Flushing Old Meds Is the Safest Disposal Method

Archive for the ‘water’ Category

Flushing Old Meds Is the Safest Disposal Method

Fishing for the Facts: Is It Safe to Flush Old Meds?

What to do when it comes time to ditch old and unused medicine? Flushing old pharmaceuticals down the toilet may seem like a better option than simply trashing them. After all, the FDA recommends flushing some drugs in order to keep them from being accidentally ingested by others. Problem is, like everything else we flush, medicine we send down the pipes ends up in waterways…and potentially beyond.

That’s part of what has prompted organizations like the Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) to call for further investigation into the impact of chemical contaminants in our water, and to advocate safe disposal of medicines through local drug take-back programs. We talked with Olga Lyandres, PhD, the Alliance’s research manager, and Debra Shore, MWRD commissioner to find out why they think participating in drug take-back programs are the best option. (more…)

School (of Fish) Bullies: Are Asian Carp Really That Big a Deal?

It’s back-to-school time and anti-bullying campaigns have been getting a lot of media attention these days (deservedly so). But there’s another kind of bully threatening to take over a Great Lakes school system: the Asian carp.

True, it’s just a fish, so it’s not consciously being malicious—it doesn’t even look all that intimidating. Still, this non-native character has the potential to devastate the ecosystems and economy of the entire Great Lakes region.

Sound overblown to you? Some people think there’s much ado about nothing when it comes to the threat of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes. After all, they’ve seen invasive species enter local waterways before that did not appear to trigger any widespread calamity. The bad news is, there’s nothing overblown about this.

We won’t mince words: Experts from across the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins predict ecological catastrophe and economic woe should Asian carp successfully enter the Great Lakes. Why? We took the proverbial bait and asked Kim Rice, resident Asian carp policy planner at Friends of the Chicago River, and Jared Teutsch, water policy advocate at the Alliance for the Great Lakes to give us the lowdown. (more…)

You Don’t Need to Be a Rain Surgeon to Make the Most of Rainwater

EcoMyth: Water Management Is for the Cities (and Whoever Else Is Paid to Deal With That Stuff)

Let’s start with a little flashback. You’re in grade school, looking around your classroom at the other kids (whoa, what were we thinking with those haircuts?), and your eyes settle on a poster on the wall. Puffy rain clouds, a cheerful sun, and a few big words like “transpiration” indicate that this is the Water Cycle poster, an iconic diagram that most of us saw at least once in grade school. (Here’s a classic one to jog your memory.) Bright arrows show water falling as rain, nourishing plants and filling in rivers, lakes, and oceans, then heading back into the sky to start the whole shebang over again.

The U.S. Geological Survey breaks down the Water Cycle like so…

Now look for the bit where the rainwater runs off our many impermeable surfaces (think concrete and building roofs), floods sewers, then causes crap (literally) to enter and pollute our waterways. Don’t see that in the cartoon diagram? Overflowing sewers may not have featured prominently in the lesson plan in those days, but today, there’s no ignoring them.

Thankfully, there are urban engineers, civic officials, and government agencies who have made it their mission to address those stormwater challenges. But with century-old sewer systems still in use across the country, there’s just not enough money to pay for complete system overhauls. And that’s where we, the nature-loving kids-at-heart, come in. (more…)

Chicago River: Mission Accomplished?

EcoMyth: Disinfection Will Make the Chicago River Clean

It looks like we can cross mission impossible (aka, Chicago River disinfection approval) off the list…so can we all go home now?

First, for those of you who managed to miss the major buzz on the river this past year, here’s the quick rundown: Sewage effluent makes up about 70 percent of the river water [PDF]. That’s not good. And despite several area organizations having advocated for years that we needed to disinfect said eau de toilet, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) wasn’t budging—until the head honchos over at the EPA said enough is enough.

The EPA highlighted area waterways that needed upgraded standards in green.

The MWRD came on board shortly thereafter, and they’re set to begin disinfection—by the 2016 recreational season—at two of three plants that currently aren’t doing it. Shazam. Meanwhile, disinfection at the third one, Stickney, is under review (it’s more complicated since it’s widely considered the largest wastewater treatment facility in the world).

Since that news broke, a lot of people are wondering whether our work here is done. (more…)

The (Sea)food Network: Tuning In to the Wild Vs. Farmed Debate

EcoMyth: Wild Seafood Is Better Than Farmed

What does the word “wild” mean to you? To us, it conjures up visions of salivating grizzly bears, gun-slinging outlaws, untamed facial hair…that sort of thing. But it can also evoke a fuzzy feeling of natural goodness—pesticide-free lands, clear skies, and clean water teeming with silvery fish.

Problem is, wild isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be—at least not when it comes to seafood. And like the ocean itself, the question of buying farmed versus wild seafood can be tough to navigate…unless you’ve got a Shedd Aquarium pro on your side. So let’s dive in (pun intended, per usual)! (more…)

The Chicago River: Eau de Toilet?

To tackle some lingering myths about the Chicago River, let’s start with a pop quiz. Which of the following describes the river?

A nature haven
A paddler’s paradise
Toilet water
Really green every March 17
All of the above

The answer is E.

Wait a minute. Sure, everyone knows that dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patty’s Day is a time-honored tradition. But how can the river be Nature Haven, Paddler’s Paradise and Toilet Water all at once?
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Myth: Lake Michigan Is So Big That Chicago Can’t Run Out of Water

Nearly 6.5 million people throughout Chicago and 200 surrounding suburbs depend on Lake Michigan for their drinking water. However, despite Lake Michigan’s appearance as being an endless supply of fresh water, Illinois is limited by the federal courts to withdraw only 2.1 billion gallons each day from the lake.

As our towns and cities make plans to accommodate the region’s growth projected for the coming decades, an alarming fact emerges: we are already pushing the upper limit of our lake water restriction, and our groundwater resources are being depleted faster than they’re being replenished.

It’s quickly becoming clear that in order to meet the demand of a growing population and to maintain a vibrant economy, we need to become much more efficient and thoughtful with our water usage.

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Myth: Once a Wetland Is Gone, It’s Gone for Good

Wetlands provide valuable services for society, including cleaner water and keeping pesky mosquitoes in check. The sad fact, however, is that a significant portion of wetlands in the United States has been lost in the name of economic development. In Illinois alone, over 85 percent of the original wetlands in existence in 1780 have been lost to agriculture and development.

Despite these losses, there is some good news. While we can never hope to perfectly replicate nature, recent research demonstrates how degraded and “lost” wetlands can undergo ecological interventions to restore important aspects of their natural function. We can even create wetlands in areas where none existed previously.

Why care? We now know that wetlands provide tremendous economic benefits to society. Just ask the shrimpers in Louisiana whose very livelihood depends on the protective coastal marshes.

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Do More Wetlands Equal More Mosquitoes?

In the mood to blame wetlands for the blood-sucking, possible disease-spreading skeeters in your yard? It’s an urban legend that wetlands are a primary source of the mosquitoes that spread diseases like West Nile Virus.

In fact, a healthy, functioning wetland can actually help reduce mosquito populations. A vibrant wetland ecosystem is home to fish, insects, amphibians, birds, and bats that devour the tiny pests.

And when it comes to combating the spread of West Nile Virus, it’s interesting to learn that this disease is transmitted primarily by a mosquito variety called the “house mosquito.” This species does not prefer to breed in wetlands; instead, it breeds rapidly in stagnant water often found around the home—places like discarded tires, untended bird baths, and clogged roof gutters.

So, healthy wetlands provide wildlife habitat, naturally cleanse our water—and even help control those annoying mosquitoes.

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Myth: Wetlands Are Wastelands and Should Be Filled In

Contrary to popular belief, wetlands provide important functions and are often called “nature’s kidneys” or “ecological supermarkets.”

These important functions include storing flood water, filtering dirty water, and protecting shorelines. Wetlands also support an extensive food chain. If you like crawfish, you’ll find them in wetlands. Many cultures, including the Cajuns of Louisiana and various Native American tribes, have learned to live in harmony with wetlands, using them as a source of food, peat for fuel, and building materials. Wetlands may even help stabilize the climate by serving as reservoirs for excess carbon in the air.

So, do you still believe that wetlands are wastelands? Then read on.

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EcoMyths

Archive for the ‘water’ Category