It's In the Water

“Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all, Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response.” Says president elect Barack Obama. Recent events such as hurricane Katrina and the increase in water level at the North Pole are proof that the effects of climate change are real. Climate Change affects every aspect of society including health, environment, and Energy.”

The United States government is implementing changes that will make America an environmental conscious nation. The creation of the Clean Energy Act is America’s opportunity to limit their carbon emissions. According to Nationmaster.com, the United States of America (USA) ranks number 1 out of 178 nations for carbon emissions.

America is leading three countries that are making extensive contributions to the climate change process. Since 1961, the effects of climate change have been apparent. Deryl Braxton , junior ,Broadcast journalism major, says with what appears to be disdain “ They(the United States of America) failed to take the steps to prevent climate change, I feel that now , more than ever America is trying to make changes in the way they handle global warming, yet like a bad apology it almost seems too little ,too late.”

Although, the United Nations has had minimal success convincing America as a nation to take action, they have managed to inspire the creation of organizations that have made it their personal mission to ensure people are aware of the effects of climate change and what they can do to prevent further damage.

One organization stats “Our mission is to educate and mobilize citizens of this region in a way that fosters a rapid societal switch to clean energy and energy-efficient products, thus joining similar efforts worldwide to halt the dangerous trend of global warming.” The Chesapeake Climate Action Network was established in July 1, 2002.

The state of Maryland has been responsible for the birth of many different Climate concerned programs such as Chesapeake Bay Restoration act, Coal Combustion regulations, and Greening you Facility program. Maryland boasts about many programs that are determined to change the face of environmentalism in Maryland.

Global warming affects many aspects of life for all of humankind, and health in particular has been a major concern. "Those least able to cope and least responsible for the greenhouse gases that cause global warming are most affected," says lead author Jonathan Patz, a professor at the University of Wisconsin(UW) -Madison's Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Often time’s minorities and the financially disabled are the sufferers of the effects of Global Warming. Braxton again says, “The government has tried to function by appeasing both the people and the company’s, the problem is that they are putting profit over people. It is scary to think the lives of people are being held in such low regard.” The capitalist society of America proves the ignorance of pollution and other environmental concerns.

Maryland has managed to reach the environment and people through the Chesapeake Bay Restoration campaign. The concept for the campaign came during the 1950’s, when the quality of the water in the bay began to suffer. The decline in the waters quality was due to the increasing levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. The quality of the water affects the surrounding eco systems and in turn can cause deterioration of the entire eco system.

The year 2004 marked the signing of the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act and the creation of the Chesapeake Bay restoration fund. The funding was created to upgrade the 66-wastewater treatments plants to Enhance Nutrient Reduction (ENR). Improving the wastewater plants will allow the eco system to thrive. Upgrading the wastewater treatment plants will better equip the treatment plants to deal with the excess nitrogen and phosphorus.

The Chesapeake Restoration Act and fund led to the creation of many different initiatives that will make Maryland a greener state. The major Initiatives that were created were put into effect to regulate populates. Laws like the Policy for Nutrient Cap Management, Trading, and Maryland Healthy Air Act. The bay became the catalyst for change for environmental concerns in Maryland.

Maryland’s Department of the Environment (DOE) boasts a number of programs whose main goal is to restore Bay and the state to their natural beauty. The Oyster Recovery Partnership is a natural yet, mutual way of restoring both the bay and the population of Oysters to the bay.

"We ... could produce a lot more oysters using the bay bottom as farmland," says Kennedy Paynter, an oyster researcher at the University of Maryland. Producing more oysters allows the bay to renew and release all of the nitrogen and phosphorus pollutes that are in the bay.

Oysters improve water quality by utilizing filter feeding. Oysters act as nature’s waste manger making them the perfect choice aiding in the revitalization of the bay. Oysters are in dire need of restoration. Their population has suffered greatly because of Dremo. Dremo is a pathogen that has caused the mortality rate that has managed to place the oyster industry in a lack luster situation. Restoring oysters is crucial to the worldwide eco system; the death of oysters could result in pollution of the seas becoming even more prevalent.

Since its conception in 2000, the oyster recovery partnership has managed to place 1 billion oysters in oyster bars all around the bay. One oyster is capable of replenishing 500 gallons of water in a lifetime. Chesapeake Bay is proceeding with its plans to restore the bay and oyster populations. The State of Maryland is planning to restore the surrounding communities with an emphasis on health, environment, and energy.

The establishment of the Commission of Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities (CEJSC) provides Maryland with the task of monitoring and always examining environmental and sustainable issues as they relate healthy, environmentally friendly communities. CEJCS wants to provide all Marylanders with the opportunity to live in a community that is healthy and conducive to the expansion of the communities.

The city of Baltimore has three reservoirs and three water waste management plants, which are responsible for the quality of water in which is supplied in masses to the citizens of Baltimore, Maryland. Water has been a key aspect in the development of the city of Baltimore. 100 years ago, Baltimore’s sanitary pipes were constructed and placed near the city’s stream. The planning for the sanitary system was efficient for that time in history, however as time would go on agents that are associated with waste would overflow into the urban stream contaminating them. Recognizing this is a problem the city has budgeted 900 million dollars to restore the urban sewers by limiting the number of overflows.

In the year 1972, the clean water act (CWA) implemented was made to ensure that the water Americans were using was clean and healthy. The intent of the CWA was to regulate the amount of pollution that government allowed to be released into the nation’s water however, due to ambiguity the Supreme Court ruled to make the clause restore the protections.

"The Clean Water Restoration Act seeks ostensibly to restore protections under the Clean Water Act lost due to Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 and to clarify which waters would be subject to regulation under the act. We’re concerned, however, that the Clean Water Restoration Act would achieve the opposite: It would expand the scope of the Clean Water Act far beyond its original intent while increasing confusion over what is and isn’t to be protected. In addition, we believe the bill runs counter to the principle of accountable government as it seeks to transfer legislative power from elected officials to those appointed for life."

In hopes of sparking a change in the way environment solutions were going this statement released in a letter from a coalition of 100 organizations and individuals who are concerned about the nation’s quality of water.

Despite the confusion that is associated with the CWA many states are taking upon themselves to clean up the natural bodies of water. California’s own Rep. Henry Waxman (CA-30) is the Chairmen of the committee of energy and commerce has personally taking it upon himself to enforce laws that encourage the government and citizens to preserve the country and all of its resources.