This place is SCREWED UP!!!

I'm taking one more class before I'm done with my degree. As I'm sure I've whined about! The class is about Environmental Impact Statements, and Assessments. Pretty much everything covered by the National Environmental Policy Act, aka NEPA. Anyway. I have to write a paper on wetland mitigation and what a joke it is. Well, actually I'm supposed to present both sides, and I will, cause I'm a geek and I like to get A's, so I'll give all the information I can find. HOWEVER!!!! All i've found up to this point is that it's more than a bad idea, it's a terrible one. jeez. I'm working on the paper and I come across a decision by the Supreme Court that was given in 2001. I can't believe I didn't look this up and get the entire scoop when I first heard about it. Too busy with other stuff I guess. Anyway, there is an area in Illinois that is habitat to a LARGE number of migratory birds. And some jackoff wants to, well it's probably already done, fill it..... with GARBAGE!!@!!!!!! Oh, yeah, like that is just a wonderful freaking idea. WHAT A BUNCH OF MORONS!!!!! Yes, lets put our CRAP in something that is actually beneficial to the environment. Granted, the only reason the area is there is becuase it was abandoned by some other idiot that dug it up for another purpose, which was a sand and gravel pit. BUTTTTTTTT. Since we have put everything in the animals way that we can think of, isn't it time we let them be and quit putting trash in their home. The reason it got taken to the supreme court was becuase the development company was denied permission to fill by the Army Corp of Engineers, the company said the engineers didn't have jurisdiction. The Supreme court agreed with the company. Thereby weakening Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Now 30%-60% of the nations wetlands are exposed to the threat of development. Cause people don't seem to think they are important and the place would look so much better with a dumbass development with cookie cutter ugly houses there. They don't realize that the reason the flooding that occurs on a yearly basis is so bad now is, um DUH, cause we've destroyed over 50% of the wetlands that used to cover the US. Probably more. And the reason our water quality sucks. yeah, same reason. Wetlands are a filters that clean our water. Remove the filter, GUESS WHAT HAPPENS?!!! I'm so sick about this, I can't believe the stupidity of some people. And it's not a minority, it's probably the majority of people that don't have a flippin clue and don't want to have a damn clue, cause that would mean they would have to change the way they do thing. Quit wasting energy, buying all kinds of worthless crap, and actually conserve. People just don't want to get it. They don't want to believe that we are slowly, BUT SURELY, killing our planet! They just want to go about their happy existance, living in their suburban hell and filling waterfowl habitat with garbage. what a bunch of morons. I'm still not done raving about this, I just can't seem to find anymore ways to call people idiots. so I'm done! for today.

The power of water

At the park in the area the sediment that has run off the land has settled in the lake. The Army Corps of Engineers has drained it and will be dredging it over the next year and a half.

Even though they have drained it there is still water flowing through the area. While the amount of water flowing through is small it's still pretty powerful. The lake was officially drained in September, this is the cutdown of the sediment since then. The pictures don't do it justice, the water has carried away over 2 feet of the sediment in the "river" area. The best part about this process is that it is going to cost the county over $3 million to dig out the lake. And on top of that, they haven't made any plans so that they won't have to dig it out again. "They" (city planners) do not seem to be concerned about controlling the problem, allowing for development to continue at an unabated rate. I'm still not sure why in the heck I'm getting into Environmental Engineering, I feel so inadequate, and that I will never be able to make a difference.