Fracking Wastewater Disposal Plan Could Send Contaminants Over Niagara Falls

Article by Matthew McDermott.
http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/fracking-wastewater-disposal-contaminants-over-niagara-falls.html?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29
This article is about how oil drilling in Canada could, in the future, send contaminants over Niagara Falls and from there into the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. The water from the treatment plant would be released upstream from the falls, and critics say that there will not be a way to know if the plant could filter out the radiation or other chemicals found in the wastewater. The Niagara river is already on a list of at- risk waterways, and the new contaminants caused by fracking, or drilling, could cause serious troubles. A way that this could be prevented may be possible through the legal system, as Niagara Falls lays across the USA/ Canada border, and the contaminated water could disobey international pollution laws. Many people are against fracking, because it is very bad for the environment, and also dangerous. Scientists believe that the plant will not be able to control the quality of the wastewater.

I was surprised that the people in charge of the drilling are actually being so inconsiderate as to send polluted water directly over the border into another country. Fracking in general seems like a very bad idea becuase of all of the risks involved, and releasing wastewater into a major water system makes it even worse. My family was hoping to vacation to Niagara Falls sometime in the near future, but I would be uneasy about going if there was radioactive polution in the area. The amount of water affected by the Niagara River is immense, and I hope the people in charge will reconsider before going through with this dangerous idea.

Questions:
1. Why do you think people want to continue drilling if it is so dangerous?
2. Do you think Canada should be allowed to release toxins over the border that Niagara Falls crosses?
3. Why isn't this type of story covered more in the news?
4. What effect will this have on us?

Bottled Water. Clean convenience, or pure phony?

This article is obviously very closely related to what we have been talking about in class over the past few days. It discusses the evils of bottled water. This is something that because of science class has become a very important issue to me because although we have many problems facing the Earth right now, this is one that we can all get behind all very easily. It makes sense. By not buying bottled water you are both saving money and the environment.

The article begins by discussing how not too long ago the idea of purchasing and consuming "bottled water", would have seemed outrageous. However now it is something that we see every day no matter where we go. It has sadly become a part of life. It then continues by saying how we have all basically been brainwashed by an overwhelming amount marketing and advertising to think that their bottled water is so much better than our tap water that we should pay several thousand times the cost for it. Imagine whats next. Pure canned air? I'm sure someone would pay for it.

The article then points out that most bottled water is just bottled or distilled tap water anyway. That is probably the one fact that everyone should know. If the general public knew that, I don't think nearly as many people would pay money for bottled water.

Link to article: http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/16/1/Bottled-water-is-evil.html

Questions:

1: What is your opinion on bottled water and why?

2: What do you think the average person can do to help solve this growing problem?

3: Who do you think is to blame for this problem and why do you feel this way?