89.5 WETS Environmental News Online 

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How To Become Environmentally Aware In
The Tri-Cities Region Of East Tennessee

Introduction
Waste Management
Forest Preservation
Water Conservation
Other Links
References

INTRODUCTION:

As we approach the 21st century, the environmental threats we face as a planet appear overwhelming:  global warming; industrial, biochemical, and nuclear waste; a dwindling supply of fresh water; deforestation; the rise of infectious disease; food scarcity; the decrease of biodiversity; and challenges to fossil fuel supplies.  These problems are worldwide, in varying degrees of urgency.  How, then, does one individual begin to make a dent?

Using the home, one of our smallest communal units, as a metaphor, if each individual takes on certain responsibilities--such as cleaning up all personal litter; keeping his or her "space" neat; taking charge of individual needs, like laundry, according to ability--the effect of these efforts, however small they appear, is felt by the entire family, and provides a base of mutual respect and sense of community.   Tackling the larger projects, such as feeding the pets, taking care of the lawn and gardens, cooking the meals, becomes easier as the tasks are divided, and the visible rewards promote continued experimentation and cooperation.

For an individual in the Tri-Cities area of East Tennessee, the "home" is environmentally diverse, and full of opportunity for involvement.  This region is home to the Cherokee National Forest, a portion of the famous Appalachian Trail, indigenous wildlife and plants unique to this area, a portion of the TVA system of dams and waterways, a landfill, a recycling center, and a nuclear hazardous waste treatment facility, to mention some highlights.  This page will touch briefly on some of the issues which are  relevant to the Tri-Cities community, and provide links to environmentally active organizations and related sites.   In keeping with the axiom "think globally, act locally," the informed, interested individual can progress from his or her physical home, to the community home, to the global home.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

While the United States has only 5% of the world's population, it generates 19% of its wastes.  In spite of active recycling efforts spanning the last 30 years, "96% of American plastic still goes into landfills" (1).   For real impact on the environment, the waste management problem as it pertains to trash requires vigorous efforts by both consumers and producers in three major areas:  reducing, redesigning, and recycling (2).

For residents of the Tri-Cities area of East Tennessee, reducing and recycling are perhaps the most approachable and logical first steps in becoming environmentally active.   Not only does Johnson City have several  recycling centers, but it was also the first city in Tennessee to operate a curbside pick-up of recyclable trash.   Returning to the "home" metaphor, recycling your own household trash is like keeping your own room clean--it may seem like no one will ever look into your room, or that it won't make a difference, but attention to seemingly insignificant individual efforts can have a tremendous impact in the long run.

For some information on getting started, and what to recycle, this is a good site:

 Internet Consumer Recycling Guide

For recycling information specific to Johnson City, call:

Johnson City Dept. of Government Offices
Public Works Dept.
Recycling Coordinator
(423) 434-6000

FOREST PRESERVATION

The loss of forests to other uses, particularly agriculture and the lumber industry, and the increased loss of existing standing forests to disease and fire, has been one of the pervasive themes of the 20th century.  Over time, the loss of natural ecosystems, such as our forests, will result in a decline in the quality of human life.  While the loss of species and forested wilderness areas seemingly has no direct link to human quality of life, we humans are part of an interconnected and interdependent global ecosystem.  Not only do forests serve as watersheds, or sources of water for rivers and streams, they are vital to the prevention of soil erosion, provide homes for numerous species of wildlife and plants, and contribute immeasurably to an aesthetic sense of well-being.

Cherokee Forest Voices is a volunteer group in East Tennessee committed to the issues surrounding the management of our local forests.  A portion of  their mission statement reads as follows:  "We value the clean water that springs up and flows from the Cherokee National Forest. We value the scenic beauty of the mountains and forests. We value the variety and mixture of life found in the naturally maturing, ever-changing forest. We value the opportunities to reinvigorate our souls, reenergize our minds, and rejuvenate our bodies in the sights and sounds and smells and tastes and feels of nature's creation."

To learn more about this local environmental group, visit their web site:

 Cherokee Forest Voices
 
 

WATER CONSERVATION

According to a recent United Nations report, the world's supply of clean water is so threatened by pollution and scarcity that, "if current trends continue, two thirds of humanity will suffer moderate to severe water stress within 30 years" (4).  The disruption of a wide range of ecosystems through deforestation and pollution, and current levels of water shortages, coupled with an ever expanding world population, is triggering "a series of local and regional water crises with global implications" (4).  While some countries have achieved significant improvements in water quality, and have introduced innovative and effective methods of reducing the use of water for irrigation, municipalities, and industry, the general trend for a marked decline in water quality has not been adequately reversed.

The Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee is blessed with many recreational lakes, beautiful mountain streams, and is part of the dam system of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a government corporation created in 1933 to develop the natural resources of the Tennessee Valley region.  This region is also the site of several large industrial plants, Tennessee Eastman being the largest, which pose concerns about potential air and water pollution.  Besides monitoring one's own consumption of water during times of draught, residents of this regions have access to information about the quality of the drinking water in this area, monitoring sites of this region's watershed, and interactive maps showing the quality of the area's lakes and streams.

For questions, comments, concerns or suggestions about the quality of water in Johnson City, TN, contact:

Jeff Corder, Chief Water Plant Operator
or
Kelli Jenkins, Laboratory Analyst
203 Dalewood Drive
Johnson City, TN  37601
(423) 975-2648

For information on Tennessee watersheds, visit this site:

 An assessment of aquatic resources in the Southern Appalachians

To view an interactive site listing water quality by region, visit:

 www.epa.gov/surf2/states/TN
 

OTHER LINKS

Recycling:

 www.recycle.net/recycle
 www.1800cleanup.org
 www.raymond.com
 www.waterrecycling.com

Forestry:

 www.americanlands.org
 www.safec.org
 www.forestry.umt.edu/people/borrie
Cherokee Forest Voices

Water:

An assessment of aquatic resources in the Southern Appalachians
 www.epa.gov/surf2/states/TN

Trail Maintenance in East Tennessee:

 Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club

Wilderness:

 www.wilderness.org
 The Sierra Club

Government Agencies:

 www.epa.gov (Environmental Protection Agency)
 www.fedstats.com (Federal Statistics Bureau)
 www.usda.gov (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
 www.state.tn.us (Tennessee Homepage)

Just for Kids:

 www.ecokids.earthday.ca
 www.epa.gov/recyclecity
 www.ringleader.com

Outdoor Clothing and Supplies:

 www.llbean.com
 www.orvis.com
 www.rei.com

REFERENCES

(1) Motavalli, Jim.  "2000:  Planet Earth at the Crossroads." E 10.1 (1999):  28.

(2) Purcell, Arthur H.  "Trash troubles."  World and I 13.11 (1998):  190-6.

(3) Warshall, Peter.  "The political economy of deforestation." Whole Earth Review 64 (1989): 68-76.

(4) ----"Water:  Is there hope?" UN Chronicle 34.2 (1997):  24.