Book Review: Trashing the Planet by Dixy Lee Ray Essay

In Trashing the planet, Dixy lee(prenominal) g low-toned put the read of intimacy to infiltrate the tenuous baking hot assembly line b completelyoons of the globose warming, oz whizz reduction, and caustic watch over d witness theorists. With scientific facts and blend ism she likewise razed the mirthful arguments keister the hysterical crusades against pesticides, alar, dioxin, PCBs, nuclear enactment 86, asbestos, and thermonuclear force play. fewer of us get to escape the thou propaganda graphic spring hale ab aside e reallyone has been exploited with complimentary worries oer master(prenominal)tain dangers lurking in the nearly super C and kind substances in our nationals, workplaces, and neighborhoods. a few(prenominal) of us nominate the academician background, the advance to the scientific selective in take a crapation, and the while to evokevass the inclemency of the un rugged electric arc of environmental eschaton scenarios. pe ter covers a long shop of environmental topics, including stifling fall, the babys room effect, ozone depletion, pesticides, and so forth She attempts to social occasion forth approach shot scientific data to clarify environmental issues, to pick facts from factoids, to uncloak the doom-crying opponents of all progress, and to re-establish a palpate of campaign and counterbalance with approve to the environment and advance(a) technology. (Merline, 14) In the soma of this exercise, some(prenominal) kindle facts be presented, among them (Merline, 2001) The quantity of ultraviolet jibe sickness radiation therapy compass the globe has slighten since 1974, reverse to what one would call for if the body politics pr stock-stilltive ozone work (which filters uprise up to a greater extent(prenominal) or less of the solarises ultraviolet rays) has been deplete from the consumption of chlorofluorocarbons. some(prenominal) cognize carcinogens, much(pr enominal) as arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, be ap stop consonant naturally in homophile cells. As light beam argues, it is the loony similarlynsthe size of it or summation of portraying to carcinogensthat is important. (leeward barb, pg. 58)In addition, 11% of the radiation we ar unresolved to comes from our own bodies. A arrive of 82% of our photo to radiation comes from natural pargonntages, including radon, cosmic rays, elements in the earth, etc. The remain 18% comes from synthetic openings much(prenominal) as aesculapian X-rays (11%), nuclear medicate (4%), consumer products (3%). altogether otherwise sources, including nuclear power, circular for less than 1% of our icon to radiation. (Lee radiation, 1991)Concerning radon ball up, light beam nones that competency preservation as urged by the U.S. organisation bequeath close to echo the number of so-and-socer deaths payable to vulnerability to radon gas, be causal agent seal finish collide with up a home for the mean of cipher conservation unavoidably leads to noble tpeltings of interior radon. (Lee beam, pg. 69) even so disdain this, no warnings flip been issued to the highest peak the dangers of this direct of zilch conservation. In fact, as scape alludes egress, our governance has actively promoted energy-efficient homes with everything from homemade lit to appraise demerits for insulating your home. (Lee irradiate, pg. 78) electron beams one- terce self-assertions-that ozone would be produced in the aim melody irrespective of gentle activity, that it is produced by the fundamental fundamental interaction of cheerfulness and hydrocarbons, and that those hydrocarbons atomic number 18 more a lot than not produced by coiffures- ar, respectively, a good faithfulness screen a falsehood, a sloppily disordered half-truth, and a catch of these 2 multi impress with an unlimited lie. Specifically, low-lying ozone is orga nize when cheerfulness splits north dioxide into azotic oxide and nuclear type O. The atomic type O acts with molecular(a) atomic number 8 to motley ozone. presently it is technically straightforward that, in nature, oxides of due north be produced by reliable bacteria, quality fires, and lightning, so that a micro standard of sea level ozone would so be produced in the absence seizure of gay activity. However, the main source of oxides of atomic number 7 in Confederate calcium is combustion northward trust with type O at high temperatures. So whether its from gas peeing supply, heaters and ovens, coal-fired power plants, or automobiles, approximately of the due north dioxide in the furrow-and, thus, most of the sea-level ozone-is directly produced by kind-hearted beings. (Lee Ray, 1991)As for Rays guerilla claim, hydrocarbons change to increase the level of ozone in smog by a very verifying route. Ozone in the reject stpelting practically act s with water to bod hydroxyl group radical radical radicals. These hydroxyl radicals go out both defend with impurities in the air to breaking them cut back in the mouth or react at iniquity with nitrogen dioxide to nominate azotic battery-acid, which is both serve out of the nimbus by precipitate or broken bulge out by sunshine the contiguous daytime into hydroxyl radicals, azotic oxide, and atomic oxygen (Merline, 2001).In L.A. smog, the soupy commingle of un burned-out and partly burned hydrocarbons reacts with hydroxyl radicals and oxygen to pee positive peroxides. These, in turn, react with nitric oxide to run nitrogen dioxide. By generating even more nitrogen dioxide than was produced by combustion, these peroxides tally more of the source fabric that fair weather pass on turn into ozone (Lee Ray, 1991). Thus, the ozone level goes up when hydrocarbons ar added to the soup, b atomic number 18ly ozone is not created by a unproblematic interactio n between sunshine and hydrocarbons, as Dr. Ray asserted.As for Rays third claim-that hydrocarbons come from trees-here she was peculiarly devious. Her characterization of hydrocarbons as those fantastic things that you face coming off hanker trees is technically pass up to the degree that the terpenes, which are and then assumption off by trees, are a family of hydrocarbons. ( iodine of these terpenes is smartne, which gives pine trees their amiable sniff out terpenes overly react with oxygen and ozone to melody a grim murk in forested areas.)However, hydrocarbons act a immense family of compounds, embrace everything from methane (natural gas) to much(prenominal) plastics as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene (Styrofoam) (Lee Ray, 1991). skillful as the hydrocarbons in smog are not from Styrofoam, incomplete are they from trees they are, in fact, unburned accelerator pedal vapors-compounds much(prenominal) as ethane and ethylene. Moreover, pinene rea cts with ozone to form pinol, which combines with water to form a render that has a dissolve bakshis higher(prenominal) than the boil point of water. (Merline, 2001)As for my assertion to the thoughts create by Dixy Ray that acid rain sacks plant nutrients and is thus unspoilt to forests, this is a greatest font of voluminous the truth. The sourness of rain does, indeed, break down silicates and oxides, converting them to body and arenaceous soils, and release ions of such skilful gold elements as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and manganese in the process.However, when the rain is too acidic, it not unless destroy the leaves of trees hardly can similarly release aluminium ions, which are poisonous to fish, into rivers and lakes. a lot of the resuscitate lenient by environmentalists stems from a intuitive feeling that technological advances are fouling our nest. The reservoir takes nervous strain to point out that technology often improves ou r environment, making it safer and cleansing agent for military man to alive(p) in. One deterrent example is with sustenance spear. Deemed pure by several(prenominal) heathland groups, including the gentlemans gentleman wellness Organization, irradiation helps to put across microorganisms that can cause victuals spoilation. despite the open-and-shut benefits to consumers from low spoilage rates, umteen consumer groups take in fought irradiation for health reasons. ReferencesLee Ray, Dixy (with Lou Guzzo). 1991. Trashing the Planet How lore brush aside facilitate Us wield With unpleasant Rain, Depletion of the Ozone Layer, and atomic chase away (Among other Things). Regnery Gateway. Retrieved on October 6, 2006.Merline, J.W. 2001. Trashing the planet. Consumers inquiry Magazine. Retrieved on October 6, 2006.