Macro vs. Micro: Pollution. Thoughts 10-15-2013

While exploring the banks of Mill Creek, I was frustrated with the amount of trash which I saw in the water. Firstly, are people really that against walking the 20 feet to the trashcan? Really? But this made me think- I was getting so upset by the visual trash, but not as upset by the other invisible pollutants which I was seeing.
The way in which the public perceives pollution is interesting. When it is visible, people become angry. They question it the way I did- why is it there? Who does that? Etc. But, people are much less likely to pay attention to the microscopic pollutants in the water because they can't see them. Often times, these pollutants have as strong of an effect on the ecosystem, usually even stronger because, as small particles, they can bio-accumulate in organisms.
In a way, this is similar to the arguments used against global warming. The general public will focus on the big animals which are at stake- the lone polar bear floating away on a chunk of ice to its death. The public doesn't focus on the smaller keystone species which are being effected, for example, the beavers. While a beaver may not be as popular as a polar bear, it has a much more dramatic effect. Beavers are vital to their ecosystems, building dams which create habitats and control water distribution. However, you don't see a ton of environmental activists walking around with pictures of lone beavers on their shirts. It's just not as popular as the polar bear.
While it certainly is beneficial to Mill Creek for me to pick out the bottles and wrappers which I found, I can't simply just pick out everything that is causing a problem.
These thoughts simply fuel our project further. We need to fully understand the wide variety of pollutants which are flowing into the water. When we can't see them, we can't extract them. So they need to be stopped before they can even enter.
- Marra