This week is National Pollution Prevention Week! Twenty-five years ago, Congress passed the
Pollution Prevention Act. According to
the Environmental Protection Agency, pollution prevention is any practice that
reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source. Pollution prevention’s main goal is to create
less pollution to take care of and clean up later, or ideally stop pollution
altogether. This idea can be applied to
all kinds of areas and activities: farming, urban landscape management, industry - producing the items we
buy in stores, and the decisions we make as individuals!
Farming and Urban Landscape Management -
Using the correct amount of fertilizers and
pesticides is a great way farmers, homeowners, and managers of urban landscapes can prevent pollution. If too much fertilizer or pesticide is
applied some could runoff into a
lake or pond and create algae blooms which are bad for wildlife, including fish
like Frannie. These chemicals can also seep
into the ground and contaminate groundwater.
Industry -
There are lots of ways manufacturers can participate
in pollution prevention. Using non-toxic
or less toxic cleaning materials to maintain the machinery they use is one
example. They can also make sure they
are properly storing those cleaning materials and chemicals. If improperly stored, they can make their way
into the environment and make water unsafe for animals and people.
What can we do?
There
are so many choices that we can make to help prevent pollution! We can use reusable bottles instead of
disposable bottles. We can make sure the
products we buy are made by companies that value protecting the environment and
use pollution preventing practices. We
can use non-toxic or less toxic cleaning materials too. Find out how to make your own green cleaners.
Many of the groundwater-friendly practices Frannie
shares every Wednesday can be related to pollution prevention. Make a list of ways you can help prevent
pollution!
For more Fun
Try The Story of Frannie the Fish with your troop to talk about pollution, how it can affect wildlife like Frannie, and measures to prevent pollution!
Find out more from the Environmental Protection Agency about Pollution Prevention here!
