Monday, August 13, 2007

The Beginning of Something Good?
Come to Wisconsin and paddle and fish in Lake Michigan...where the average size pan fish has as much mercury as a rectal thermometer. Nothing in that lake is safe to eat (my medical judgment...but I digress). And, for total nutrition, know that you will get your minimal daily requirements of PCB's as well.


Well, things may be looking up as you can see by the headline in our daily rag here in Milwaukee. It will take time , of course, for the lake and its inhabitants to heal. Some species are likely to disappear before that time, however. Then there are the invasive species which arrived courtesy of international ballast waters which ejaculate from foreign ships. All in all, it is worse than a primordial soup in a horror movie. No, I haven't forgotten the nitrogenous contribution from all the farms along all the rivers that send water and suspended matters to the lake.


It didn't get that way overnight, and it won't get better any faster. But Mother Earth does have a way of healing herself if just left to do so on her own. The question is: can we get to hell out of her way and let her do her work?


Paddle safe...

DS

1 comment:

Michael said...

Good post, Dick. Our local municipalities fought our blue-green algae problem with posters this year thinking the money spent would solve the problem. Of course it didn't. They should have spent the money on direct action to stop the nutrient input, and allow Mother Nature to do her part of the job.