RE: [greenyes] Promoting good environmental practices > > >

["Mark Snyder" <Mark.Snyder@no.address>]

While I can understand Alan's frustration, I don't think that's a good
reason to knock programs like storm drain stenciling.

Such programs can be very good "entry-level" efforts to educate folks
about environmental issues. As they learn about the impact their
behavior can have, there's often a natural curiosity to learn about
other impacts. There's also a sense of perspective that develops that
can help drive the point home. 

For example, once a personal realizes the impact of that pound or so of
lawn fertilizer that washed into the storm drain from their sidewalk and
driveway, then when you talk about the thousands of pounds of phosphates
being sent to the river by the metal plater across town, it tends to
sink in a little more than it might have otherwise. And then when you
explain how much it'll cost to retrofit your local POTW to remove those
phosphates, then people start asking how hard would it be for the plater
to remove it before discharging their industrial wastewater or better
yet, find something else to use? After all, we kept our fertilizer from
going down the storm drain...why aren't the big guys doing their part?

In other words, don't knock Megan and her colleagues for the problems
Wilmington has. Knock the Wilmington regulators who aren't doing their
jobs.

Mark Snyder
Pollution Prevention Specialist
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance

>>> Alan Muller <amuller@no.address> 3/22/2004 5:38:03 PM >>>
At 04:22 PM 3/22/2004 -0700, Megan Kershner wrote:
>As a taxpayer, I expect government to provide "feel good programs." 
How
>else will I know what the government is doing anything with my money?
>The feel good programs are the public programs - the only ones you
hear
>about.
>
>As a "feel good program" employee - I like my job, I feel I add value
>to my company and to the community.  As for our storm drain program -
it
>gets people involved and helps them get hands on experience improving
>the environment.  If that's a waste of time and money - then I give
my
>thumbs up to waste my taxpayer contributed dollars to that "waste of
>time."
>
>Megan Kershner
>City of Boise
>Idaho

I agree with the objectors.  Here, the City of Wilmington pours
hundreds of 
millions of gallons of raw sewage into the rivers each year.  Then it 
sponsors these storm drain marking programs, in collusion with
negligent 
regulators and other big river-polluters, to point the finder at
ordinary 
citizens.  It's as self-serving and deceptive as can be....