Rain Barrels!?

Ok I know this is a little off topic but I can't get over the idea of Rain Barrels! As stated in my previous post, runoff is a major cause of unnecessary sediment/fertilizers entering the JRW (James River Watershed). Here's a guide to rain barrels which describes how to take water that would normally spill off your roof/drainpipes and put it to good use. It's a simple and easy way to help the environment and also create successful gardens, etc. This would be a good idea for the University of Richmond, as well as any homeowner who wants to conserve water and protect our waterways!

The PDF is here: http://www.cbf.org/site/DocServer/rain_barrel_guide-web.pdf?docID=2868

James River Website and Data

The JRA (James River Association http://www.jamesriverassociation.org/home.html) is another organization who work to promote the environmental preservation and restoration of the JRW (James River Watershed). Did you know that 25% of Virginia is part of the James River Watershed and home to 1/3 of all Virginians? Here are some interesting data regarding the leading cause of pollution in the watershed and what individuals can do:

What can you do?
One of the most difficult things the river has to face is runoff pollution from lawns, farms, parking lots and development. The best thing that we can do to protect the James is to start at home. Here are some ways to minimize your impact on the River.

1. Lawn Fertilizer – minimize or eliminate lawn fertilizer. Some sources estimate that 40% of commercial fertilizer sold goes to non-agricultural uses. Mulching lawn clippings can retain nutrients on the lawn rather than removing them.

2. Roof runoff – direct down spouts to unpaved areas so rainwater can infiltrate into the ground rather than running off into a nearby stormdrain. Rain barrels and rain gardens can help hold initial runoff and use it productively for plants in your yard. In some developed areas, as much as 60% of the sediment pollution damaging streams results from increased runoff.

3. Conserve energy – There are many ways to save energy. As much as one-third of the damaging nitrogen entering Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay comes from air pollution, of which power plants are a major source. Coal fired power plants also produce mercury that is the cause of widespread fish advisories.

4. Drive less – Combine errands into a single trip or use alternative transportation. Auto emissions is the other major source of air pollution that threatens Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay

5. Talk to your elected officials – tell your state delegates and senators that clean water is important to you and that you want a dedicated funding source for clean water in the 2006 General Assembly. Citizens can play an important role to make sure Virginia’s rivers and Chesapeake Bay get the resources they need to be healthy.
(http://www.jamesriverassociation.org/getinvolved_whatcanyoudo.html)
Another Pic of the JRW (in green)

Does 'Fun' Impact our Environmental Behavior?

Why is it that protecting the environment is rarely our first priority, or for that matter our second or third? How is it we can drive to work and see polluted rivers and streets and continue our daily routine without a moments hesitation? There are actually numerous possible reasons for these phenomena, which are both surprising and understandable:

1. Which Came 1st, the Recycling or the 'Fun'?: Today I read a very interesting article titled 'Motivations and Behaviors That Support Recycling' by Carol M. Werner and Eeva Makela of the University of Utah, in which the two did survey work looking into individuals' perceptions and habits in relation to recycling. In particular, the two looked to see if those who made recycling more 'fun' were more environmentally conscious. Their results were surprising, they found that, "people who had strong personal attitudes favoring recycling or a strong social orientation towards recycling were most likely to describe ways in which they made it more interesting"(Werner & Makela 382). Thus, because we see recycling as a chore, we are less likely to embrace it, and likewise if we make recycling more fun a correlation exists showcasing more tendencies of being environmentally conscious.

2. Diffusion of Responsibility: Let's face it, the world is a BIG place. In fact, there are so many people around us, we sometimes feel our individual actions are insufficient or unnecessary. It appears to be a human tendency to feel that someone will do the right thing, often times for us. This process is called diffusion of responsibility. A classic example of distribution of responsibility is if an individual is hurt in a car accident near a little league baseball game. The study of group dynamics suggests that if one person is near the crash they will be obliged to aid the individual (call 911, provide first aid, etc.) whereas a group of individuals will be less likely to do the same. Some make the argument that others are more able to handle the situation while others assume someone else will help. The challenge of environmental action is that the environment affects everyone and individuals appear more likely to put the responsibility to clean or preserve the environment on their communities, states, nations, and leaders. My research in regards to the James River Watershed will examine which process is more feasible or practical to individuals (individual action, community action, or regional action). This insight may provide a key means to evaluate where environmental action should be targeted.

3. Danger Zone!: What is the most recent example of an environmental disaster you have seen on the news? Was it an oil liner which accidentally spilled tons of oil on a nature preserve? Or a quick moving forest fire threatening homes? How about a hurricane which causes water from sanitation sites and other chemically or biologically threatening sources to flood into a major metropolitan city? Of course you have! Our media picks up environmental stories that are of the most sensational or perilous immediate concern. After all who would want to hear a news story of how soil erosion is slowly killing rivers and streams over a ten to fifty year period? It's not that these issues aren't important...it's just they aren't important NOW. Paul Story and Donelson Forsyth examined this process in relation to watersheds in their article 'Watershed Conservation and Preservation: Environmental Engagement as a Prosocial Behavior'. They suggest that because awareness about the health of watersheds is not of direct concern to individuals, they are less likely to be environmentally prosocial in protecting these water systems. Since immediate results cannot be found in these large environmental systems Weick suggests a system of small wins, which builds individuals confidence and support for a environmental system. However, the flaw of this approach is not that it doesn't work, but that it provides what it states, a small win. I hope to see if individuals relate to their region or community more than individual environmental processes. If this is so, these larger entities can engage in larger win situation which will still provide the confidence and support of the small win system with larger effect.

Draft Survey #1

Here's my preliminary questionaire to be utilized in my studies:

Individual and Collective Environmentalism:
An Emphasis on the James River Watershed
___________________________________________________
Please tell us what you think about the waterways, creeks, drainage ditches, rivers and so on in the JRW (James River Watershed) by circling the letters to indicate your agreement or disagreement with each statement. If you wish to answer ‘Don’t Know’, then mark an X through the item
___________________________________________________________
Sd = Strongly Disagree SA=Strongly Agree
D=Disagree N=Neutral A=Agree
___________________________________________________________
#1: I am satisfied with the quality of the water in the (UBW) James River Watershed

Sd D N A Sa

#7: Protecting the (UBW) James River Watershed will make my community (region) a better place to live

Sd D N A Sa

#18: I would be proud to get involved in cleaning the (UBW) James River Watershed

Sd D N A Sa

#30: Most of the people in my community (region) feel the same way I do on (UBW) JRW issues

Sd D N A Sa

#39: It isn’t my responsibility to protect the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#57: City and county (regional) are responsible for protecting the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#61: Much of the pollution in the (UBW) JRW is being done by people who live in communities (regions) other than mine

Sd D N A Sa

#70: I would feel that I let down my community (region) if I polluted the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#83: Other members of the community (region) are NOT doing their fair share in protecting the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa

#84: I would be willing to get involved in preserving the (UBW) JRW

Sd D N A Sa