Tag Archives: Toxic

Why Nigeria Banned Toxic Fuel From Europe

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When reports filtered in last September, that Swiss trading firms – Trafigura and Vitol – were exploiting weak regulations in Africa to import “dirty fuels” into Africa, including Nigeria, many dismissed it as impossible considering the many government agencies that are present at the ports.
But today, the story seems different as five countries in West Africa have decided to stop importing “dirty fuels” from Europe, the UN Environment Programme has said. Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have all agreed on the import ban.
Daily Sun had in September reported the findings by Swiss watchdog group, Public Eye, with the title, “Dirty Diesel’’ which had alleged that the Swiss trading firms are blending and dumping dirty fuel in Nigeria and other West African countries with more than 100 per cent toxic (sulphur) levels allowed in Europe, thereby causing health and environmental hazards.
Why the ban?
The UN says the move will help more than 250 million people breathe safer and cleaner air because the sulphur particles emitted by a diesel engine are considered to be a major contributor to air pollution and are ranked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as one of the top global health risks associated with heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory problems.
Head of UNEP, Erik Solheim, hailed the import ban
In a statement, the UN Environment Programme said the five West African countries, in addition to banning the import of dirty fuels, have also agreed to upgrade the operations of their national refineries.
The upgrade, which will concern both public and privately owned refineries, is meant to boost standards in the oil produced in the five countries.
The report into Europe oil exports released in September particularly criticised the Swiss for their links to the African trade in diesel that has toxin levels illegal in Europe.
“West Africa is sending a strong message that it is no longer accepting dirty fuels from Europe. Their decision to set strict new standards for cleaner, safer fuels and advanced vehicle emission standards shows they are placing the health of their people first,” he added.
FG speaks
Despite the denial by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in September, that it was impossible to have toxic fuel in circulation in Nigeria, the commitment of the Federal Government to ban the toxic fuel from entering the country has proved critics, including DPR, wrong.
Deputy Director, Public Affairs in DPR, Dorothy Bassey, had told Daily Sun in a telephone interview that there was no cause for alarm as all petroleum products are tested before entering the shores of the country. According to her, any product or products that fail the specification test are sent back to the country of origin.
“But if by error of omission or commission any product(s) that fall short of the required specification find their way into the country, the importer of such products will be severely sanctioned,’’ she said. But Nigerians are yet to see such sanctions on the Swiss importers.
But Environment Minister, Amina Mohamed, said: “For 20 years, Nigeria has not been able to address the vehicle pollution crisis due to the poor fuels we have been importing. Today, we are taking a huge leap forward – limiting sulphur in fuels from 3,000 parts per million to 50 parts per million.”
She said the move would result in major air quality benefits in Nigerian cities and would allow the country to set modern vehicle standards.
The WHO says that pollution is particularly bad in low and middle-income countries.

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Signs Your Relationship Is Toxic & You Need To Leave Fast

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  1. You have to ask permission.It’s nice to consider your partner’s thoughts and feelings when making decisions, but it shouldn’t be only one of you who can give the go ahead. You should have full freedom to do what you want.
  2. You’re emotionally drained constantly.If all your energy is being put toward arguing or trying to keep your SO satisfied, that’s a problem. A healthy relationship is happy and fulfilling.
  3. You can’t fully be yourself.You should never have to suppress certain parts of you to make your SO accept you. If they can’t love all of you, then they sure as hell don’t deserve you.
  4.   You’ll do whatever it takes to avoid fights

    You might think you’re helping your relationship by letting things go, but not addressing the issues as they appear will have consequences later. The fear of getting broken up with or getting into another argument isn’t reason enough to be passive.

  5. Your SO makes you feel bad about yourself.A little jab here and a condescending tone there are absolutely unacceptable. If your partner loves you as much as they claim they do, they would never put you down in any way.
  6. You fight often.Even the happiest of couples have their moments, but if it’s a daily war zone, how happy can you two really be? Don’t mistake fighting for passion.
  7. You dwell on the past instead of moving forward.Your relationship will be at a standstill if previous issues are constantly being resurfaced. You won’t be able to grow as a couple if you’re stuck in relationships past. It’s easy to bring up an already-resolved problem in the heat of the moment, but don’t let it become ammunition — or else your SO can use it to get their way.
  8. Your work life is being affected.Staying in contact with each other throughout the day can have its benefits, but to a certain extent. Constant check-ups are a sign of a distrust, and fighting via text disturbs productivity at work. Being unable to separate your personal life and professional life ruins your focus and mood.
  9. It’s clear your relationship is imbalanced.In a healthy relationship, no single person should have complete control or say. A partnership is just that — a partnership.
  10. You have to hide things from your partner.

    You know what will set them off, but you shouldn’t have to lie or sneak around to avoid upsetting them. Trust is the foundation of a successful relationship and you’re bound for bigger trouble if they find out you’ve been keeping things.

    Read More: popsugar

3 Signs Your Relationship Is Actually Toxic

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1. The situation: He’s caught up in childhood and family drama.” As Marcy* watched Jorge smash her printer in front of their home, she finally realized the truth: Her man was becoming a carbon copy of his dysfunctional family. “His parents were involved in a drug trafficking ring when he was a child,” she explains of her now ex-boyfriend. “I don’t think they considered what it would do to him long-term.”

But Marcy, a 31-year-old Boricua from Connecticut, knew he had lingering issues. “He told me tragic stories about gun exposure and serious gang-related shit.” Before Marcy knew it, Jorge was bouncing from “scheme to scheme,” lashing out, destroying their property, and accusing Marcy, who worked 60 to 70 hours a week, of being a “bum,” just like his parents.

But still, she stayed. “I’m a woman, naturally I’m going to try and fix everything. I had to ‘remold’ him,” she explains. “I had to teach him how to talk to me, address people without anger, and to show respect.” But after countless violent outbursts, she’d had enough.

Although there’s nothing wrong with wanting to nurture your partner, Misha N. Granado, MPH, MS, founder of Love Grows: The Relationship Consultants, advises women to refrain from treating a lover like a patient, especially if he’s physically, emotionally, or verbally abusive. “Therapists have very specific boundaries, expertise, and the ability to be objective,” Granado explains. If you want to help a loved one who has been exposed to extensive violence, encourage him to seek help from a professional.

2. The situation: He’s got mommy issues. Abandoned by his mother and raised by an “emotionally crippled” grandmother, Leia’s ex-boyfriend Antonio had an embarrassing habit of throwing temper tantrums when they got into fights. “He’d give me the silent treatment or take jabs at me whenever we were among friends,” explains the 30-year-old Colombiana from New York City. Leia discovered it was a pattern he couldn’t break.

For three years, Leia and Antonio would argue, play the blame game, make up, and repeat. But Leia realized Antonio never owned up to his behavior. “He’d ask me to be understanding,” shares Leia. At first, she empathized — she had felt abandoned as well. “We all have insecurities that can play out in relationships,” explains Xiomara A. Sosa, a clinical mental health-forensic counselor and founder, president, and CEO of The Get-Right! Organization. When insecurities that are born out of parental neglect and abuse go unresolved, they “can create a dysfunctional relationship that is filled with chaos and stress.”

At Leia’s insistence, Antonio went to counseling, but that didn’t last very long. “Once the subject of his grandmother came up, he stopped therapy and never went back,” she admits.

Sensing that Antonio would never get the help he needed to move forward, Leia moved on without him.

3. The situation: He’s a recovering addict. Mari?a, 31, always knew her boyfriend Toma?s had a rough upbringing. They had heart-to-hearts about how his father’s death left a gaping hole in his life and how he drank to forget. A few weeks into dating, they took a road trip to San Diego to unwind. The second morning of their trip, Mari?a found Toma?s passed out and covered in vomit, an empty tequila bottle at his side. “I was in disbelief,” admits Mari?a. She was sure then that she’d break up with him. But when she got news that her abuelita was in the hospital, it was a sobered-up Toma?s who insisted on driving her there.

Now married, the couple has come a long way. Though he stumbled at the start of their relationship, Mari?a stayed with Toma?s to offer the support he needed to recover. “While we were dating, he severed ties with all of his childhood friends,” Mari?a explains. “By the time our oldest son was a year old, he stopped drinking completely.” With her support, and his own hard work, Toma?s slowly became a better father and husband to his family.

Credit: Cosmo[olitan

Home Beer Brewed With Toxic Flour Kills 75

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A homemade beer that killed 75 drinkers at a funeral inMozambique earlier this year was brewed with contaminated flour, health authorities said Wednesday, ruling out deliberate poisoning. Hundreds of people drank the beer, with dozens found dead in their homes later in the day and others rushed to a local hospital with diarrhoea and severe muscle aches.

A total of 232 people were affected, and 75 died in the incident in the village of Chitima in the northwest of Mozambique. “The victims were poisoned by the homemade beer which had been contaminated by a toxic bacteria found in the corn flour used to brew it,” Ilesh Jani, director ofMozambique‘s Health Institute, told reporters.

The woman who brewed the opaque beer and several members of her family were among the dead. Some local media had initially speculated that the beer was laced with crocodile bile, a powerful toxin.

Credit: Vanguard