Explore the causes and effects of water contamination, including microplastics, chemicals, and stormwater runoff. Learn how to protect lakes, rivers, and freshwater resources.
This adoption program requires just three days of personal, hands-on time annually and a commitment of no more than two years. Businesses and community groups are being asked to volunteer for a first-ever “adopt-a-river” program in Wisconsin and remove trash along the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers and their tributaries, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Executive
More and more environmental groups are making noise about the devastating impact winter salting has on the environment which is raising awareness and forcing lawmakers to look at alternative solutions. In Canada alone, the country applies five million tonnes (over 110 billion pounds) of salt during an average winter. This salt contaminates ground and freshwater,
Ocean Conservancy released the results of the 2019 International Coastal Clean-up, revealing that for the first time in ICC history, cigarette butts were displaced as the number-one-reported debris item along beaches and waterways worldwide. Instead, food wrappers topped the list, with 943,195 volunteers removing a record 4,771,602 food wrappers in a single day. Food wrappers
In 1985, Muskegon Lake in Michigan was declared a Great Lakes Area of Concern by the EPA. The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission will utilize $3.1 million to clean up the lake and undo years of environment abuse. The abuse began in the 1800’s during the lumber era when sawmill debris was tossed into
Lanterns, like balloons, float and then eventually come down. After Valentine’s Day, a man collected over 30 love themed balloons in only a few hours off the coast of Laguna Beach. I believe there is already a lot of awareness to the problem with balloon releases and am shocked that they still allowed anywhere. They
300 pounds of road salt is applied per lane per mile. It sounds like a lot! That is the industry standard! Certainly less is applied if conditions require it, but it takes many factors to determine the correct treatment to keep roadways safe in the winter months. According to to Wisconsin Saltwise, an organization designed
When the road get snow covered and icy, road crews work extra hard to keep travelers safe. However, the extensive use of salt may be damaging lakes and streams. Researchers examined 371 lakes and found that 44% are at risk of salinization, meaning there is a build of salt in the water table. This excess
Alex Weber, a junior at Carmel High School in California, and her friend Jack Johnston had repeatedly come across large numbers of golf balls on the ocean floor while snorkeling in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary near the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. As environmentally conscious teens, they started removing golf balls from the water, one
A monumental eco-challenge facing the planet is plastic marine debris. The modern economy has produced more than eight billion metric tons of newly manufactured plastic, but 75% of it becomes plastic waste. It is estimated that approximately five trillion pieces of plastic, or roughly 250,000 metric tons, have littered the waters. So, what can be
A recent study of bottled water, conducted by the journalism organization Orb Media, found that almost every major brand of bottled water is contaminated with particles of plastic. The researchers tested 250 bottles of water—from nine countries and 11 brands. They dropped a red dye in each, which stuck to the plastic and glowed when