealthy Societies: The Afflictions of Inequality.
13. Evans R, Roos N. What is right about the Canadian health system? Milbank Q. 1999;77:393-399.
14. Guyer B, Hoyert D, Martin J, Ventura S, MacDorman M, Strobino D. Annual summary of vital statistics1998. Pediatrics. 1999;104:1229-1246.
15. Harrold LR, Field TS, Gurwitz JH. Knowledge, patterns of care, and outcomes of care for generalists and specialists. J Gen Intern Med. 1999;14:499-511.
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17.
18. Mold J, Stein H. The cascade effect in the clinical care of patients. N Engl J Med. 1986;314:512-514.
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Article reference: www.mercola.com
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