Holy litter Batman! As I drive down 490, 390, 590, and just about any other road, the litter is everywhere. Most fences can be found holding garbage in its grasp. every roadside ditch is cluttered with it. Lawns and trees keep it in their grasp.
Where does it go you might ask? Well, unfortunately most of it stays right there or finds it way into a waterway. And from one drainage ditch to another to storm drain.
For those of you who don’t know, none of this water is filtered or cleaned. Anything in the storm drain floats right on into the creeks and streams and finally Lake Ontario.
Think of the cigarette butts, the wrappers, the heroin needles, the paint and other crap we flush into our natural resources.
The only water that goes through the water treatment systems is the stuff that you put down your drains and toilets. All the fertilizer and dog poop that is left on your lawn gets flushed into the water. Think about that the next time you are splashing around in a creek, stream, pond, or lake. I bet you think twice.
The bottom line is don’t litter. If you see litter, pick it up and get it to the garbage. Livestock farmers have requirements to dispose of waste.
Take a look as you are riding along the roads and see the pollutants that some of us carelessly discard. We only have one planet. If we don’t do our part, there won’t be any left for anyone else in younger generations.
We have been battling pollution for generations and it doesn’t seem to be any better. A section of the Genesee River near Kodak was recently deemed polluted even after Kodak’s own wastewater treatment. The Genesee used to be a very popular and successful angling spot with plenty of salmon and many decades ago, sturgeon. In the late 1800’s sturgeon which can grow very large were also referred to as Albany Beef because of their color, texture and abundance. The DEC has recently started a reintroduction of lake sturgeon into Lake Ontario and the Genesee.
These are just a few of the articles found in a cursory internet search on the topic.
For solutions, there are a few. Pick up after yourself. Don’t let litter fly around. Police your property. Don’t dump crap into storm drains. Secure all items in your trailer or pickup truck. Law enforcement should enforce littering laws. Your company could Adopt a Highway.
In short, do the right thing!
And one more thing. Plant a tree and save the bees!!
