RETURN OF THE WHITE DEATH

RETURN OF THE WHITE DEATH. It's that time of year again. State and local governments, businesses and homeowners will dump tons of salt to deice roads, bridges, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks. This seasonal ritual kills street trees, pollutes surface and groundwaters, corrodes road surfaces, our very expensive motor vehicles, exteriors of our homes (when it drys and becomes airborne) and has significant adverse health impacts for humans, pets, wildlife and birds.

Why do we do this? So, we don't slip and fall on icy pavements and so we can continue tp speed along roads and streets in our vehicles.

Are there alternatives to this seasonal madness? Yes! Slow down. Drive and walk with caution. Use sand or kitty litter on walkways.  Use sand or other alternatives on roadways.

Google:, alternatives to road salt : to review  sources of further information on this topic. Here are a  a few links for starters -

http://www.sierralegal.org/m_archive/brg06_02_08.html

http://www.forester.net/sw_0107_environmental.html

http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/709.html

The salt industry site:   http://www.saltinstitute.org/30html 

During the winter and spring do to the surrounding highlands to view Albany and adjacent communities lying beneath a white death smog. As you view this scene ponder what you have read and ask yourself: what about the synergistic effect of all that road salt combined with emissions from vehicles, chimneys, and power plants?

Any wonder why hospices are booming?

 

Contact your elected officials, urge them to go easy on the application of road salt. Do the same with businesses and your neighbors. Urge everyone to slow down and adapt their walking and driving to icy conditions.

                                                                                        Joe Sullivan