Plastic Bottle Pollution

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 478.

Sewage Overflows

It doesn't take much storm water to overwhelm the city's sewer system, and the overflow is pumped into New York Harbor. Riverkeeper, a nonprofit defender of the Hudson River and its tributaries, says much of the waterfront and public beaches are unsafe after storms because the runoff contains building sewage combined with dirty water from the streets. The overflows damage fish habitats and impair navigation. Increased tree and vegetation planting has the potential to decrease the harmful effects of runoff. Rain that waters roof gardens, street trees and vegetation around the city deters the overflow problem.

One of the greatest urban myths is that bottled water is better for people than tap water. In developed nations, nothing is farther from the truth. Water bottles require the use of fossil fuels, first to make the plastic, and then to transport the filled bottles to their destinations. Emily Arnold, who writes for the Earth Policy Institute, reports 84 percent of the bottles end up in garbage landfills. She says 40 percent of bottled water started as tap water in the first place. The problem, says Arnold, is that people associate bottled water with healthy living, and it has become chic to drink exotic water brands.