Don Corrigan
Let’s be honest: nature, the outdoors and the environment have taken a beating this year. But before we get to the bad news, let’s chalk up some much-needed good news – much of it is local.
Category Archives: Environment
Image ImageIt’s Easy to Go Local With New Website! Shop Missouri Produced Vegetables, Fruits, and More!
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has released information about MissouriGrownUSA.com. The website gives users the ability to find locally grown products nearest to their location.
That’s right! Do you want to purchase fresh locally grown items quickly and near where you live? Do you need tomatoes, onions or lettuce? How about apples or peaches?
The answer can be found at MissouriGrownUSA.com. Type in what item you are looking for, and your zip code, and with the press of the enter key you will find where the nearest farmer or local retailer is located. OR select a category from a list of choices, like berries, cheese, eggs, meats, pickles, vegetables, fruits, relishes, salsa, and more. Easy! And everything chosen is produced right here in Missouri!
Check it out HERE!
Read more from the Missouri Department of Agriculture below.
Recent U.S. Climate Report: Likely Human Influence Dominant Cause Of Observed Warming Since Mid-20th Century
By Don Corrigan
It is a serious omission that Environmental Echo is just now getting around to the US government’s new climate report released a few weeks ago.
Bloomberg has had some very helpful background information on this climate report. As Carl’s Climate Letters reports, because of its length the report will probably not be read by many people, but it can still be useful as a tool in adversarial situations because of its unquestionably high quality.
The Bloomberg report: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-06/how-the-trump-white-house-wound-up-releasing-dire-climate-report
Here is just a short excerpt from that report by Bloomberg: (see below)
The Future Of Flooding In St. Louis: Is There A Solution?
Missouri Route 141/Interstate 44 intersection. Photo by Ursula Ruhl (SCT).
Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told a concerned audience at the Powder Valley Nature Center on Nov. 1 that there’s undoubtedly more rain — and flooding – in the long-range weather forecast for this area.
Mayors from Kirkwood, Fenton and Valley Park, along with about 70 area residents, attended the Corps’ Meramec River Flood Risk Workshop. Local mayors introduced themselves before the program began and noted damage to their towns by flooding since 2015.
“No one has the magic answer on how to stop the rains or stop the flooding,” said Fenton Mayor Josh Voyles. “But we welcome the chance to discuss how we can prepare for future flood events here tonight.”
SIERRA CLUB LAUNCHES CLIMATE CHANGE CULINARY TOUR
From left to right are Barbara Wall, Diane Albright, and Rachel Speed, Sierra Club members who participated in the Climate Change Culinary tour.
Climate change often seems like a big, slow-moving monster that haunts other people’s lives in other locations, but the powerful natural disasters associated with climate change can be felt from thousands of miles away right here in St Louis.
Members of the Sierra Club spoke with St. Louis area restaurateurs who have roots in communities that have been hit by natural disasters. The Sierra Club Climate Change Culinary Tour gave participants plenty to chew on, both literally and figuratively, as they partook in carefully crafted cuisine and learned about the cultures and communities that inspire each venue.
Is There Hope For Radoactive Contamination Clean-up At West Lake Landfill?
Kay Drey addresses the EPA officials at a public listening session concerning the West Lake Landfill, Oct. 19, 2017.
There have been decades of public information meetings, public feedback sessions, and government finger-pointing. There have also been years of generational illness – the kind that leaves both adults and children with rare auto-immune disorders and cancers. The result? Devastation to entire communities and families, an endless stack of funeral notices and a future that continued to promise more of the same.
What Is That On The Train Moving Through The Local Area?
Photo: Lloyd Todd.
Residents of our area keep a wary eye on what’s coming down local railroad tracks. Maybe this can be traced back to the 1980s, when radioactive rubble from Three Mile Island (TMI) passed through on the way to Idaho.
That rubble caused an uproar. Protests resulted in railroads making a number of concessions. For example, the canisters of deadly materials were put on dedicated trains. Buffer cars were placed on either side of shipment railway cars as a safety measure in case of collisions.
In recent weeks, we’ve had several inquiries about huge tubes passing by on the rails. What do they contain? Do they pose any hazard?
Carl’s Climate Letter Has Been Following The Flood Waters
Water over the top of Marshall Road in Kirkwood. photo by Diana Linsley.
Check out Climate Carl’s recent flooding analysis and commentary.
“How often can you expect to see a 500-year flood? This article in Vox has all kinds of interesting commentary on the subject of flood probability. One spot in the Houston area has had three of the 500-year type in just five years. New definitions are needed, and they are likely to have an effect on things like community preparations and property insurance rates.”
Find more interesting and informative environmental analysis from Climate Carl at Carl’s Climate Letters.
Catching Up With Heather Navarro: The Environment, The City of St. Louis, And Working For A Better Tomorrow
Pictured: Heather Navarro, Missouri Coalition for the Environment executive director and newly elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for the 28th Ward.
Heather Navarro shares information and insights into the CLEAN Missouri Initiative and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. She was also recently elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for the 28th Ward, which filled the seat formerly held by Mayor Lyda Krewson.
In this wide-ranging interview, Navarro talks about the importance of the City of St. Louis becoming sustainable and combating the effects of climate change, the idea of urban and rural areas working together, the safety of residents living near the radioactive waste in North County, and the measures that will be on the ballot for St. Louis City in 2018.
To hear the podcast interview with Navarro and Don Corrigan click on the audio below.
Get Ready – The Historic 2017 Solar Eclipse Is Here!
Click on the Webster-Kirkwood Times eclipse image to read the article “Get Out & Enjoy The Solar Eclipse”
The 2017 solar eclipse is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime event! Several local watch events have been scheduled. Check out the article from the Webster-Kirkwood Times about where to find an event and a few eclipse tips. Find article HERE.
NASA’s website also has a large amount of interactive data to explore, such as eclipse path maps, eclipse history, and eclipse safety. Find the NASA Eclipse 101 information HERE.
Environmental Echo 