The Age of Stupid

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We’ve all been told not to dump chemicals down the drain or dispose of certain items into the regular trash. But it’s so convenient and really, what’s the harm if you only do it on rare occasions?
 
You might change your mind after reading this week’s New York Times feature article on polluted water in Charleston, W.Va. Flushing your old birth control and antibiotics down the toilet, throwing old appliances into an anonymous dumpster, or pouring out that bit of left over polyurethane stain into the street after refinishing an old dresser can all add up over time to produce scary and sometimes devastating consequences.
 
In Charlestown, more than 260 people are suing nine local coal companies for dumping illegal concentrations of toxic chemicals into the ground. Several residents have complained of rashes and burns on their skin from simply bathing in the water, which was found to contain high levels of arsenic, barium, lead and other heavy metals.
 
That isn't the worst of it. Some research shows that dumping toxic chemicals at such concentrations may contribute to cancer, neurological disorders, birth defects, and other illnesses.  Studies of course are ongoing as are the lawsuits.
 
I have to believe that some of the dumping (aside from being done for financial reasons) can be attributed to ignorance.
 
After an extensive review of water pollution records, the Times found that violations of the Clean Water Act have risen across the nation. According to the article, “In the last five years alone, chemical factories, manufacturing plants and other workplaces have violated water pollution laws more than half a million times [by more than 23,000 companies and other facilities]. The violations range from failing to report emissions to farmers spraying liquefied animal feces onto fields, where it has seeped into wells, causing severe infections.”

The article also reports that drinking water in parts of New Jersey, New York, Arizona and Massachusetts shows some of the highest concentrations of tetrachloroethylene, a dry cleaning solvent that has been linked to kidney damage and cancer. An analysis of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data by the Times staff shows that in 2008, 40 percent of the nation’s community water systems violated the Safe Drinking Water Act at least once. 
 
In related news, Business Week reported on an Inspector General probe into efforts to clean up the Great Lakes. According to the report, smaller rivers and harbors that feed into the Lakes are highly contaminated with mercury, PCBs and heavy metal wastes. In the late 1980s, 43 of the these sources of pollutants were identified, including 26 within U.S. territory; 12 within Canada; and five on the border. Only two Canadian sites and one in the United States have been fixed and dropped from the list. That’s 20 years with almost no progress. 

And the Washington Post reported Monday that a study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that certain species of male fish are becoming feminized and that “one out of five male black bass in American river basins have egg cells growing inside their sexual organs.”  The findings are being linked to birth control pills and other hormone treatments that seep into rivers.  Some scientists say that intersex fish are a sign of a wider problem of endocrine disruptors -- synthetic chemicals that mimic or block natural hormones in animals and humans, such as pesticides, steroids, surfactants, and plasticizers – that are contaminating our water supplies. This is not the first report of feminized fish.

Some folks believe such articles to be alarmist hype not backed by enough research to draw conclusions. But I’d prefer to take action now and not want to ever ask, or have my grandchildren ask, “Why didn’t we save ourselves?” as a character ponders in a new movie about climate change, “The Age of Stupid” 

So what can we do?
 
The EPA, for its part, announced Tuesday plans to place regulations on emissions from coal-fired plants.  For the first time in nearly 30 years, the EPA plans to limit the quantity of toxic metals that coal-fired power plants release into waterways. The agency said the new rules will be implemented in 2012, but EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is pushing for an earlier target date.
 
But industrial pollutants, though they are the major source of contaminations in the air and water, are not the only contributor. We are all a part of the solution to reducing the harmful effects of greenhouse gases and environmental pollutants. There are tons of resources on county websites for disposal of hazardous chemicals and items you may have in your possession. Even the new fluorescent light bulbs that last much longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs should be disposed of in hazardous waste rather than regular trash due to traces of mercury. 
 
If we all are more aware of our carbon footprint and ways to reduce impact on the environment, we can contribute to a healthier world for future generations.