Opinion: Water Terminators

The climate emergency is upon us.

A vicious, unethical power and greed circle is devastating ecosystems at an unprecedented and exponential rate. We, exhausted advocates for the planet and communities since the 80s, have been providing proven solutions in serious groups in a concerted fashion. A lot has been achieved but not enough, due to the permanent extraction and exhaustion of nature’s already endangered resources. Solutions should have been adopted decades ago by top decision makers at all levels.

At present, the gravity of water issues can’t be emphasized enough. Water is life and a right. The theme of UN World Water Day 2024 is Water for Peace. I call the imminent threats to this precious resouce “water terminators”. Here are some examples:

• Major water contaminants – Plastics and microplastics, heavy metals, pesticides, PFAS in freshwater and radioactive pollution discharge in the ocean. The new and stricter water regulations can help keep our drinking water safe from PFAS.Action:demand your town officials a plastic and PFAS update.
  
• Urban areas across Massachusetts and all who live downstream including in the Pioneer Valley are affected by sewage overflows in the water due to Combined Sewer Systems. Actions from municipalities: reduce stormwater runoff, fund systems to reduce overflows, develop water infrastructure to prevent flooding.
  
• AI results in extra billions of gallons of water use per/month. Many large data centers use millions of gallons of groundwater to remove waste heat from servers. Toxic liquid refrigerant is used in many cases. Gray-water recycling and rainwater capture can minimize this use. Action: research, alternatives to water cooling, urgent downsize and slow down. Overpumping of groundwater needs to stop.
  
• Conservation: aquatic habitats and species. Actions:Fishing control, restorative aquaculture,  pesticide reform. .
  
• Connecticut River trouble spot  – FirstLight Hydro Power, the Northfield Mountain pumping station, is causing major streambank erosion and loss of farmland as well as an ecological disaster to fish and aquatic life in the CT River. Action: stop the Northfield Mountain pumping station or considerably reduce the licensing years.
  
• Logging in the Quabbin, Wachusett, & Ware watersheds. Action: create Wildland preserves in the public forests of this area, call on state agencies-DCR-to end logging in these public lands. Watersheds and forests store vast amounts of carbon; protect significant biodiversity; provide and maintain clean drinking water for cities in eastern MA, including Boston; and help moderate climate by drawing cool, moist air from the ocean into the far interior regions of the state.
  
• Native Nations lands, legacy and resources at peril. Action: support the Indigenous legislative agenda, develop education and outreach to save their/our cultural and natural resources.
  
• Legislation S.475/S.578 and H.861 Lands, Water, and Open Space. Action  –  An Act relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management. This bill would make water conservation measures for nonessential outdoor watering uniform across a drought region.
  
• Stop biomass and solar massive sprawling on Amherst/Shutesbury forests. End subsidies destroying our waterlands, aquifers, watersheds and native forests all over the state and beyond creating ongoing health and mental issues. There are alternatives for a slow paced development.Demand a new battery safety bylaw.
  
• Other water issues. Actions: go zero waste for water revival, reuse wastewater; invest in desalination infrastructure, sand dams, and other techniques for water harvesting; create or improve early warning and alert systems; switch to more drought-resistant crops; build water-retaining soil on farms; no dams, restore rivers and wetlands to increase water retention in river basins.No housing projects in wetlands and forests.
  
• Confront the big construction, big pharma and beauty, big oil and plastics,big fast fashion and big solar industries demanding solutions now.

Protect our drinking water, watersheds, aquifers and community!

Upcoming Events
May 22, International Biodiversity day
June 5, World Environment Day
June 8, World Oceans Day
June 29 is International Day of Tropics .

Laura Rojo MacLeod is an Amherst resident, an international bilingual educator, translator and environmentalist, a Sierra Club Water Action lead, and a member of the League of Women Voters Connecticut River Team. She can be reached at lauramacleod27@gmail.com