We lose so much of our sense of history, that anniversaries can provide a reminder of the good that we can do through national action to protect our quality of life.
A bolder clean water act for the next 40 years
"The Act also set an ambitious goal: by 1985 the nation’s waters should be “fishable and swimmable.” Although we missed that deadline, we are two-thirds of the way to achieving that goal. And we now know that reaching it will require addressing so-called “non-point” sources of pollution, including runoff from farms and city streets.
This year, as we celebrate the Act’s 40th anniversary, we can take pride in its accomplishments. But after four decades, the Act needs to be given new teeth and updated tools, both to meet its original goals as well as to address new water challenges that have emerged since its passage."
For those that think the work of the CWA is complete, as long as we have industry, we will need protections from the resources that industry uses and affects.
Arsenic from coal ash pollutes water resources
"Concern about the environmental impacts of coal-fired power generation has led to tighter regulation of the industry in recent years, but most measures have focused on reducing plants’ emissions into the atmosphere under the Clean Air Act, Vengosh says.
'We are saving the sky by putting in more scrubbers to remove particulates from power plant emissions,” Vengosh says. 'But these contaminants don’t just disappear. Our study shows they remain in high concentrations in the solid waste residue and wastewater the coal-fired power plants produce.'"
Some people may be turned off by the notion that a scientist might identify a threat as real and imminent...
Some climate scientist, in a shift, link weather to global warming
"Extreme events like drought, heat waves, intense rainfall, flooding and fires have prompted many people to reconsider the connection between the weather and the changing climate. Now, a handful of scientists are among them.
In a break with the mainstream scientific consensus, a few prominent climate scientists now argue that there have been enough episodes of drought and intense heat in the last 10 years to establish a statistical pattern of extreme weather due to global warming."
...but I offer that when considering the legitimacy of a threat, it is often best to follow the creature with the best instincts for self-preservation.
Top five threats to national security in the coming decade
"No matter which way the Defense Department turns, U.S. global interests will eventually intersect with the effects of a warming planet, analysts said.
While politicians debate the legitimacy of climate science, the Defense Department has recognized it has a practical, hard-security interest in tackling issues like its energy footprint..."
My paternal grandmother would have been 94 today. She lived her life...as have most of my family including my parents...on the "waste not, want not" philosophy. She did many of the things listed in the article, and even reused cooking grease (which we now know is not so great for you...but at least she was doing it for the right reason!).
30 signs your parents were frugal
"Frugal folks come from all sorts of backgrounds. Some were raised in typical American families with traditional buying and spending habits and came to embrace frugality much later in life. Others were raised by parents or grandparents who made simplicity part of everyday life -- from the way they cooked and cleaned to the way they fixed their cars and celebrated holidays."
Happy Friday!
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