Regarding “Mercury carried in by fog poses a threat to cougars” (Page One, Nov. 26): It’s another reminder that pollution anywhere is a danger everywhere.
The mercury affecting mountain lions didn’t originate from coastal California but is a byproduct of global coal production. According to the EPA, coal production accounts for 24% of global mercury emissions, threatening not just cougars but the health of people everywhere, particularly those who consume fish. The tragedy of past mercury poisoning incidents such as Minamata Bay, where birds literally fell from the sky and thousands of people were irreversibly poisoned, should be a serious warning call.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is taking the wrongheaded approach of encouraging more coal production and reducing limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. The U.S. needs to step up and lead by weaning ourselves off coal. At the very least the EPA needs to reinstate the mercury and air toxics standards from 2011, which dramatically reduced toxic mercury pollution in the U.S. before they were removed by the Trump administration this year.
Audrey Haynes, Berkeley
