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Monday 9 November 2015

Dirty Water



Enxurrada de lama atinge a cidade de Barra Longa | by Agência Brasil

Barra Longa (MG) - A cidade de Barra Longa/MG, atingida pela enxurrada de lama tóxica proveniente do rompimento da barragem tenta se recuperar dos transtornos causados pelo incidente: photo by Antonio Cruz / Agencia Brasil, 8 November 2015


William Empson: Missing Dates

Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills.
It is not the effort nor the failure tires.
The waste remains, the waste remains and kills.

It is not your system or clear sight that mills
Down small to the consequence a life requires;
Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills.

They bled an old dog dry yet the exchange rills
Of young dog blood gave but a month’s desires.
The waste remains, the waste remains and kills.

It is the Chinese tombs and the slag hills
Usurp the soil, and not the soil retires.
Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills.

Not to have fire is to be a skin that shrills.
The complete fire is death. From partial fires
The waste remains, the waste remains and kills.

It is the poems you have lost, the ills
From missing dates, at which the heart expires.
Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills.
The waste remains, the waste remains and kills.

William Empson (1906-1984): Missing Dates, 1937

Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG)

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG): photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

Grupo de socorristas trabalham nas buscas e resgate às vítimas do rompimento da barragem de rejeitos,  no distrito de Bento Rodrigues, nos municípios de Ouro Preto e Mariana (MG)

Grupo de socorristas trabalham nas buscas e resgate às vítimas do rompimento da barragem de rejeitos, no distrito de Bento Rodrigues, nos municípios de Ouro Preto e Mariana (MG): photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG)

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG): photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG)
 
Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG): photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

  Galinha se refugia da lama no alto dos escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG)

Galinha se refugia de lama no alto dos encombres da vila de bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG): photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG)

Escombros da vila de Bento Rodrigues, destruída por uma enxurrada de lama após rompimento de barragens nos município de Mariana (MG): photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

Marcas de lama do povoado de Gesteira, que foi arrasada pelo mar de lama, próximo a Barra Longa; a cidade está isolada porque as pontes caíram

Marcas de lama do povoado de Gesteira, que foi arrasada pelo mar de lama, próximo a Barra Longa; a cidade está isolada porque as pontes caíram: photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 8 November 2015

Voluntários tentam ajudam vaca a sair de atoleiro após enxurrada de lama que invadiu a cidade de Barra Longa, em Minas Gerais, devido ao rompimento das barragens de uma mineradora em Mariana

Voluntários tentam aiudam vaca a sair de atoleiro após enxurrada de lama que invadiu a cidade de Barra Longa, em Minas Gerais, devido ao rompimento das barragens de uma mineradora em Mariana: photo by Moacyr Lopes Junior / Folha, 7 November 2015

1  Load Every Rift With Ore (Global Extraction Pimpology)


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Banjima native title group signs historic mining deal with BHP Billiton: image via The Australian @australian, 4 November 2015

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I work with 600+ people driving productivity in our world-class iron ore business: Ellie Coates #ILookLikeAnEngineer: image via BHP Billiton @bhpbilliton, 26 September 2015

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Meet Dennis Robeck. Learn about his 44-year career in our Iron Ore Business #OurHistory: image via BHP Billiton @bhpbilliton, 29 September 2015

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Learn how we sustainability [sic] manage water resources at Iron Ore in Western Australia: image via BHP Billiton @bhpbilliton, 17 October 2015

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Developing new approaches to water resource management in our Iron Ore business in Australia: image via BHP Billiton @bhpbilliton, 17 October 2015

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 Seeing first hand @bhpbilliton operations centre in Perth controlling mining activities 1,500km away: image via Josh Frydenberg @
JoshFrydenberg, 4 November 2015

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I work with 600+ people driving productivity in our world-class iron ore business: Ellie Coates #ILookLikeAnEngineer: image via BHP Billiton @bhpbilliton, 26 September 2015

 3  Dirty Water

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28 remain missing two days after dams burst disaster in Brazil's #MinasGerais: image via China Xinhua News Verified account @XHNews, 7 November 2015

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 Local atingido por rompimento de Barragem em #Mariana. Com. de Meio Ambiente reuniu-se c/#Samarco e @governomg: image via Assembleia de Minas @assemblleiamg, 6 November 2015

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Rescue workers search for victims after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, in #Mariana, #Brazil: image via Tamer Yazar @tameryazar, 9 November 2015

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A fireman rescues a dog trapped in the mud that swept through the village of Bento Rodrigues, Brazi!: image via Agence France-Presse @AFP, 9 November 2015

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Bombeiro resgata cadela na cidade de #Mariana, após rompimento da barragem, em Minas Gerais, 2015. Que foto!
: image via fotos de tafos @FotosDeFatos, 9 November 2015


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A fireman rescues a dog trapped in the mud that swept through the village of Bento Rodrigues, Brazi!: image via Agence France-Presse @AFP, 9 November 2015

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 #Brazil: A fireman rescues a dog trapped in mud following a deadly mudslide in the village of #BentoRodrigues: image via Talar Kalajian @TalarKala, 9 November 2015

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A fireman rescues a dog trapped in the mud that swept through the village of Bento Rodrigues, Brazi!: image via Agence France-Presse @AFP, 9 November 2015

Sea mud | by paimelsilvio

Sea mud. The city affected by the dam failure is Mariana. [photo Douglas Magno AFP]: image by Silvio Paimel, 9 November 2015

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foi tragica a situação em Barra Longa, rompimento da Barragem em Mariana #Mariana #barraLonga #Minas Gerais: image via Gleycinha55 @Gleici, 7 November 2015

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Brésil: la "situation désespérante" du village sous la boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil  @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015

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Brésil: la "situation désespérante" du village sous la boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil  @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015

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Brésil: la "situation désespérante" du village sous la boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil  @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015

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Three days after avalanche of mud and mining sludge buried town of Bento Rodrigues. By @tofsimon #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 9 November 2015

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Three days after avalanche of mud and mining sludge buried town of Bento Rodrigues. By @tofsimon #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 9 November 2015

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Three days after avalanche of mud and mining sludge buried town of Bento Rodrigues. By @tofsimon #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 9 November 2015

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Brésil: les secours sauvent un poulain de la coulée de boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil  @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015

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Brésil: les secours sauvent un poulain de la coulée de boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil  @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015

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Brésil: les secours sauvent un poulain de la coulée de boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil  @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015

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Hopes fade for missing in #Brazil toxic mudslide #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil @AFP Brazil, 9 November 2015

5 comments:

TC said...

Corrected caption for the seventh and final photo in the second section of this post (Load Every Rift with Ore):

I help drive continuous improvement through our entire iron ore supply chain: Fransisca Hartanti #ILookLikeAnEngineer: image via BHP Billiton @bhpbilliton, 8 October 2015


Dirty Water: John Mayall, live, 3 October 2013

L'Enfant de la Haute Mer said...

Voluntários tentam aiudam vaca ..
http://f.i.uol.com.br/fotografia/2015/11/07/564900-970x600-1.jpeg

A fireman rescues a dog trapped in the mud that swept through the village of Bento Rodrigues, Brazi!: image via Agence France-Presse @AFP, 9 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTZGOD3XAAALWuY.jpg

Bombeiro resgata cadela na cidade de #Mariana, após rompimento da barragem, em Minas Gerais, 2015. Que foto!: image via fotos de tafos @FotosDeFatos, 9 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTacf9gWoAAj9uU.jpg

A fireman rescues a dog trapped in the mud that swept through the village of Bento Rodrigues, Brazi!: image via Agence France-Presse @AFP, 9 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTZGOPWXAAAbAaW.jpg

#Brazil: A fireman rescues a dog trapped in mud following a deadly mudslide in the village of #BentoRodrigues: image via Talar Kalajian @TalarKala, 9 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTZh1xAWoAEnz2a.jpg

A fireman rescues a dog trapped in the mud that swept through the village of Bento Rodrigues, Brazi!: image via Agence France-Presse @AFP, 9 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTZGOK1W4AAklFB.jpg

Brésil: la "situation désespérante" du village sous la boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTQEm5oWcAAn54J.png

Brésil: les secours sauvent un poulain de la coulée de boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTQFmD3W4AA9QU5.png

Brésil: les secours sauvent un poulain de la coulée de boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTQFoKbWIAAWzCI.png

Brésil: les secours sauvent un poulain de la coulée de boue #AFP #Brésil: image via AFP Brazil @AFP Brazil, 7 November 2015
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTQForUWwAAsTPs.png

Poor cows, horses and dogs!!

vazambam (Vassilis Zambaras) said...

Meanwhile, down in the boondocks of the Southern Peloponnese, a new chapter is being writ on how to recycle deadly waste by leaving nothing behind but your good-for-nothing remains.

TC said...

So... what is there to say? What is there left to save? On the other hand, what is there to buy and sell if not also to waste, so that more of it may be bought and sold?

But wait, not to worry. The megafirm whose massive negligence disrupted (or, tsk-tsk, dare we say it, terminated) the lives, not only of quite a few horses and cows and dogs and chickens but of all those people who didn't have time to flee, is even at this moment working continuously, 24x7, to improve water quality on Earth, as their adverts take pains to explain.

Nothing so vivid as the pains of the victims, mind you -- no, the pains taken in adverts for the megacorporations are always the painless kind of cartoon pain, experienced, indeed, not as discomfort but as that superior, aloof, high and dry, abstract kind of freedom from pain that's most easily accessed in an immaculate, well-lit, totally wired-in environment -- like, say, the operations command bunker, ideally located no nearer than 1500 km from the catastrophe you have wrought.

But if you're BHP Billiton, your share prices are holding up surprisingly well, despite this unfortunately glaring episode of toxification of the planet and attendant publicity blip.

And too, you're learning new stuff all the time. For instance, to reduce the current heat in the kitchen a bit, you've decided to move the home office from Western Australia to New Jersey.

Tony: "I'm in Waste Management. There is No Mafia."

The Sopranos: Waste Management Sit-Down

And finally, let's not forget the bottom line. The work that's being done by this humongous company is keeping iron pellets on the production line at factories in China, and without those factories the planetary carbon-emission and free-floating air- and water-borne toxic-particulate totals would nosedive in a nanosecond, and the fallout on Wall Street would be terrible to behold.

Unknown said...

Your photo and word essays beg for appropriate responses, Tom, as well they should. And most times the enormity of them beggars whatever responses (and often none) we can adequately come up with. Your telling is in itself the response of course. I know the following may seem simplistic, and the "smile" I mention is realistically deeper than that, here idealized, blooming from serious consciousness of the planet and its inhabitants, each one of us, a communion of souls to keep it all on an even keel... etc. Here's a poem with "mud" in it, is perhaps all I can say...

THE HEART IS A GOLD DISCUS

The heart is a gold
discus thrown from the

beginning of a life to the end
of each one of us

Tall trees whizz by

The history of the automobile
in slow motion

speeded up

The history of aviation
earthquake cycles

If the entire earth’s population
were to smile one

smile once simultaneously
peace might

descend

As it is we’re all
busy with our various

facial expressions
so the chance eludes us

and we’re left with our
own scowls looking

back at us
from the mud

__________________________________________________
5/3/15 (from White Noise in This World Silver in the Next)