Know your Gulf of Mexico DEAD ZONE

[underpants]

What causes it?
Fertilizers are natural gas based
Pesticides are petroleum based
More here
http://www.smm.org/deadzone/causes/top.html

http://www.smm.org/deadzone/

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- The oxygen-poor "dead zone" off the Louisiana and Texas coasts isn't quite as big as predicted this year, but it is still the third-largest ever mapped, a scientist said Saturday.

The 7,900-square-mile area with almost no oxygen, a condition called hypoxia, is about the size of Connecticut and Delaware together. The Louisiana-Texas dead zone is the world's second-largest hypoxic area, she said.

Hypoxia occurs when fresh water pouring in from the Mississippi River floats above the heavier salt water in the Gulf. Algae die and fall to the bottom, where their decay uses oxygen faster than it is brought down from the surface. Eventually, the lower layer holds too little oxygen for fish and other aquatic life.

Nitrogen, from sources including fertilizer, erosion and sewage, speeds up the process by feeding algae.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/07/29/dead.zone.ap/index.html

[islandmkl]

1. i can hear them now: "Well, hell...if it's already dead, why don't we throw up some oil rigs

out there in that part of the Gulf. Get us some oil. Screw them A-rabs."

[underpants]

4. AND fishermen, crabbers, shrimpers have to go further out

which means they burn more gas.

[myrna minx]

2. What's sad is by the time the beautiful muddy water of the Mississippi leaves MN,

it is highly toxic. Fortunately, Minneapolis has begun a "rain leader" program, redirecting run off water, so that raw sewage won't contaminate the river. It seems to be working quite well, so little by little we're tryting to clean up our act.

[reggie the dog]

6. the water of the Mississippi

is relatively clear north of where the Missouri River enters it from what I remember growing up in Illinois.

[myrna minx]

7. It's rather muddy and brown in Minneapolis, because of all of the sediment that

is carried with it along its course. For the longest time is has been a horribly polluted river, but at least we're trying little steps to see that it's not toxic when the water leaves us. I love that river.

[truebrit71]

3. Wow....

Words fail me...

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, underpants.

[Wilms]

8. K&R n/t