how would you argue that water quality in a town’s rivers is a good indicator of their environmental concern?
what observations and facts would support this statement? how does the clarity and quality of the water indicate the clarity and quality of a town’s concern about their environment?
make it better: what arguments would you use to ’sell’ a community on the importance of having clean rivers and streams, even if they aren’t the source of drinking water?
The only connection between the quality of a town’s water and concerned citizens is when there is a "quantifiable" effect on human health. There are numerous examples of environmental disasters around the world, both cronic and acute, which were/are ignored or swept under the rug.
Muggah’s Creek (Sydney Tar Ponds) and Walkerton, Ontario are two examples. Have you ever seen a river catch fire? Muggah’s Creek has on more than one occasion. The government is shilling out over $400 million to bury it all and forget about it. In Walkerton the Town Engineer screwed up and 7 people died because their drinking water was contaminated with e-coli when heavy rains flushed cattle feces into the river and under ground aquafer their drinking water was taken from. In that case not only was the engineer culpable, but it was a systemic problem due to government cost cutting on a provincial basis.
People don’t care about the environment until AFTER it kills PEOPLE. Then they bury it all and move on.
The only connection between the quality of a town’s water and concerned citizens is when there is a "quantifiable" effect on human health. There are numerous examples of environmental disasters around the world, both cronic and acute, which were/are ignored or swept under the rug.
Muggah’s Creek (Sydney Tar Ponds) and Walkerton, Ontario are two examples. Have you ever seen a river catch fire? Muggah’s Creek has on more than one occasion. The government is shilling out over $400 million to bury it all and forget about it. In Walkerton the Town Engineer screwed up and 7 people died because their drinking water was contaminated with e-coli when heavy rains flushed cattle feces into the river and under ground aquafer their drinking water was taken from. In that case not only was the engineer culpable, but it was a systemic problem due to government cost cutting on a provincial basis.
People don’t care about the environment until AFTER it kills PEOPLE. Then they bury it all and move on.
References :
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/tarponds/
http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/sydney-tar-ponds/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2003/04/22/walkerton_water030422.html
http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/mikeharris_walkertonwater.html
You can’t argue that water quality in a town’s rivers is a good indicator of environmental concern. The Environment Agency has statutory responsibility for water quality in UK
The have a number of River water quality assessments.
These targets set water quality needed in rivers for water supplies, recreation and conservation. It is wide ranging including protection of groundwater from pollution by controlling discharges and disposals of certain dangerous substances to groundwater.
The Freshwater Fish Directive Aims to healthy fish populations.
Surface Water Abstraction Directive Aims to control the quality of water from rivers, lakes and reservoirs that is used to supply public drinking water
Bathing Waters Directive protects public health from sewage pollution
Dangerous Substances Directives controls discharges to inland, coastal and territorial waters that are liable to contain dangerous substances.
Habitats Directive Aims to protect the wild plants, animals and habitats that make up our diverse natural environment Nitrates Directive Aims to reduce water pollution by nitrate from agricultural sources and to prevent such pollution occurring in the future
Shellfish Waters Directive
Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive sets out guidelines and legislation on how we collect, treat and discharge urban waste water
Biodiversity is a key indicator in a healthy ecosystem. For example Voles and Salmon are key indicator species of a healthy ecosystem.
References :
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmenvfru/749/74905.htm
http://www.yorkshirewater.com/?OBH=3569
Old but issues are there
http://www.nottsbag.org.uk/pdfs/BAP/sap_watervole.pdf
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/waterquality/252005/?version=1&lang=_e