“would result in 1,500 long tons (called “tonnes”) of mercury being released into the environment every year.”
Pretty soon, we’ll have mercury in our food supply just like China. Oh goodie!
Ingesting elemental or metallic mercury is pretty harmless, it’s very poorly absorbed by the digestive system. The real danger is mercury compounds, especially halogens. Who’s to say what mercury sitting in dumps, reacting with other discarded chemicals and leaching into ground water will get up to.
Our rulers are buffoons.
There is mercury in our food suply and always has been.
It is a part of the environment with or without mankind.
One single vent on any of the worlds active volcanos typically vents 2 tons per year into the atmosphere.
A crisis can be created, however, by informing the public of something they didn’t know about and prevaricating about the cause.