The final straw
Small plastic trash continues to be a big environmental problem on land and sea around the globe. Almost daily, we are presented with the devastating impact of plastic. The material is contaminating the planet — clogging landfills, littering the landscape and choking marine life.
But there is hope — from lofty promises by heads of state, to small but impressive victories by ordinary citizens and environmentally-sensitive businesses, to a new mutant plastic-eating enzyme that developed naturally.
This week, British Prime Minister Theresa May urged leaders at the Commonwealth meeting in London to follow the UK’s lead in tackling the problem. She said plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world. The government is taking its cue from the Queen who announced earlier this year a ban on plastic straws and bottles on royal estates.
The summit of prime ministers and presidents from 53 states can certainly have a world-wide impact. Kenya, which has adopted the toughest measures of all Commonwealth countries, fines anyone using a plastic bag and if business people are caught importing them, they face up to four years in jail.
The problem of plastics cannot be overstated. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch floating between Hawaii and California is far larger and threatening to the planet than anyone realized. The collection of plastic, floating trash has grown to more than 600,000 square miles. There may be more than 16 times as much plastic in the patch than previous studies estimated.
Atlantic Canadians don’t have to look to the Pacific Ocean or royal estates for warning signs. Beach cleanups routinely find that most common debris on shorelines are plastic — bottles, caps, bags, rope and straws. Marine life, such as the right whale, cannot escape this constant threat. Take a look around as the snow recedes and the blight of plastic pollution is visible everywhere.
Our problem with plastic was mostly solved by selling and shipping it to China. But as of Jan.1,
China no longer imports the plastic we had shipped there for decades. It’s caused massive headaches around Atlantic Canada, especially in Halifax, and for the region’s landfills. What do we do now?
Former finance minister Allen Roach introduced legislation this week that could see P.E.I. become the first province to eliminate plastic checkout bags from stores. In January, Nova Scotia environment minister Iain Rankin said the government is considering a province-wide ban on plastic shopping bags while Halifax council is examining a ban within the municipality.
More shoppers are bringing reusable bags to retail checkout areas. The threat of plastic is changing our minds and our shopping habits. Restaurant groups across the nation are eliminating the use of plastic straws. A major Atlantic grocery chain has recently dropped its line of heavy plastic bags to lighter shopping bags.
The public doesn’t need much convincing on this issue and many Atlantic Canadians are on board with measures to protect our environment and reduce stockpiles of plastic.
And let’s hope those mutant enzymes stop eating at plastics.
When Wolfville officially incorporated on March 20, 1893, it boasted at least 20 stores and hotels, but pigs were kept within town limits and horses, oxen and cows apparently had free rein in the streets.
Well, perhaps not exactly free rein. There was enough of a problem, however, that one of the first bylaws passed by the new town council regulated the roaming and passage of farm animals through the streets. Some 25 bylaws were quickly passed by council tackling the problem of roaming livestock, open sewers in the town, rubbish disposal and the like.
With many resolutions in place to govern the town, report the editors of Mud Creek, Wolfville’s unofficial history, the appearance of the town soon improved. But the editors noted that when it came to overall prosperity, the new town still ranked slightly below Kentville and Berwick at incorporation. Perhaps at the time these towns had as much livestock roaming the streets, but Kentville dominated as the railway center and Berwick was the heart and soul of the apple industry.
On the prestige side, however, not a single town in the Annapolis Valley at the time came close to Wolfville when comparing educational institutions. Also on the plus side, of the three towns, Wolfville had the only outlet to the Minas Basin and its port — “the smallest in the world” — was a unique advantage that for decades contributed greatly to its overall prosperity.
A closer look at Wolfville the year it incorporated shows that besides its retail outlets, the town held several small industries, among them the Skoda bottling factory. The editors of Mud Creek hailed the 1890s as a growing period in Wolfville and it’s difficult to understand why they ranked the town below Kentville and Berwick. The number and variety of retail stores and services more than equaled that of Kentville and certainly surpassed Berwick and the villages in Kings County, including Canning.
In the pages of Mud Creek, the editors list business after business opening in Wolfville in the decade following incorporation and it’s impressive. Grist mills, saw mills and a creamery opened, along with a variety of retail and professional services. Incorporation, which led to an orderly running of the town, started a boom period that lasted well into the next century.
This year, Wolfville is marking its 125th year of incorporation. The celebration began on March 20 and will continue throughout the year.