It Can Happen Here

I can't get the pictures of the Gulf Coast oil spill out of my mind, yet there isn't much I can do except be horrified. From what I have heard, even those down there who want to help have had their hands tied, unable to get the materials or permits they need to help. And quite frankly with the extent of the damage, how much can be done anyway?

So this morning I did the only thing I know how to do and that is to write a letter. I sent it to my local newspaper and it may or may not be printed (sure it will, they print everything). I am posting it here so others can see it, too. In case anyone asks, you saw it here first! Here it is:

The pictures and news from the Gulf Coast following the BP oil spill are horrifying. When I hear about the destruction of this valuable ecosystem, one that may never come back after this devastating event, it makes me very sad. In addition, to call it an accident, adds insult to the injury. We are now hearing how many mistakes were made in construction and operation of the oilrig and how government agencies were at fault, too.

Maybe this could not have been totally prevented, but certainly more could have been done to save both the workers who were killed and the environment. Will we use this as a lesson? I would like to think that we would see, now more than ever, how we need to be weaned off fossil fuels.

If this event does not hit close enough for you, imagine such a catastrophe right outside our own homes in Lake Michigan. We may not experience an oil spill, but other cataclysmic events could destroy our ecosystem. Think of the effects pollution, invasive species, and water diversions can have on the Great Lakes. The destruction may not occur as quickly and as visibly as that which we are now seeing in the Gulf Coast, but don’t think it can’t happen here. It can and it will unless we protect this precious water.

Evolution of a Lighthouse

Lighthouses have a following. Some think them romantic; others think of them in the context of adventure and the high seas. I am not smitten with lighthouses except for the one that says ‘home’ to me when I see it, yet when I heard about the opening of the newly restored Southport Lighthouse, I had to go see it. They have been working on its restoration for quite a while and it finally opened this weekend.

The lighthouse dates back to 1866, but it is not the first lighthouse in the Kenosha harbor. Actually, Kenosha, which used to be called Southport, has had some kind of beacon reaching out into Lake Michigan since 1837, when a 10-foot oak tree was set on fire every night during shipping season. I learned that from the museum display inside the newly restored lighthouse keeper’s house. That’s an artist's rendition of it above.

The 1866 lighthouse could house two families, one upstairs, and one downstairs. Kenosha couldn’t have been such a bad assignment for a lighthouse keeper because it was near a thriving town. I remember a few years ago visiting the lighthouse at Raspberry Island in the Apostle Islands, and the keeper there was isolated for weeks on end. Even today at that sight, in the summer an employee of the National Park Service is out there alone, except for the tourists who come during the day. I suppose it’s a great summer job for a college student who wants to spend the summer reading, writing, or just contemplating. As a full time job for a family, I’m not so sure it was.

The current lighthouse, The North Pier Lighthouse, the one I always show pictures of and means I’m back home, dates back to 1906. It wasn’t always red, but I happen to like that it is now. You can learn more about it on-line at various sites. The new museum at the 1866 Southport Lighthouse traces the history of the Kenosha Harbor, and also has some displays of different kinds of lighthouse lenses.

My husband and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to which lighthouse we like best. I like the North Pier one best – I like that it is red and how it looks against the water and sky behind it. He likes the old brick of the Southport Lighthouse. If you are in our area, you should come and see them both as well as see the exhibits at lighthouse. Then you can decide for yourself which is more romantic or adventurous. Either way, it’s worth an hour of your time.

Thoughts Clouding a Beautiful Morning

This morning, I took my first bike ride of the season on my favorite lakeshore path. It was a perfect spring morning; the grass is green, flowering trees are budding, and the tulips are in bloom. I only rode about twenty minutes each way but I enjoyed every minute of my ride.

But as I rode south from my house, and looked out over the sun dancing over the sparkling water, I could not get the Gulf Coast catastrophe out of my mind. I tried to imagine my beautiful body of water covered in oil and even the thought of it upset me. I watched the seagulls preening themselves on the remnants of old docks and imagined them covered in oil, too. I saw fishing boats and thought about the fishermen, commercial and recreational, who suffer from ecological disasters such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico.

I stopped at a favorite spot to rest. It is at the end of a dead end street near where I used to live. My children used to climb these rocks and play at the beach in the small cove here. That was almost thirty years ago and I am happy to see that the water is still crystal clear here (although the beach has been marked as Private Property and I have to wonder about that).

This morning the wind was coming from the south. As I approached Southport Park, I was reminded that the sewage treatment plant is at the west end of the park. You can’t always smell it, and this morning’s odor wasn’t as awful as it could be. People have reported that in the Gulf Coast there is a pervasive horrible oily smell. I can only imagine it, but again, another reminder of the current disaster in the Gulf interrupted my enjoyable ride.

I don’t know what kind of similar event could affect the Great Lakes so quickly and so profoundly as an oil spill, but I do know ecological disasters happen. Can they be prevented? Some, I suppose, can be like the entry of the Asian carp into the lakes or preventing sewage and toxic materials from being dumped in the water. Can the experts think of all possible scenarios and prevent them? Probably not, but it sure would be comforting to see efforts being taken to prevent the ones that we know what to do about.

And The Beat Goes On

You may not keep track of these things but I do, so I will update you on yesterday’s Supreme Court decision about Asian Carp. Chicago and Illinois – and the Obama Administration – continue to come out ahead in this continuing contest. In the words of Great Lakes Law

The Supreme Court’s order in the Asian carp case this morning says it all: “The motion of Michigan to reopen [Wisconsin v. Illinois] and for a supplemental decree is denied. The alternative motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied.” This effectively ends any hope for Michigan and the other Great Lakes states to get the Asian carp case before the Supreme Court.

Given the current court and President Obama’s ties to Illinois, this is not a surprising decision, but we can’t just blame the current court for wanting to stay out of this, although they had a great opportunity to make a difference in the health of the Great Lakes. Aspects of this dispute date back a century. The original case of Wisconsin v. Illinois goes back to 1922 disputing the reversal of the Chicago River.

Are there other ways to stop the carp invasion besides closing the locks? Maybe. One of the FAQs on the Asian Carp Management website asks “How can the public help prevent the spread of Asian Carp?” I have to say the answers seems pretty ineffective.

So what does this mean for the Great Lakes? Will we see a feeding frenzy this summer, next year or somewhere up the road? Only time will tell, but I don’t think we will have to wait as long as a century. During that time, whatever it will be, the efforts to stop the carp invasion will continue both in the courts and in the water.

Now It's Water in Conversation

First, I wrote about water in reading, then in music. Today, it will be water in conversation because of a conversation I had today.

This conversation took place at the Kenosha Literacy Center where I volunteer in a tutoring program. In my teaching, I often use illustrations to encourage the students to speak English rather than their native language. This afternoon, I was working with two Mexican women, both in their early forties. They both women read, write and comprehend English fairly well, but their conversational skills are lacking. The only place they speak English is at the center because as one of them told me, the people in their family who do speak English outside the house have no patience to speak English to them at home.

The pictures I used today had to do with rooms in the house and what you do in those rooms. One picture of a bathroom showed a man taking a shower. Another showed a woman luxuriating in a deep bath tub. We talked about what the people were doing using words like showering, bathing, washing, soap, towel and so forth.

“Do you like to take a shower or a bath?” I asked, looking for conversation.

“No bath,” said one. The other nodded her head.

“You like a shower better?” I asked.

“Shower, yes, but not this shower. Not like this.”

I was puzzled. Did I not understand? These women were both well groomed and had impeccable hygiene, but they went on to explain in their broken English that in Mexico they do not stand under a shower. One laughed and said “with a cup” and demonstrated by tilting an imaginary cup over her head. She then searched for a word and I suggested the word she wanted was “rinse”. Yes, that was it. They rinse off from water in a cup.

They went on to tell me how in Mexico they save rainwater, including cooking water, which is then used for plants. They giggled when talking about how they save water when using when the toilet. They clearly know about water conservation better than I do. They have always been careful with water using techniques that conservationist are now trying to teach the American public.

I felt very American during that conversation and more than a little guilty. Sure I have stopped running water when I brush my teeth but as I have said many times before, I can’t stop myself from standing too long under the shower. I left my tutoring session thinking more about water than language and realizing that as so often happens, the teacher had learned something from her students.

Water in Music

Here’s a change of pace for you.

My last post was about water in words. I had not planned to write today about water in music but when I learned that it is this week’s theme one of my favorite radio programs Exploring Music , I felt the need.

Listening to Bill McGlaughlin’s program is often part of my early evening routine. I have learned so much about music from Bill and this week is no exception. The brief introduction to the topic on the WFMT website (WFMT produces the program; I listen to it on Wisconsin Public Radio) says:

In the 5th Century BC, water was classified as one of the four essential elements. Over the centuries artists, poets, philosophers and composers have returned again and again to the mysteries of water for inspiration. This week, we’ll focus on Water Music with works by Vaughan Williams, Mahler, Debussy and (of course) Handel.

Listening to water music is a very pleasant change from thinking about water shortages, bottled water, water pollution and all the other not so pleasant water-related topics. Actually, I have had a very nice day when it comes to water – I swam a half mile this morning, sat in a hot tub for a bit, and drank cool water to quench my thirst following an unusually warm spring day. And I washed the dinner dishes while listening to Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, which was written about a cave in Scotland but hearing it always takes me to Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park in Maine.

Yes, today was a good water day for me.

No Shortage of Water Related Reading

There maybe a water shortage, but there is no shortage of reading materials on the topic. I have been taking advantage of an empty schedule and a raw April afternoon to read the special issue of National Geographic on Water, Our Thirsty World. A few weeks ago, I downloaded a digital copy of the issue, but I am still partial to holding the volume and flipping pages. However, there are some additional features such as videos online so you can check them out if you like. I plan to later, after I spend more time with a cup of coffee and my “real” issue. Whichever way you choose to look at the magazine, there are good articles, including one by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, and as always fabulous photography and illustrations.

I did read some things on-line today. Great Lakes Echo reports that there has been an increase in the number of pelicans on the Illinois River. They speculate that this could be a potential solution for the Asian Carp invasion. Is that tongue in check? Or should I ask, is that fish in pouch?

Also, on WaterWired, I learned a new term – hydrophilanthropy. This website is written by “AquaDoc” AKA Michael E. Campana, whose describes himself as a hydrogeologist, hydrophilanthropist, and Professor of Geosciences at Oregon State University. Dr. Campangna defines hydrophilanthropy as the “altruistic concern for the water, sanitation, hygiene, and related needs of humankind, as manifested by donations of work, money, or resources”.

Although the website is fairly academic, it’s worth reading more – and you can also learn on it what the acronym WASH means.

Also on my pile of reading materials is Water by Steven Solomon. I recently heard Solomon talk about his book on the radio and thought it would be interesting. He traces the history of water and how it has shaped civilization. I started the book, but it too is fairly academic and forgive the pun, a bit dry. I am sure there is a lot to learn but on an afternoon like this, it might be a bit somnifacient. Now, there’s another good word for you.