Posts by admin
EPA and Chesapeake Bay Foundation are failing to save the bay
Why is it that the 500-pound gorilla of bay groups, the CBF, has acquiesced in this huge setback for bay restoration? In its 45 years of existence, CBF has grown to become a money vacuum cleaner raising $38 million in 2020. They hold $130 million in assets. Tom Pelton in his book, “The Chesapeake In Focus,” wrote of CBF’s spectacular success, not in saving the bay but with $57 million saved in stocks and investments. These investments generated $3.5 million last year. Much of this funding comes from corporate and governmental sources. This is why CBF’s advocacy is restrained to prevent antagonizing these grantors/donors especially since revenues shrank to $27 million last year.
Read MoreAn Open Letter to the EPA
Dear EPA Officials, It is with profound disappointment that I write you after spending 50 years fighting for conservation measures and the Chesapeake’s restoration. My column below details my sadness at yet another failure of the Bay states to meet pollution reductions by wide margins without any EPA sanctions. Instead, the Environmental Protection Agency–the enforcement…
Read MoreThe devastating Chesapeake blue crab collapse
Other factors affecting crab numbers include a failure to restore bay grasses (crab nurseries), polluted waters and invasive species. But the harsh reality is that the increasing harvest pressure triggered by astronomical crab prices is the only readily controllable fix to prevent an imminent crab collapse. However, all harvest restrictions — both existing and new — are rendered meaningless in Maryland because of nearly nonexistent enforcement. Tragically, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has chosen a laissez-faire approach to enforcement, allowing crabbers to act with impunity.
Read MoreThe long, sad degradation of the Chesapeake Bay region
Exacerbating this growing problem in our throwaway society is the disintegration of plastic products into microplastic as these tiny forever chemicals are now found in every area of the bay and its rivers. Plastic production and disposal increased 200-fold globally over the past 60 years. More than 60% of all seabirds have ingested plastic and many of our fish ingest these microplastics, as do oysters.
Read MoreThe Ethanol Scam Continues as U.S. Ramps Up Production
Corn ethanol has not contributed to our energy independence as its life cycle is likely a wash or worse in negative energy savings. Largely due to fracking, the U.S. is now the largest producer of both oil and natural gas. We export increasing amounts of both as production ramps up, and now our net exports exceed imports.
The recent landmark, peer-reviewed research underscores that corn ethanol adds to climate change and causes other substantial problems. It’s well past time to repeal this boondoggle.
It’s time for DNR to restrict the commercial crab harvest
The time has come for DNR to restrict commercial harvest by adopting strict daily bushel limits for males and greatly decreasing the bushel limits for females, reducing the number of crab pots used, shortening the crabbing season, closing crabbing two days each week, and adopting a quota system for each commercial crabber as with rockfish.
Read More