I woke up to yesterday morning’s April showers and thought, “It's great that we're getting rain.” So far it’s been one of the driest rainy seasons on record, and everyone from NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) to the California Poppy Reserve is speculating about the reason.
While global climate change is a candidate, so is the fact that we live in a desert, and desert precipitation is unpredictable. I like to see the rain because it makes it more likely that I’ll see wildflowers while I’m hiking in the Angeles or Santa Monica mountains. Whether or not Angelinos have water to drink is more dependent on snowfall in the Sierra Nevada and Colorado Rockies (which are currently 46 and 76% of their normal amount, btw).
However, my opinion of the rainfall became more complicated as I was walking to the Metro. As my gaze was forced downward under my umbrella, I saw the flip-side to this precipitation -- urban runoff. It was coming out of backyards, parking lots, and auto repair shops. Green, blue, orange, soapy and stinky, I knew that this pollution would be going straight to the ocean. This is currently our major environmental issue in LA County (alongside air pollution).
As everyone involved in water resources has told me, "the easy work has been done." The major polluters have been identified, fined, and regulated. What is left is society in general. Every time someone doesn't clean up after their pet, every time someone taps on their brakes releasing a little copper onto the road, we create the conditions for runoff. Let’s not forget trash. Scientists on the Long Beach-based re-search vessel Alguita have found evidence (PDF) of Los Angeles’ “plastic plume” of urban runoff six thousand miles at sea where plastic now outweighs plankton six pounds to one. It is ironic that on the eve of earth day, two of the main environmental issues in LA should be so obvious. But maybe that's a good thing, because we must focus on what can be done to overcome these problems. Here are some things to think about this Earth Day in Los Angeles.
Water Conservation:
Conserve water. Fix dripping faucets. Take advantage of rebates for efficient toilets. If you have a yard, consider landscaping responsibly with plants native to the area, removing the need for irrigation.
Urban Runoff Prevention:
Don’t let hazardous waste fester in your garage or yard; dispose of it responsibly. Better yet, don’t even buy it in the first place! Find a safer, biodegradable option. Clean up after your pet. Get your car checked on schedule; make sure you’re not leaking any toxic fluids onto the street.
Let’s all pledge to do the small things that make a difference this Earth Day. The small things that don’t cost anything, that just require us to be responsible and conscious of our actions. Surely that much we can do.
[photo courtesy of ign11]
