alamazoo was named by Native Americans, and means “boiling pot,” a reference to river rapids or to the natural springs bubbling in the river. The Kalamazoo River meanders through several municipalities in Southwest Michigan, and once was a source of food and recreation for area residents. But in 1971, the Kalamazoo River became a Great Lakes “area of concern” due to large amounts of the contaminant poly-chlorinated biphenyl (PCBs). PCBs are monitored at the Saugatuck station and in Kalamazoo at the confluence of Portage Creek, and at that time restrictions were placed upon fish and wildlife consumption.
Since 1971 the discharge of PCBs has been substantially reduced due to the ban on PCB production. This reduction occurred through the actions of many local and statewide governing organizations. And while this was a good start and cleanup has progressed, problems with the Kalamazoo River are symptomatic of myriad global environmental issues, ones that must be dealt with to sustain and protect the Earth.
Environmental Shifts
Human beings in early civilization knew only one basic source of survival: food. We learned to make tools to help hunt for sustenance and soon after, we learned to use fire. Agriculture was introduced around 10,000 B.C., a time in which people began producing more food energy than they could immediately use.
The following centuries brought about new ways to harness energy (fire, wind and water), and by the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the Western world had shifted from a stable farming and commercial society to one dependent on fossil fuels to survive.
Today, the average citizen of the United States uses at least 200 times more energy as did our food-gathering ancestors, and this rate continues to rise as the world’s population soars. Two questions arise: What are the limits to our energy resources? And, how long can this enormous use of power continue? (source, David M. Evans, Colorado School of Mines).
Traditionally, conservation efforts have centered on preserving natural resources with specific economic value such as minerals, timber and fossil fuels. With the rediscovery of the interrelatedness of living things and their environment, this theory has changed. For the last several decades, ecologists have been clarifying the link between humans and the environment. This brought about redefining natural resources to encompass clean air and soil, fresh water, and rangelands as well as wildlife.
Environmental Concerns
Greenhouse gases that trap solar heat are polluting our air, once thought to be the purest of all natural resources. Studies show the continued release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the use of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, is causing an unprecedented increase in atmospheric temperatures. New evidence indicates that this heat buildup and retention, known as global warming, has already produced massive harmful environmental changes. These changes include a melting Arctic, rising sea levels and temperatures, more powerful hurricanes, and an upset in many ecosystems.
According to Kurt Cobb, a freelance writer and lecturer who focuses on environmental and natural resource issues, “What people don’t understand about our ecological predicament is that we have two problems. Global warming is one side of the problem and energy use is the other. We can’t fix one without addressing the other.”
Cobb says there is no question that global warming is partly caused by humans and their activities. The extent to which human activities are influencing global warming has yet to be determined, although new data is clearly showing that the global effects we’ve seen in the past 150 years have been due to the increased use of fossil fuels. So the question now becomes, what are the risks we face if we continue with, what Cobb calls, “business as usual?”
Current findings from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and in a study led by American scientist Bob Correll, indicate that global warming is proceeding faster than was originally predicted. “The upshot,” according to Cobb, “is that our task—if we want to slow or mitigate the effects of global warming—is to now respond much more quickly to this challenge.”
Global warming is only one environmental concern though.
The misuse and subsequent depletion or pollution of our natural resources also is a concern in the 21st century.
What once was considered each person’s duty—to protect our Earth and its renewable and natural resources—has become the job of paid professionals and volunteers. Organizations like The Nature Conservancy make it their job to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Founded in 1915 as the Ecological Society of America, The Nature Conservancy has identified high-priority landscapes and seascapes—that, if conserved, promise to ensure biodiversity. By protecting and managing the “Last Great Places,” The Nature Conservancy works to secure the future of the natural world.
Locally, the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) work toward inspiring the community to care for the environment by providing a variety of experiences. At the Nature Center, indoor and outdoor exhibits, outreach programs and a community wildlife program all help increase people’s awareness for environmental protection.
The SWMLC works to protect the natural beauty and diversity of southwest Michigan counties by preserving significant land and scenic areas, and fostering appreciation for and understanding of the environment.
On a broader scale, former Vice President of the United States and environmentalist Al Gore has written a book about global warming entitled “An Inconvenient Truth.” In the book, Gore writes about global warming and shares his personal story about how the issue became of urgent importance to him.
Michigan’s Governor Jennifer Granholm made a point of emphasizing Michigan’s goals for developing industries to protect the environment in her January 2006 State of the State Address citing: “Innovators across the country are developing new ways to power our refrigerators, heat our homes, and fuel our cars. Power plants and engines fueled not only by coal or oil, but also by, for example, hydrogen, the sun or the wind, or waste from landfills or farms. The Great Lakes State will be the alternative energy epicenter of America. Since we are the home of the automobile, it is our proud, patriotic duty to be the state that ends our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”
Healing the Environment
Healing our environment will take time, but it only takes one person to start making it happen. Because many greenhouse gases come from things we do every day, each of us can help the healing process in simple, yet effective ways such as:
- Save Electricity—turn off lights, the television, and the computer when not in use.
- Bike, Bus, and Walk—save energy by sometimes taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking.
- Plant Trees—trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air.
- Recycle—recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save natural resources.
Many communities offer curbside recycling programs for cardboard, paper, glass and plastic. Others offer monthly drop-off sites where residents can bring the same items to recycle. And if you don’t have a recycling program in your area, organize one.
Alternative/ Additional Energy Sources
Discovering alternatives to fossil fuel will also help reduce our depletion of natural resources. Most of the fuel we use for transportation comes from oil, coal and wood. Consumers have begun seeking alternative-fueled vehicles since learning of the effects of carbon monoxide on the atmosphere. Alternative fuels include:
- Alcohol and methanol
- Compressed natural gas
- Electricity
- Liquefied natural gas
- Liquids made from coal; and
- Biodiesel
In his January 2006 State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush outlined his plan for diversifying energy sources for American homes and businesses by proposing to speed up research in the use of:
- Coal, especially the development of emissions-free coal plants
- Solar energy for rural areas, providing “zero energy” homes that produce more energy than they consume
- Wind, improving efficiency and lowering costs of new wind technologies
- Ethanol production to make ethanol a viable and practical fuel alternative
- Develop bio-based transportation fuels from agricultural waste products, such as wood chips, stalks, or switch grass
- Hydrogen, making it practical and cost-effective for Americans to use clean, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2020.
Wind, Sun, Water and Renewable Energy Sources
Better use of other viable energy sources such as wind, sun and water is also encouraged. Wind power is energy generated by the wind and captured by wind turbines. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, wind power has been the fastest growing source of energy in the world since 1990. Bay Windpower’s Mackinaw City Wind Power Project went on line in December 2001, and now serves many Consumers Energy electric customers who have enrolled in its Green Generation Program. This program uses a combination of wind, solar, hydro, and biomass (including landfill gas and other waste-to-energy sources) as an alternative to traditional energy sources.
The ultimate source of available energy is the sun. Presently, we have made use of solar energy only on a limited scale, because the sun’s energy is difficult and expensive to collect. However, increasing energy demands and the rising cost of fuel is leading to renewed interest in solar energy.
Water power, called hydroelectricity or hydropower, is produced from the energy of falling water. Among renewable energy sources, it is the most technically mature and the largest renewable energy source in the United States; only wood makes a larger contribution worldwide. Hydroelectricity is distributed through dams or power plants and accounts for about seven to 20 percent of the nation’s electricity.
Another area of interest—landfill gas—is an energy source created by generators capturing the methane gas formed as part of the waste decomposition process. Converting methane gas into electricity converts the methane by-product into a productive and reliable energy source.
Both The Michigan Renewable Energy Program (MREP) and the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA) were established to promote the use of renewable energy and increase the mainstream use of renewable energy technologies and sustainable energy practices in the state. GLREA hosts conferences, workshops, training sessions and seminars throughout the state on renewable energy topics.
We are all stewards of the Earth. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to future generations to provide the best living environment possible. While in the past 200 years we may have lost our focus on protecting the Earth and conserving its resources, by becoming aware and active in ways that will heal our environment, we are one step closer to saving it.
Directory of Sources
Nature Conservancy — nature.org
Kalamazoo Nature Center — naturecenter.org
Earth Day — www.earthday.net
Environmental Protection Agency — www.epa.gov
Kalamazoo River Watershed Council — kalamazooriver.net
Kurt Cobb — resourceinsights.blogspot.com
State of Michigan (Department of Natural Resources) — michigan.gov
Michigan Recycling Coalition — www.michganrecucles.org
Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association — www.glrea.org
Bay Windpower — www.baywindpower.com
Michigan Public Service Commission — www.Michigan.gov/mpsc
