So I couldn't decide which one of my "homes" to report for hometown current events. I was thinking of searching the news in Wall Township, New Jersey, because it is really the only town that I ever stayed in for a period of more than 3 years, whereas my loyalty to California expanses a region in which I moved many times in my childhood over the span of 9. I started off browsing the Asbury Park Press for news and was immediately disheartened by titles and tidbits such as "New Jersey's air pollution worst in the country," "Two New Jersey landfill operators fined 2 million," and the slightly startling stat that New Jersey is home to 108 toxic waste dumps (but perhaps its excess of diners can compensate?). I switched gears to try to avoid becoming overly discouraged by this unfortunate land I had fallen into during a period of my life and turned to the LA Times instead. If I could pin my floating sense of geographical identity to one place, or really, earthly domain, it would be the Pacific Ocean. It is where I have returned always to be enveloped as into the arms of a great mother and my existence and origins confirmed. I had traveled several times to distant coasts of other countries only to recognize that that same sea's magnetism had brought me back to it, if in another latitude. I sense that my entire life will be a circular pilgrimage back to it again and again.
Anyway. California's environmental news as expected was more progressive and positive than depressing. 500 companies in 8000 stores in the state have joined the bandwagon to ban plastic bags. The state annually had been using about 19 billion plastic bags. Each bag takes only a few minutes to use, but 500 years to decompose.
More good news: There will be a ban on the use of septic tanks in Malibu. The city intends to move towards a centralized wastewater system. Apparently septic leakage has been showing up in the waters of the area. Surfers were getting rashes and eye infections. Gross.
Not so good news: Toxic algae from freshwater runoff killing sea otters off coast of Calfornia.
Nursing home in downtown L.A. attempts to install 1400 solar panels (the size of a football field's worth). Operation halted due to being an eyesore and possible fire hazard. Shucks.
Potentially better news: World's largest solar plant wins approval to be built in California. Its construction would create 1004 jobs and the plant would generate 1000 megawatts, as opposed to the current 200-350 megawatts generated in solar energy facilities currently.
No comments:
Post a Comment