Love Canal Assignment- Jacob Bowers

Along with the Love Canal videos, I posted a recent article on Facebook about ocean dumping: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fid%2F51280407%2Fns%2Fus_news-environment%2Ft%2Fshipping-firms-admit-illegal-ocean-dumping%2F%23.UWTFPDnfZdg&h=GAQHKlAWD

I asked some roommates, family members, and friends what their reactions were regarding these environmental tragedies, and if they were aware that things of this magnitude still happen today. 

Here were their comments via online or face-to-face:

1-I didn’t even know about either of these events.  Crazy.

2-Did they really think that covering the waste with dirt would solve the problem?

3-They didn’t think that buying the land for a dollar was a red flag???

4-Eww gross!

5-Had no idea.  We should be more aware about our environment and take better care of the Earth.

6-I’ve been fortunate not to be affected by such disasters, so I really don’t give time and attention to it.

7-Ignorance is bliss…

8-“We all live downstream…”

9- I am a huge advocate for public health.  I think the government needs to provide more funding or increase awareness for things like this!  This is absolutely disgusting!  And to think that all of these things could have been prevented…

10-I did hear about the Love Canal tragedy back in the day.  Very sad and frustrating for all those involved.

Other questions:

Q-What can we do to mitigate these problems today?

A-I don’t think that people realize the difference it would make through a combined effort.  Sometimes we think, “Oh, carpooling or taking public transportation isn’t really going to make a difference.”  Or, “Oh just this little bit of litter won’t really matter.”  We have to understand the impact that our individual efforts will make before we make any difference as a community.  Otherwise, we will just assume that everyone else is “making the difference.”

Q-Why should we care about something that happened 30 years ago?

A-Well, history tends to repeat itself.  Understanding the consequences from other people’s mistakes can prevent future problems/issues.

Q-Are environmental hazards something that we should be concerned with on a daily basis?

A- Absolutely.  This is why almost every other problem happened- because somebody was too lazy to fix the problem the right way.  It’s the little things that constantly happen that will improve the environment around us.  A messy room doesn’t happen in just a second.  We have to constantly be conscious about putting our clothes away, organizing paperwork and cleaning up messes, or eventually it will turn into a large cleaning project that nobody likes to be a part of.   So too it is with our Earth.  We have to be constantly aware of the messes, pollutants, and other things that we are doing to mutilate the planet that we all live on.