Despite earlier predictions, scientists this week reported that the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" did not hit an all-time record size. But the news was nothing to celebrate.
The dead zone -- an area of water where oxygen is depleted, preventing any marine life from surviving -- is now 6,765 square miles wide. That's bigger than the state of Connecticut and one of the largest dead zones ever recorded in the Gulf (the dead zone has continued to grow since measuring began in 1985).
The report by Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium is just the latest evidence for the need to invest in our natural resources or risk severe consequences to our jobs, economies and communities.
Scientists had predicted this year's dead zone would be the largest on record due to the historic floods this spring that washed nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, from farm land, lawns, sewage treatment plants and other sources along the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.
If Tropical Storm Don hadn't hit the Gulf last week, whipping up waves and wind to temporarily re-supply oxygen to the water, the dead zone would likely have broken previous records.
When floods hit the Mississippi River this spring, the immediate damage was obvious -- ruined homes, inundated farm lands and disrupted businesses costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
But the impacts of the floods are now being felt by even more people and communities than originally thought. The dead zone poses a real threat to the Gulf's seafood and tourism industry which generates more than 600,000 jobs and $9 billion in wages annually.
Because fish and other commercial species usually move out to sea in order to avoid the dead zone, fishermen are forced to travel farther from land -- and spend more time and money -- to make their catches, adding stress to an industry already hurt by hurricanes and the oil spill.
Those species that can't move -- or can't move fast enough -- die off, leading to the name "dead zone."
The Gulf produces roughly 40 percent of all the seafood in the lower 48 states. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has previously estimated that the dead zone costs the U.S. seafood and tourism industries $82 million a year. The record size of this year's dead zone could be even more costly.
This year's floods and the resulting dead zone remind us that our lands and waters are interconnected; damage to a natural system in one part of the country can impact communities thousands of miles away.
It's an important lesson that our elected leaders should not forget in this time of cutting the Federal budget. Investing in our nation's lands and water is a direct investment in America's communities and economy.
But proposed spending bills that have been taken up by Congress over the last few months and will now be affected by the debt ceiling agreement, have included deep cuts to conservation programs that have kept our natural resources strong and productive for decades.
Among the programs now in jeopardy are Farm Bill Conservation Title provisions that encourage farmers and forest land owners to conserve and manage their land in ways that minimize soil erosion, improve water quality by reducing polluted runoff, mitigate the risks of flood damage and provide wildlife habitat.
The dead zone is just one of the threats that poses financial hardship to the Gulf region -- and the nation as a whole. It has been more than a year since the oil spill disaster that poured 205 million gallons of crude into the Gulf's waters, and it is now time to take more decisive action to restore the Gulf of Mexico back to health.
Legislation called the RESTORE Act has been introduced in the Senate that would dedicate 80 percent of the money that could result from oil spill fines to restoring the Gulf's communities, economies and environments. Without Congressional action, current law would have most of the money toward general government spending rather than helping the Gulf recover.
This fall, a federal task force appointed by President Obama will unveil a comprehensive plan for restoring the Gulf. Funding from potential oil spill fines is needed to ensure that plan is implemented and that we, as a nation, can work together to restore the Gulf of Mexico.
A healthy Gulf is vital to the well-being of communities around the region and across the nation. This year's massive dead zone is just the latest challenge facing this incredible natural resource that provides us with jobs, income, food, shelter and diverse wildlife.
And, as we look toward reducing the cost of government we should recognize that environmental investment should not be cut disproportionately. The health of our land, freshwater and oceans is not a luxury -- it is a foundation for the economic and social well being of our society.
So why does anyone think that commerce is going to be any better and give up their addiction to wealth and the good life to make it better for the common folk? It will not happen.
Selfishness is the name of the game not Selflessness.
EPA has been successful in covering up its mistake, by solely blaming farm and urban runoffs for causing this 'pollution' and nobody seems to be willing to hold the EPA accountable, most likely due to lack of knowledge.
The media unfortunately also does not want to spend some time learning what sewage is, how it impacts water quality and how it can and should be treated. If they would spent some time, they would learn that EPA in 1983 acknowledged the problems caused by this test, but never corrected the test. They also will learn that EPA already in 1978 was aware that not only much better sewage treatment, including nitrogenous waste, was available, but actually at much lower cost, compared the conventional treatment facilities, that are based on a century old technology mainly developed to control odors.
Hemp 6X more BTUS than Corn
Hemp uses less water no herbicides and little pesticides and fertilizer.
Subbituminous coal is common in the US. It has an energy content of about 18 million Btu per ton, and is used mostly in coal-fired power plants
Coal generates about half of the electricity used in the United States. ... Each person in the United States uses 3.8 tons of coal each year.
Some 965 million tons of coal were consumed for the generation of electricity. This amounted to 86% of total U.S. coal production
U.S. soybeans 76.6 million acres
U.S. corn 90 million acres
Half of the acres 83.3 million acres
Hemp yields an average of nine dry tons per acre
(more in southern areas)
749 million tons hemp fiber
Bio-diesel Hempoline can be made from leaves and stalks.
You would also have the hemp seeds as a food source too.
U.S. annual anhydrous ammonia 22.90 million tons used.
U.S. ROUND-UP use100 million pounds
Contaminated with 1,4 dioxane
HERO-INSECTIDE SYNGENTA INSECTICIDE Soybeans and corn