Good afternoon, fellow critters!
Welcome to our first Swamp Boy News Round-up. Today, we’re going to cover environmental news from around the state and the broader US. I will focus our coverage more on the state in the future, but this week, we’re casting a wide net.
Before we reel in our news seine, a quick announcement: Be sure to tune into WUNC 91.5 next Monday to listen to my first freelance piece since I graduated in May. I spoke with community leaders in Durham about traffic-related air pollutants. I know air quality has been top-of-mind since Canadian wildfire smoke became a frequent fixture in our skies, but air quality issues have plagued many marginalized communities in the US long before climate change garnered national attention.
We’ll dig into that next week. For now, I hope you brought bug spray for this week’s round-up, because we’re starting with both boots firmly planted in the muck.
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge provides vital wildlife corridor and carbon sink
This week in hard-hitting environmental news, a bear cub was spotted riding its mother in Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.
This probably happens all the time there. Around 300 to 400 bears live in the refuge, according to a population estimate from 2003. These bears move freely throughout the secluded wetlands, and this freedom has boosted genetic diversity among these bears, making them more resilient to disease and other challenges. The refuge provides a wildlife corridor for many species, including rabbits and migratory birds.
Read Corinne Saunders’ “Refuge exudes natural diversity, wonders of pocosin lakes.”
The innermost sanctum of the pocosin lakes remains protected from human traffic despite many tourists flocking to view waterfowl. Black lakes dot the refuge, far from both gas stations and phone service. Poor road conditions dissuade travelers from exploring the furthest reaches of the refuge. Partially decomposed organic matter, called peat, makes up much of the soil. Peat — while difficult to drive on — stores carbon effectively. Those carbon stores will remain in the ground as long as…
Wildfires don’t burn through the peat, and…
Humans don’t disturb the wetlands.
By keeping the pocosin lakes wet and free from humans, we can help the next generation of lazy bear cubs catch a ride on their moms.
Sea level rise also threatens these ecosystems. You can read or listen to my coverage of the issue by clicking here.
There’s something in NC waters
I was devastated by a recent report the NC Department of Health and Human Services released that revealed, in part, the extent to which we have contaminated the Haw and Cape Fear River Basin. NCDHHS has set recommended limits for people’s fish consumption along the river due to PFOS contamination.
The recommended limits are low; the highest limit for American shad, blue catfish, and channel catfish is seven meals per year. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children are advised not to eat any amount of certain fish.
One piece of information conspicuously missing from the report is the source of these pollutants. Chemours discharged PFOS, GenX, and other types of PFAS — or “forever chemicals” — into the Cape Fear River, according to reporting by Lisa Sorg. Chemical companies no longer use PFOS in manufacturing, but the chemical persists in our water systems.
A wastewater treatment plant in Burlington released 1,4-Dioxane — a chemical byproduct and probable carcinogen — into the Haw River. The Pittsboro Water Treatment Plant detected 1,4-Dioxane in the Town’s drinking water supply this past week. The company responsible for the chemical “slug” has not been identified. The Town of Pittsboro has advised residents to conserve water during this time.
Three North Carolinians died this past month from Vibrio bacteria after exposure to ocean waters along the coast. This bacteria thrives in warm salty or brackish water, and the range of this bacteria is expected to increase as climate change heats the Earth’s oceans. NCDHHS recommends avoiding contact with ocean water if you have a cut or scrape, including a recent piercing or tattoo.
Can’t handle the heat
Gov. Roy Cooper came out against the MVP Southgate extension, a project that I wrote about in my last email newsletter. Cooper joined many North Carolinians in writing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to oppose the project.
Cooper described the pipeline as a waste of money that would cost taxpayers a lot to build and subsequently decommission not long after the proposed completion date.
7 Directions of Service, an indigenous-led environmental advocacy group, said that over 38,000 people have submitted comments against the MVP Southgate extension. You can submit a comment to FERC, and the Sierra Club provides instructions here.
On the other side of the country, the planet is fighting back against fossil fuels. The Newell Road Wildfire in Washington state has destroyed more than 30,000 acres and caused damage to structures, including a natural gas pipeline. While it's tempting to champion our warming planet's "be gay, do crime" mentality, the fire also consumed farms, houses, and renewable energy infrastructure, another reminder that the effects of climate change are felt from the bottom up, not the top down.
A deadly heat wave continues to expand across the Southwest. The CDC recommended staying indoors and wearing weather-appropriate clothing. This will not be possible for many, including people who work outdoors, people living without AC, and people experiencing homelessness. Like many climate-related disasters, extreme heat disproportionately impacts people with less means and nonwhite communities.
Ask me anything
I have a lot of ideas about topics I would like to cover with Swamp Boy, but I’ve also been thinking a lot about community-driven journalism. I want to report on issues that matter to my audience. So, I’m giving you, my readers, an opportunity to participate in this project.
If you have any environmental questions — any at all! — ask me. This isn’t an official AMA, but here’s how it will work. If you want to participate, send a voice memo to my email. Your message should read something like:
“Hi, my name is Zack, and I live in Durham, NC. Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of smoke outside my apartment. What is it? Am I safe inside my home?”
Your questions can be about anything. Ask me about climate change, food, or even some weird new plant you spotted growing in your neighborhood. I’ll listen, and if I can find a good answer, I’ll air your question on the podcast. In your email, please tell me your name, pronouns, and where you’re writing from; that way, I can give you a proper shoutout.
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