Stranded due to Climate

Blog #15

• As per your local drinking water provider, what is in your drinking water? Are there potential risks at the levels of the contaminants found?
• There were quite a few inorganic chemicals, radioactive, unregulated and secondary chemicals located in a recent water report from Monterey County. The ones that shocked me the most, were number one seeing that radioactive material is present in our water supply: Gross Alpha Activity and Uranium. The reports states that this occurs as a result of erosion of natural deposits; the levels are low enough to be traced, but not high enough to be labeled as a contaminate. Secondary chemicals include Aluminum. Copper, and Sulfate. And unregulated chemicals are listed as Boron and Chromium. 
• I was shocked to see the names of these chemicals and also the label of Radioactive material; but all levels were within an acceptable level for the county. Not too acceptable for me. I think it is important to remember that we have daily exposure to harsh chemicals and toxins found in our environment, but I am still in ah that this is happening in our water supply!
• Reference: https://www.montereypark.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8378/WQR-Monterey-Park-CA-2017
• Climate change is predicted to cause droughts and extreme weather conditions that may create overwhelming floods. How might such events impact the quality and quantity of safe drinking water?
• This is already happening, California in an of itself this year has seen more rain then it has in years. Monterey especially. In speaking with locals, they state that they have not seen this much rain in over 10 yrs. Winters used to be rainy, cold and damp for months. But in previous years, the rain had stopped and the weather was warm without a thick maurine layer.
• We can also see this outside Monterey and across the state and country. Storms are increasing in numbers and strength. In regards to the impact it is having on our water supply: roads are flooding which is leading to weakened infrastructure. Flooding is also increasing the pressure on already damaged, or weakened pipes. This is leading to chemical seeping into the ground water and making it back to us. I would imagine this also leads to sewage spilling into neighborhoods and of course the ground. Something that also comes to mind is with increase in flooding, how many toxins are being swept out. I think of Louisiana after their devastating hurricane and the cemeteries- all the toxins that exist in the ground that have now made its way into homes that have flooded and businesses.  
• This is a terrifying topic, I feel that during my educational life I have never felt so terrified to learn about my environment and all the things I expose myself and do to myself that could harm it. Unreal!
• If you were to develop a nationwide campaign to get people to drink tap water instead of bottled water, what would be your campaign slogan?
• Think outside the bottle

In the News:

     Not the same as our post on clean water and climate change, but how the climate change and specially the significant flooding is affected people.  In the article posted by the NYTimes: Followed a Native American Tribe that had been stranded by a Blizzard and then subsequent flooding. One member explains that supplies were running low and she had a Chemotherapy appointment hat she need to keep. Falling multi times as she made her way from her home and almost getting swept away from the still rushing water; it took her over an hour to reach the highway (which was only a half mile away under normal circumstances). 

     People in rural, low-income and isolated communities face more challenges then we do. They lack proper training, manpower and equipment needed to deal with such large scale disasters. FEMA can only be in so many locations, but I think setting up local initiatives to have champions who are trained and given allocated equipment vital in time of our changing climate.