Environmental sustainability has been a reactive process. History created it. As a society, we abused our coastal environment. As recently as the 1970s raw sewage was being directly discharged into the Mystic, CT River from homes along the riverfront. Earlier, when the velvet mill was operational, they discharged fabric dyes into the river. Swimmers from the Peace Sanctuary across the river would go swimming and come out of the water the color of the dyes being use. For some reason, people believe that “the answer to pollution is dilution.”
Some Perspective
With our tides, the river tends to flush itself out, but out into Fishers Island Sound. Then there are plastics, so we have chemical pollution, un-dissolvable pollution (tires, plastics etc.), industrial, and even radioactive effluent.
To mitigate pollution we (as a society) need to take action. Rightfully so sewage treatment facilities are now the norm, shipping waste is controlled, nuclear submarines no longer discharge coolant during reactor plant heat-up and we try to collect and recycle plastics and other consumer containers. All of these are in response to known and mostly manageable problems; and for the most part, we are successful.
Those who live in coastal communities and those with homes abutting the water have significant investments in their residences. The irony is those residents who live near the waterfront, those who make a living on the coastal waters and those who enjoy being in or on the water have the most to lose yet they seem to feel it is someone else’s responsibility to keep the waters clean. Those assets/investments are affected by the quality of life and quality of the environment near their waterways. These are simple but real examples, and highlight the need for a different approach. An approach that is synergistic and sustainable with the overall microcosm of a community.
The answer is not more beach clean-ups or more of the same programs that tend to be reactive, what’s seriously needed is a proactive cultural and behavioral change creating a sense of ownership, stewardship, responsibility and accountability on the part of everyone who interfaces with any body of water. We need to engage the hearts and minds of people to take initiative and hold those around them accountable.
To affect real environmental stewardship, a critical mass of the right behaviors, organizations, and leadership are needed to affect a cultural change. Governmental agencies, while they purport to be minding the shop are, in reality, administering programs. Once outside the defined boundaries of the program their stewardship ceases to be their concern.
Unless we change attitudes and behaviors, the problem will never go away. Events and programs are reactionary attempting to stem the tide, and we are sure some are doing good. As part of this project, tangible and effective measures must be in place. This creates credibility and strengthens the overall argument that influences behavior. Changing behaviors and culture is a tall order, taking both time and significant energy. In order to achieve such a change requires leadership, support and buy-in. Achieving these three involves the following components: Collaborative Partners, local interest groups existing environmental agencies and entities, local government and point of contact champions. These components will assure a synergistic, sustainable and actionable approach.
We believe in a model approach. A model that, with expected tweaking, can be adapted to other coastal communities. Therefore, the primary goal is to create and pilot a synergistic, sustainable, and actionable model.
Needs include:Financial
Advocacy
Communication
Education