2006-09-22 06:15:39 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment
It will take a long, long time...because there's so much...but it doesn't look like we're going to stop producing that crap...so chances are it's going to stick with us forever.
Especially radioactive waste...the half life on some of them go into the thousands of years.
2006-09-22 06:51:01 · answer #1 · answered by Shaun 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From chemical waste faster, max. I think (own guess, don't take it for granted) 100 years would sort out any chemical pollution if left to the sink capacity of nature.
Now, with radioactive waste... that is difficult. It is a tricky story.
Those damages can last as long as thousands of years.....
If stored in massive rock and deep below the surface of the Earth, one doesn't really have to worry about it... the rock will take over all radiations after a while.
So, even if chemical waste would disappear faster, its effects are more immediate on humans than that of radioactive.
2006-09-22 14:20:02 · answer #2 · answered by warm candlelight and tea 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chemical waste will be brought to the state of equilibrium in the next one hundred years through technogy (good), environmentalism (good), or severe environmental degradation followed by a reduction of at least 80% of the worlds population (bad).
If we get our act together and decide to store radioactive waste in a few very geologically stable places and protect against terrorism. There is at least a 99.997% chance that 99.998% of the earth's surface will be unaffected by by radioactive waste do to natural events. I would be a lot more concerned with getting into a fatal car accident (personnally) or Yellowstone having a major erruption (globally).
2006-09-23 02:08:41 · answer #3 · answered by David L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Remember that the earth was around for billions of years before we got here. Putting aisde the theory of creation for a second, life began on this planet somehow. There was obviously a time when this planet was inhospitable to life but eventually, life found a way. If we make the surface of this planet completely inhospitable to life, it will eventually recover and life will return.
To quote a song by Ray Wily Hubbard, "It's no more amazing to be born twice than it is to be born once."
2006-09-22 13:28:05 · answer #4 · answered by Big Ed 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they stop NOW. I saw a river "die" & then come back. Nature heals itself given the chance. It takes a long time. The damage didn't happen overnight & neither will the cure.
2006-09-22 13:27:12 · answer #5 · answered by shermynewstart 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why concern yourself with that? If it does happen, humankind won't be around for the recovery.
2006-09-22 13:18:25 · answer #6 · answered by Albannach 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nah its way too polluted by now
2006-09-22 20:04:35 · answer #7 · answered by justsomedumbgirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋