Humane Rescue Alliance's Blog 4 Kids, Educators and Everyone Else Who Cares About Animals!

I've been thinking about an article that I read yesterday -- Anacostia River shows decades-long failure to improve water quality, ecosystem . According to David A. Fahrenthold, In the District, 15 miles downstream, the Anacostia is burdened by tons of floating trash, millions of gallons of raw sewage, and deposits of toxic chemicals. Forty years ago, when Earth Day was established, people were told that ignorance and negligence was destroying rivers, and that immediate clean-up was critical to the life of the Anacostia as well as other bodies of water throughout the U.S. And, today, we are still looking for ways to improve the quality of the Anacostia. What simple things can individuals do?

The obvious, don't pollute -- not one gum wrapper, plastic baggie, or bag of dog poop. And, don't shop unless you are prepared -- Bring a bag. One part of the renewed cleanup effort is already in place: The District's "bag bill," which requires that retailers charge customers five cents for every paper or plastic shopping bag. The funds will go for cleanup measures, but the real hope is to cut use of plastic bags, the most common kind of trash found in the Anacostia's tributaries.

How quickly will things improve?
The District government has stuck by the goal of a fishable, swimmable river -- but set a deadline years over the horizon, in 2032. "We wanted to be realistic," one city official said.

I wonder, does it really need to take 21 more years to turn things around?

Read the article in it's entirety. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/01/AR2010020103217_5.html?sid=ST2010020103347.

Think of ways that you can help now. Share the article with friends. Write letters -- let people in positions of power know that you care and want to be part of the effort to save the Anacostia. What will you be doing in 2032?