Forget Plastic Straws, Shit is Our Real Problem

Northampton County Council has adopted a meaningless and nonbinding plastic straw ban that does nothing to protect our environment. It is just another example of virtue-signalling. But if local officials really want to save the planet, the place to start is with our shit.

According to Governing, defective septic systems have become a nightmare. "Leaky septic tanks cause algae blooms that close beaches on New York’s Long Island. They threaten dolphins and other aquatic wildlife in Florida. One of the striking things, Flowers says, is how many of the people affected by wastewater problems are poor or belong to historically marginalized groups."

They also produce hookworms.

Now I suppose Tara Zrinski could propose a new nonbinding resolution that commands us to stop shitting, but this is an area where local and county government can make a difference. It could educate the public. It could get involved in a proposal to install swere lines along a portion of Route 611 in Upper Mount Bethel Tp. It could even start assisting residents in applying for grant funding for new septic systems. This would actually accomplish something.

Unless You're a Trout, You'll Get Dirty Water

Clean Water Action has issued a news release complaining about the Pennsylvania State Senate's failure to act on legislation designed to protect our drinking supply by creating "critical zones" near rivers and wells. Under current law, a pristine trout stream gets better protection from pollution than our own drinking sources. Not only do we drink dirty water, but it's full of fish piss.

Despite the support of 10 Republican and 14 Democratic state senators, this proposal is as stagnant as a pond. Myron Arnowitt, who heads up Clean Water Action in Pa, claims "most of our drinking water rules are focused on how much treatment is required to take pollution out of our rivers and streams. It is much less expensive for the public if we ensure from the start that we are not putting too much pollution into our drinking water supply.”

Locally, Senators Lisa Boscola and Bob Mensch, a Democrat and a Republican, are co-sponsors. Senator Pat Browne is not among the co-sponsors ... yet.

Don't Breathe That Lehigh Valley Air

Did you know that one in 10 people in the U.S. live in areas with unhealthy levels of all three types of pollution: ozone, short-term and year-round particle pollution? Now you do, thanks to The American Lung Association's State of the Air: 2008.

Wait, it gets better. Four Pennsylvania metropolitan areas are among the top twenty-five dirtiest cities in the U.S. Pittsburgh is actually #1, baby, and the other cities are Harrisburg, Philly and State College.

Whoopee!

Here in the Lehigh Valley, both Lehigh and Northampton Counties get Fs for ozone days (smog). Northampton also flunks on particle pollution(soot). Lehigh gets an INCOMPLETE because it screwed up its monitoring.

Smog does little things like causing asthma attacks, coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain when inhaling deeply, and even premature death. Soot is even worse, reducing life expectancies and helping lung cancer along.

Excuse me while I throw open that window and breathe deeply!