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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-08-03, Page 66 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Coastal Centre concerned about plastic pollution in Lake Huron Denis Langlois Owen Sound Sun Times Everyone has a role to play in turning the tide on the growing problem of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. That's the message from Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation out- reach specialist Rhiannon Moore, who is working to educate people on simple ways to help combat the issue. "I think there's a lot of people that feel kind of help- less. They hear about all these environmental prob- lems and they think, it's totally out of my hands and I'm not sure what to do," she said in an interview. But things like participat- ing in shoreline cleanups, avoiding products that con- tain plastic microbeads or microfibres and using less plastic can all create a posi- tive impact, she said. "I always say, no excuse for single use. Just think of all the things that you use every day or every week that you use just once that are made of plastic. So that's the coffee cup and that plastic lid or your Iced Capp with the plastic straw. A plastic fork. Anything like that. That all adds to our plastic footprint," she said. "We can't just point the finger at industry. It's your average Janes and Joes like me and you that are contrib- uting to the unacceptable amount of plastics in our environment and it's going to take a change in everyday behaviour to reduce our plastic footprint. We're becoming such a wasteful society, but the good news is there are lots of alternatives to single -use plastic prod- ucts or products containing microbeads:" Moore will be discussing the problem of plastic pollu- tion in Lake Huron and ways people can reduce their environmental impact Tues- day at 7 p.m. at the Sauble Beach Community Centre. The event is part of a Beach Talk speaker series, organized by the local Plover Lovers group. Admission is free. Moore said recent research has found an alarming amount of plastic debris in the Great Lakes. One study she pointed to has estimated the abundance of microplastics in Lake Huron at 43,157 par- ticles per square kilometre. An American study from 2012 concluded there is as much plastic in the Great Lakes as there is in two mas- sive gyres in the world's oceans. It's a serious problem for people, aquatic life and other animals and the envi- ronment, she said. "There's 40 million people that are living around the Great Lakes and we rely on them for our drinking water and all sorts of other recrea- tional opportunities. The lake is a huge part of our life and if it's polluted, that's not healthy for us and it's not healthy for wildlife," she said. "Of course, we eat fish out of the lake and the fish are consuming these little bits of plastic which aren't healthy for us either:' Recently, the federal gov- ernment listed the tiny microbeads found in exfoli- ants and cleansers as toxic under the Environmental Protection Act, which paves the way for a possible ban on the substance. The government says the microbeads can slip through wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers, lakes and oceans. They can then be ingested by fish and birds, which allows them to enter the food chain. Moore said listing micro- beads as a toxic substance is a "great first step:' Meanwhile, the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation is working to reduce another major con- tributor to the problem of plastic debris in the Great Lakes. Moore is heading the organization's "Butt Free Beach" campaign, which aims to eliminate cigarette butts - the most common lit- ter item found on Lake Huron's public beaches - from the shoreline. "It's not well-known but cigarette filters are actu- ally made of a type of plas- tic called cellulose acetate and that type of plastic doesn't biodegrade," she said. The organization says cig- arette butts contain up to 165 chemicals and have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds and turtles. The "Butt Free Beach" campaign includes a public a • i 1+71". 4111 Plastic debris collected on the Lake Huron shoreline. education component, which includes installing signs and posters that encourage people to not bury or toss their butts in the sand or discard them in the water. The Coastal Centre is also working with municipali- ties to make cigarette butt recycling bins and reusable Submitted and recyclable paper ash trays available on Lake Huron beaches, including at Sauble Beach. Talks like the one at the Sauble Beach Community Centre are another way the Coastal Centre is getting the message out about the problem of plastic pollu- tion, she said. Huron Health Unit gives tips on preparing for summer weather With the hot summer weather upon us the Huron County Health Unit wants to remind residents to be aware nwmo of hazards that come with it. Make sure to monitor the weather forecast and plan ahead for hot, sunny NUCLEAR WASTE SOCIETE DE GESTION MANAGEMENT DES DECHETS ORGANIZATION NUCLEAIRES weather. Young children, babies and older adults are most at risk of experiencing illness such as heat exhaus- NWMO Learn More Centre Everyone is welcome. Drop in and learn more about Adaptive Phased Management (APM), and ongoing work in the area. APM is Canada's plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is working collaboratively with Huron -Kinloss to consider the project and advance preliminary assessment studies. The Township of Huron -Kinloss is one of nine communities involved in this learning process. tion or heat stroke. Those without air condi- tioning or people who work or exercise outside can also NWMO Learn More Centre (Huron -Kinloss) 46 Queen St., Ripley ON (across from Lewis Park) 519.386.6711 Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. be at risk of becoming overheated. Donna Parsons, Public Health Nurse at the Huron County Health Unit, rec- ommends taking the fol- lowing actions to stay cool: • Drink plenty of cool liq- uids, especially water, before feeling thirsty. • Wear loose -fitting, light- coloured clothing made of breathable fabric. • Take cool showers or baths until you feel refreshed. • Take a break from the heat by spending a few hours in a cool place. • Block sun out by closing awnings, curtains or blinds during the day. • Avoid sun exposure. Shade yourself by wearing a wide -brimmed, breathable hat or using an umbrella. • Reschedule or plan out- door activities during cooler parts of the day. • Never leave people or pets in your care inside a parked vehicle or in direct sunlight. • Don't forget to apply lots of sunscreen often. Use a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB of SPF 30 or higher. • If you are using both sun- screen and insect repellent, apply sunscreen 20 minutes before the insect repellent. Always follow the manufac- turer's directions when applying insect repellent. • Wear sunglasses with UV protection. For more information and up-to-date weather condi- tions, visit the Environmen- tal Canada website at www. weather.gc.ca. Sign up for weather alerts in your area at www. ecalertme.weather.gc.ca. Follow Environment Canada on Twitter for local weather alerts @ECAIertON160 (Goderich) or @ECAIer- tON110 (Wingham). Iucknowsentinel.com