Stormwater Pollution of Beaches - Case Study Example

Storm water pollution of beaches: a case of North Beach and Clean Beach Group Introduction Australia is blessed with a number of beautiful beaches. Ocean information (2011) reports that Australia’s marine life is more diverse as compared to the terrestrial ecosystems with over 4500 species of fish and 500 corals. Unfortunately, these beaches are not as clean as they could possibly be (Peden, 2011). Pollution to the beaches can be caused by oil, untreated sewage or industrial wastes (Peden, 2011). But he mentions that the most common cause of pollution in beaches as described by EPA is contaminated storm water. Storm water causes pollution because of the pollutants that come with it; these includes many things ranging from vehicular fluids, dog droppings, cigarettes butts, plastics or anything that is washed away with storm water. Bruntland commission defined sustainability as the ability to ensure that present use or actions of the resources do not compromise the future generations to achieve the same uses or needs of the resource (Kates, Parris & Leiserowitz, 2005). Pollution will compromise the water quality and make the future users of beaches not to enjoy as much as when it is clean. North Weston Beach is in the city of Stirling, Australia and the Beach is faced with perennial problems of storm water pollution. This essay will look at how behavioral change in Fairy Creek catchments area (where the storm water originates) can effectively increase the quality of the North Weston Beach as the quantity from pollutants arising from storm water is reduced. Behavioral Change needed The behavioral change that will be required will be to stop or reduce the amount of pollution caused by residents of Fairy Creek. In looking at the behavioral change, it is first important to consider what causes the storm water pollution so that the necessary action (behavioral change can be prescribed). The road network brings its share of pollution to the beach with oil, grease and petroleum which are toxic to aquatic life. Jones and associates (2011) report that oil and grease can be very dangerous to aquatic life even in small amounts. The behavioral change that we will encourage will be to advice the automobile owners is to recycle used fuel and oil in automobile centers and have regular checks on vehicles to check if there are leaks and have them fixed immediately. Algae bloom is caused by fertilizers and detergents in a process which is referred to as eutrophication where water bodies become rich with nutrients especially nitrates and phosphates. When water is enriched with nutrients, these algae emerge; the algae require oxygen to flourish thereby increasing the biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the water body (water pollution, 2011). Citizens of fairy creek will be advised to minimize the use of fertilizers in lawns and non biodegradable detergents. Rusting iron (metal) or organic materials such as grass, leaves in excess cause less oxygen in water for the other organisms (Peden, 2011). These substances are oxygen demanding and will cause the water to have a high BOD. The impacts of these can be minimized y colleting organic materials or composting them instead of just leaving them on the field to be carried away by storm water. Herbicides and pesticides have toxic chemicals in them. Pesticides and herbicides are sprayed to kill insects, pests and weeds but may affect non target organisms (water pollution, 2011). For example, DTT was sprayed in the USA to control mosquitoes at a level that was assumed not to be lethal to organisms; it accumulated in planktons that were eaten by fish which were then eaten by birds, at each level of the food chain, the concentration of the DTT increased. This process is referred to as biomagnifications (water pollution, 2011). Minimal use of fertilizers and pesticides will be encouraged more so in lawns. Lead, mercury and zinc are metal toxins resistant to biogredation. Some of these toxins are believed to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) while others can cause death in humans. For example, mercury enters the food chain through bacteria, algae, and fish and then to humans as exemplified in the Minamata Bay tragedy in Japan where fish died as a result of mercury ingestion and people were affected by mercury poisoning after consuming the fish. Some people actually died from consuming the fish. The process by which metal toxins transmit themselves in a food chain is called bioaccumulation. A survey will be done in Fairy Creek to determine which factories do produce these toxin metals and challenge them to change their ways. Sewage runoff may contain microbes some of which could be pathogenic. The local government has identified Fairy Creek as a hotspot for sewage runoff as most sewage systems break down after heavy rains (Peden, 2011). This causes overflow that may end up in the North beach and eventually causing pollution. Sewage waste may contain viruses and bacteria hence causing diseases to other organisms and humans. Dog and other pet owners in Fairy Creek will be asked to be more careful on how they dispose off their wastes so that it does not drain with the storm water. Plastics, fast food packages, aluminum cans and the like are non-biodegredable. These wastes are usually an eyesore. Furthermore, marine life can be entangled in these things or ingest them causing their death and more pollution (Peden, 2011). Residents will be encouraged to throw litter in cans and keep them very tight to avoid disturbance by animals while foraging. Darby (2011) notes that plastics accumulations are among the most notable changes in the environment today with plastic on land, sea shores and even deep in the sea affecting organisms and ecosystems. Challenges to sustainable behavior Logistics challenge is an anticipated challenge as it requires specialized expertise and equipment to undertake some of the programs mentioned. For example, measuring the extent to which toxin wastes imparts on the marine organisms and subsequently to human beings will be a challenge. Secondly, reaching out to the entire population of people in the North beach and Fairy Creek will also be challenging. Some of the behavioral changes like measuring toxic wastes will require a lot of money which we might not be able to raise. Peden, (2011) reports that though it has been established that storm water is the most important factor in pollution, studies are limited on this aspect. It will be therefore difficult to back our claims with undisputed facts. The mentioned alternatives that will lead up to sustainability may be unfamiliar, inefficient or expensive. Most residents for instance are used to applying fertilizer on their loans to make them green and insect free, suggestion of minimal use of these might make the lawns appear unkempt which will be uncomfortable for many people. Regular checks for the vehicles will cost money to the residents and most will prefer not to have their vehicles checked now and again for leaks. Mathieu (2011) notes that people are usually too lazy to make efforts in changing the environment for the better, for example many people find it difficult to take trash to a recycle center and instead dispose it to land fill. General disapproval by the members of the public will also be a possible outcome as suggestions such as looking after the pets and collecting their droppings might be brushed aside as useless. Moreover, industries and individuals ‘guilty’ of unsustainable practices will give us a hard time in colleting data and will continuously claim their innocence when presented with evidence accusing them of unsustainable practices. Different individuals have different views and values; policy making is highly subjective and will be influenced by these views (Thomas, 2007). By this, some people will justify degradation of beaches citing there is need for development or that there are natural processes to clean up the beaches. Tools in achieving behavioral change Organizing beach clean ups will be the key tool in achieving the behavioral change. Various successful clean ups have been achieved in Australia including the Bondi clean up in Wentworth. Our clean up strategy will follow in the footstep of the clean up by volunteers at Broadwater National Park in which eleven bags of rubbish were collected and recycled (Broadwater, 2010). Most of the rubbish was composed of cigarette butts; therefore cigarette smokers will also be much targeted during the clean ups and encouraged to dispose off the cigarette butts in disposal bins. Clean up will raise the profile of our cause and encourage people to join. Furthermore, all the effort to sustainability will be reinforced once the residents see how clean the beach can be with a few behavioral changes. Area clean up of the North Beach and Fairy Creek will show the communities how committed we are in the actual work and prove to them we are not only talk. The group will expect this will bring out more community members to join us and as pointed out earlier, once the community sees the progress, they will be challenged to maintain the environment clean. School seminars will be our second most important tool in achieving behavioral change. Rebecca Clay (2000), explain that children are influenced by what they see in advertisement and might push their guardians to acquire these things for them them. In the same way, our group will launch seminars in primary school going children and teach them things such as proper waste disposal and looking after the pets. It is expected that they will transmit this knowledge to their homes and try to practice them. Most parents encourage their children to learn virtues and will therefore support them hence a cleaner Fairy Creek and North beach as a result. Furthermore, children are the beneficiaries of our sustainable practices and should have an active role in it. Mathieu (2011) adds some humor to it when he comments that instead of wasting time addressing the present stubborn generation, one should try and convince the younger generation because it is their future after all. Door to door campaign will involve us going to citizens’ homes and imparting the message of storm water pollution and outlining to residents of the areas surrounding North Beach how they can help in making the Beach clean. Texas campaign for the environment (TCE) has used this door to door method for years effectively among the Texan people to mobilize citizens and have a high quality of environment (TCE, 2011). Door to door campaign is relatively cheap and will give an indication to what extent the information is disseminated across the North Beach populous. Work plan The group will have a one month work plan in which we will be working on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Each Saturday will be a cleanup day from 9 am to 1 pm where the catchments areas of Fairy Creek and North Beach will be cleaned by collecting plastics, cigarette butts and so on. On Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings from 8 am to 12 pm, groups will go to different primary and high school to teach the young people on the importance of clean beaches and how they can help to clean the beaches, then in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm, we will be going door to door to sensitize the neighborhood on the same. Conclusions Beaches, catchments areas and oceans are important ecosystems that should be conserved at all costs. Storm water is a major cause of pollution and individuals through simple efforts can contribute to the sustainability of these ecosystems. Public sensitization of common things such as proper disposal of cigarette butts, plastic, organic and pet’s wastes can greatly reduce the pollution of the North Beach and make it safe for living organisms in the water and humans who use the water for swimming and surfing. Reference list Broadwater (2010). A Successful Clean Up Australia Day at the Broadwater. Gold coast tourist park. Clay R. (2000) Advertising to children: Is it ethical? APA Darby (2011). The cost of a plastic world. National times. Retrieved on 27 May 2011, http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-cost-of-a-plastic-world-20110404-1cxdw.html Jones and associates (2011) Public involvement and participation: Minimum control measure 2. Jones and associates engineering Kates R., Parris T. & Leiserowitz A., (2005) “what is sustainable development” Environment science and policy of sustainable development vol 47. issue 3. pp 8-21 Mathieu F. (2011). Environmentally conscious community. Be Green. Ocean information (2011) Australia ocean information. AOI Peden K (2011). Stormwater Pollution in the Fairy Creek. Chapter 9 Retrieved on 27 May 2011, spot.pcc.edu/rccasos/CAS%20216A/.../Unit%20D/Chapter%209.pdf TCE (2011). About TCE. Texas campaign for the Environment. Thomas I. (2007) Environmental policy: Australian practice in the context of theory. Federation press. Sydney. Water pollution (2011). Water pollution. Chapter 11. Retrieved on 27 May 2011, http://download.nos.org/313courseE/OPTIONAL_3%20L-33%20WATER%20POLLUTION.PDF Read More

When water is enriched with nutrients, these algae emerge; the algae require oxygen to flourish thereby increasing the biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the water body (water pollution, 2011). Citizens of fairy creek will be advised to minimize the use of fertilizers in lawns and non biodegradable detergents. Rusting iron (metal) or organic materials such as grass, leaves in excess cause less oxygen in water for the other organisms (Peden, 2011). These substances are oxygen demanding and will cause the water to have a high BOD.

The impacts of these can be minimized y colleting organic materials or composting them instead of just leaving them on the field to be carried away by storm water. Herbicides and pesticides have toxic chemicals in them. Pesticides and herbicides are sprayed to kill insects, pests and weeds but may affect non target organisms (water pollution, 2011). For example, DTT was sprayed in the USA to control mosquitoes at a level that was assumed not to be lethal to organisms; it accumulated in planktons that were eaten by fish which were then eaten by birds, at each level of the food chain, the concentration of the DTT increased.

This process is referred to as biomagnifications (water pollution, 2011). Minimal use of fertilizers and pesticides will be encouraged more so in lawns. Lead, mercury and zinc are metal toxins resistant to biogredation. Some of these toxins are believed to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) while others can cause death in humans. For example, mercury enters the food chain through bacteria, algae, and fish and then to humans as exemplified in the Minamata Bay tragedy in Japan where fish died as a result of mercury ingestion and people were affected by mercury poisoning after consuming the fish.

Some people actually died from consuming the fish. The process by which metal toxins transmit themselves in a food chain is called bioaccumulation. A survey will be done in Fairy Creek to determine which factories do produce these toxin metals and challenge them to change their ways. Sewage runoff may contain microbes some of which could be pathogenic. The local government has identified Fairy Creek as a hotspot for sewage runoff as most sewage systems break down after heavy rains (Peden, 2011).

This causes overflow that may end up in the North beach and eventually causing pollution. Sewage waste may contain viruses and bacteria hence causing diseases to other organisms and humans. Dog and other pet owners in Fairy Creek will be asked to be more careful on how they dispose off their wastes so that it does not drain with the storm water. Plastics, fast food packages, aluminum cans and the like are non-biodegredable. These wastes are usually an eyesore. Furthermore, marine life can be entangled in these things or ingest them causing their death and more pollution (Peden, 2011).

Residents will be encouraged to throw litter in cans and keep them very tight to avoid disturbance by animals while foraging. Darby (2011) notes that plastics accumulations are among the most notable changes in the environment today with plastic on land, sea shores and even deep in the sea affecting organisms and ecosystems. Challenges to sustainable behavior Logistics challenge is an anticipated challenge as it requires specialized expertise and equipment to undertake some of the programs mentioned.

For example, measuring the extent to which toxin wastes imparts on the marine organisms and subsequently to human beings will be a challenge. Secondly, reaching out to the entire population of people in the North beach and Fairy Creek will also be challenging. Some of the behavioral changes like measuring toxic wastes will require a lot of money which we might not be able to raise. Peden, (2011) reports that though it has been established that storm water is the most important factor in pollution, studies are limited on this aspect.

It will be therefore difficult to back our claims with undisputed facts. The mentioned alternatives that will lead up to sustainability may be unfamiliar, inefficient or expensive.

Read More