Environmentalism Inspired by Dr. Seuss

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” –Dr. Seuss The Lorax

In honor of the Great Dr. Seuss’s Birthday and the opening of the movie “The Lorax” I begin my post with a quote from Dr. Seuss’s famous environmental book “The Lorax”.

Over 40 years ago this book was published, in a time when environmental activism was in the forefront and people were beginning to understand what was happening to their resources and environment. Books like “The Lorax” and, 10 years previous, Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” brings to attention the countless consequences of a careless attitude toward the environment, and it’s not pretty.

Even today, amidst the daily chaos, it’s hard to realize the environmental repercussions of your actions. With all the marketing schemes playing with the idea of sustainability and being 100% natural, but in reality not really following through, it’s hard to be a responsible consumer. I’m not saying there aren’t responsible companies out there who are making a difference, but they are not always easy to find, and are hardly convenient to the everyday consumer.

Striving to be an environmentalist myself I sometimes get disheartened. The battle of productivity vs. sustainability has been going on for a very long time. When I hear politicians talk about the environment, and what should and should not be done, it worries me in regards to the power they have to control outcomes. I know that “the people” have the power to vote, but just like the consumer has the power to decide what to buy, I feel like the process is never as easy as the idea.

Last week I stopped by Lake Michigan to watch the sunset. Even though I should, I don’t make it out to the lake as much in the winter as I do in the summer. In that moment I wondered how someone could see something as beautiful as a sunset over the water, and not have compassion for the artwork God creates. Then I thought, maybe in the closed off world that we live it today, it’s hard for people to open their eyes to the beauty, peacefulness, and mightiness of the environment.

So for the sake of all the “Truffula Trees”, “Swomee-Swans”, “Brown Bar-ba-loots”, and the “Humming-Fish” we hope there are people out there that care a whole awful lot!

This image was derived from the educational materials of www.seussville.com

Tags: Dr. Seuss, Environmentalism, Lorax, Natural environment, Rachel Carson, Seuss, Silent Spring, sustainability, Trees

Frack Attack

With most introductions to the newest trend in “clean energy” the public response is explosive. In the Midwest we are seeing this with hydrologic fracturing (or “fracking”), a process used to extract natural gas from deep in the ground.

Pictured right is a shale map from U.S. Energy Information Administration.

With nationwide reports of water contamination and earth quakes allegedly tied to fracking, we find that impact studies and regulations are a few steps behind.

For Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality stated in a report in May 2011:  “The DEQ has not found any cases where hydraulic fracturing has caused adverse impacts to the environment or public health in Michigan.” The major concerns listed by the DEQ are as follows:

1. Keeping the gas contained once it is fracked from the ground to protect aquifers (water reserves)
2. Deciding where and how much water is withdrawn (A single fracture treatment for a typical Antrim well requires 50,000 gallons of water while a deeper Marcellus gas well needs about 500,000 gallons of water – Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council-National Wildlife Federation)
3. Making sure the produced water (or the water that was used and mixed with chemicals) is disposed of properly.
4. Managing flowback water (or water that comes back up through the piping)
5. Identifying the chemicals added to the water during the fracking process (Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council does list a few of the known chemicals, Click Here to link to their fact sheet, but many are still undisclosed.)

Other states however, are experiencing adverse impacts. Recently Ohio experienced a 4.0 earthquake, the 11^th earthquake to occur near a 9,200 foot deep disposal well where liquid waste from hydrofracking was injected, according to a New York Times report on January 3, 2012. In Texas, 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in a “center point for natural gas and oil production,” as stated in a KUT news, National Public Radio report.

Near hydraulic fracking sites in Wisconsin there have been concerns about water quality, prompting the EPA to conduct a study of ground water contamination. In the Draft Investigation of Ground Water Contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming the EPA states “A lines of reasoning approach utilized at this site best supports an explanation that inorganic and organic constituents associated with hydraulic fracturing have contaminated ground water at and below the depth used for domestic water supply. However, further investigation would be needed to determine if organic compounds associated with hydraulic fracturing have migrated to domestic wells in the area of investigation.”

The report also emphasizes a need for future study, believing that there is a “need for collection of baseline data, greater transparency on chemical composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids, and greater emphasis on well construction and integrity requirements and testing.”

While these findings help to pinpoint the problems, they unfortunately arrive after the fact. Regulation is too often behind the curve.

Luckily in Michigan the DEQ has set standards and permit requirements for fracking. As of September 2011, the DEQ implemented a Water Withdrawl Analysis for High Volume Hydraulic-fracturing with a two-phase permitting process to decide if there is any potential for Adverse Resource Impacts (ARI). These evaluations will decide if the area is fit for high volume fracking.

Great Michigan is an effort among environmental, conservation, and public health groups across Michigan to address environmental issues across the state. With the issue of hydraulic fracking wells they state: “At present, these wells are not subject to the highest monitoring and testing requirements because the fluids are designated as oil and gas waste, and this designation results in less protective requirements. There are no requirements to analyze the constituents in the fluids prior to injection.”

While the future of fracking is uncertain, we know it’s not going anywhere and we continue to learn more about the process every day. It is my hope that the industry take a hard look at the environmental impacts before continuing to move forward, or that regulations be put in place to make sure hydrofracking is a responsible and sustainable practice.

If you are interested in what fracking looks like, watch the 2 min video below:

Tags: clean energy, earthquake, EPA, flowback water, Fracking, Great Michigan, Hydraulic fracturing, Michigan, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Midwest, Natural gas, Safe Drinking Water Act, U.S. Energy Information Administration, United States Environmental Protection Agency, water, Wyoming

Wrapping Up on Holiday Shopping

Facing the crowds this holiday season in local shops downtown I’ve encountered a certain whispered phrase time and time again, “don’t buy that here, we can find it cheaper online”.

In a time of recession it is comforting to see people flooding the streets and packing in stores during the weeks leading up to Christmas. However, with cell phone apps that allow consumers to scan bar codes to find a better deal, you wonder how many people are leaving stores empty handed only to do their shopping online.

According to USA Today, sales online from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1 are up 15% this year compared the same month last year. With many sites offering free shipping, and discounted prices, it’s easy to see why many consumers are opting to shop on their computer.

Being of Dutch heritage, I can understand a good deal. I’m the girl you seeing shifting through the sale rack of retail shops and buying the medium drink at a coffee shop instead of the small, just because you get more drink for your money. I also understand that many are strapped for cash these days, and want to be able to get their friends and family something special for the holidays.

In 2008, a study was conducted on the impact of local business on the economy of West Michigan. It was found that for every $100 a person spends at a local business $68 stays within the community, while when the same amount is spent at a non-local business, only $43 remains within the community.

Now think about the money you spend online at businesses that are not even within your community, or within your state or country for that matter. How much purchase revenue is your community missing out on with all the online sales?

Just some food for thought while you finish checking off the rest of the gifts on your list this holiday season. I can’t say that I’ve bought all my gifts at local businesses this year, but it’s nice to know for the ones I did I’m supporting my community in a big way.

Happy shopping!

References:

USA today: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2011-12-06/online-retail-sales-surge/51682896/1

 LOCAL WORKS! Examining the Impact of Local Business on the West Michigan Economy September 2008

Tags: crowds this holiday season

This lake is my lake; this lake is your lake…

Our lakes are in trouble, which threatens to drag down an already stressed economy in the Great Lakes region.

A study was released this month by the National Wildlife Federation called- Feast and Famine in the Great Lakes: How Nutrients and Invasive Species Interact to Overwhelm the Coasts and Starve Offshore Waters, about the greatest problems happening within the ecosystem of the Great Lakes. The study notes that about 1.5 million jobs in the United States are associated with the Great Lakes in some way.

The issues within the Great Lakes revolve around a tug of war pull between a nutrient rich and nutrient deprived lake system.

How can there be both you ask?

The report explains there is too much nutrient near shore from all the surface runoff pouring into the lakes, and the essential nutrients are not able to reach the deeper depths of the lake. This is due in part to the zebra and quagga mussels that hitched a ride to the Great Lakes some few decades ago. They are everywhere within the Great Lakes, filtering water and holding the nutrient load near shore. With the filtered water providing sunlight and the abundant amounts of phosphorus available near the shore, the algae are able to thrive, especially now that water temperatures have increased.

When the nutrients are trapped near shore, fish and plant life beyond the shoreline are left starving. So what you have is explosive and dangerous algae blooms, too many mussels, and fish not getting what they need to survive and flourish.

Once the algae eventually die, it sinks and sucks up the available oxygen. This causes what the report calls “dead zones” in the deeper depths of the lake. Fish then have even less of a chance for survival with both oxygen and nutrients being depleted within their ecosystem.

The landscape surrounding the Great Lakes is very different than it was hundreds of years ago. Urban, industrial and agricultural land covers what were once miles and miles of trees and wetlands. The barriers that once kept the lakes protected are now mostly gone, making it harder to keep the lakes healthy. Of course, people will continue to populate the land, but there are things that can be done to give the lakes a better chance.

So the story of our lakes cannot end here. Not only are there millions of people that rely on the Great Lakes for income, but there are millions more that care about and enjoy the beauty and recreation these lakes provide, and rely on the resources supplied by the Great Lakes.

Read this report from National Wildlife Federation to learn more about what the lakes are worth, how our lakes are changing, and what is being done about it: Feast and Famine in the Great Lakes: How Nutrients and Invasive Species Interact to Overwhelm the Coasts and Starve Offshore Waters

Here is a list of programs and organizations provided by the study that are working on Great Lakes issues:

 The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Clean Water Act

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)

U.S. Farm Bill

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs)

International Reference Group on Great Lakes Pollution from Land Use Activities (PLUARG)

Environment Canada

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)

International Joint Commission (IJC)

References: Feast and Famine in the Great Lakes: How Nutrients and Invasive Species Interact to Overwhelm the Coasts and Starve Offshore Waters

Tags: algae blooms, Clean Water Act, Great Lakes, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Invasive Species, Michigan, National Wildlife Federation, Total maximum daily loads

Trash to Treasure

Recycling enthusiast Nancy Judd has a unique way of spreading the word about conservation through public art and couture fashion.

“Waste does not exist, only wasted resources,” said Judd.

Judd was one of over 1500 artists featured at this year’s ArtPrize in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. ArtPrize is public art contest where the winning pieces are not chosen by professional art critics but instead through a public voting process.

Throughout the past three weeks, when you walked into the large open room of the annex in the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts you might have found Judd sewing away at a red dress (pictured right). On the table surrounding the dress were hundreds of small red circles, cut out from recycled cardboard and painted red with recycled paint.

Anyone who walked by her table was encouraged to write out an “eco pledge” on the front or back of one of the circles. The idea of the “eco pledge” was for a person to make a commitment to change an aspect of their daily routine in order to decrease their environmental impact.

Some of Judd’s favorite pledges were “showering together”, “shop locally”, and “use less water bottles”.

When people came by Judd was happy when she heard them talking about their conservation efforts, especially when it was a parent talking to a child.

“When people make a commitment with a pledge, even if they don’t do it right away, every time they do that thing a little ping will go off in their head,” said Judd. “Maybe that’s what it’s all about.”

In order to reach out to millions of people about sustainability, her collection has appeared on fashion show runways, airports, malls, museums, and other public venues, as well as at hands-on workshops and presentations.

Judd said she likes to show how trash can be used in ways people wouldn’t expect.

“I like to inspire people to look at trash a different way,” said Judd. “Trash is resources, designated as garbage.”

Like many of her other pieces, the dress she made for ArtPrize was specific and unique to this particular event. The ArtPrize dress was titled Eco-Flamenco, and was made from parachute and canvas scraps, recycled cardboard, and recycled paint from Battle Creek, Mich.

Judd doesn’t refer to herself as a fashion designer or as an artist per say, her idea of creating unique clothing items out of recycled material mostly derived from her 20 year career in recycling and solid waste management.

When Judd was in college she saw how the trash near the vending machine would fill up with pop cans. Judd asked to gather up the cans for recycling, and that is how her recycling career began.

Since then Judd feels we have come a long way as a country.

“At this point most people have integrated recycling into their life,” said Judd. “It’s time for this country to dig deeper and starting thinking about how to live lighter on earth,” said Judd.

 

To learn more about Nancy Judd and her work as a public artist and environmental advocate, visit her website: http://recyclerunway.com/

Tags: ArtPrize, Business, conservation efforts, Eco Pledge, Environment, Nancy Judd, Recycling, red dress, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Waste, Waste and Recycling, Waste management