CArkema
Registered: December 2014
City/Town/Province: Arlington
Posts: 1
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Patterns can be found riddled throughout the fabric of our universe. Systems are found webbing everything together throughout planet Earth. One ship stores water, to stay balanced, from the Port of Kashima in Japan, and releases it upon entry in the Chesapeake Bay—before humans know the results—causing an invasive species of catfish to be reek havoc on the fragile Bay ecosystem. Or an increase in global temperatures causing warmer weather in Maine, and Canada, enabling parasites to survive through the unusually warm winter and slowly infect moose, gravely decreasing populations. As I see it, all things are interconnected, and I believe it is in that that we find the key to sustainability.
We come face to face with this realization with hands-on service projects like the one my environmental club, Environmental Action Committee, directed in September 2014. We chose Windy Run, a steam area, which is one of the outfall points of Arlington County’s storm drain system. Windy Run feeds directly into the Potomac and receives runoff from all parts of northern Arlington County, the outfall point often gets crowded with trash. Early on a Saturday morning, my club and I came out and picked up the trash while two groups of three did storm drain marking in the surrounding area. We were shocked by the amount of trash we saw on the ground and mesmerized by the deep green of the trees and beauty of the Potomac. After this project we went home better informed citizens, and passed on our knowledge to our families and friends. Making a difference, one person at a time.
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