A Two-Part Blog Post:
Responses to Our Survey (https://www.theh20project.com/survey)
2. Connecting observations of reactions to Flint Crises & local attitudes about the state of our environment.
Survey Questions
Questions:
Is English your primary language? (follow up with instructions for translations)
What is your location?
Do you live in an urban, suburban, or rural area? A metropolitan city, cosmopolitan city, local city, or town? Please describe in your own words.
Are you connected to municipal water or well water? Other? Please explain.
Have you ever collected rainwater for irrigation purposes or drinking water? If so, please describe your process/reasoning.
Do you reside in a house with lots of other houses, townhouses, apartment complexes, and condo units nearby, or the same options but in an area surrounded by woods/trees/nature? Please describe.
Do you know when your living structure was made and who made it? If so, please share.
Were you aware that PFAS (poly-fluoroalkyl substances) were found to be in high concentrations of water supply, including from clothing brands and other household products like bedding, Tupperware, cosmetics, stain-resistant carpets/fabrics, non-stick cookware, and other common textiles that can potentially contaminate the water supply when discarded?
Are there any bodies of water near where you live, like an ocean, river, or stream?
Do you live in a flood-prone zone?
Do you live near any industrial facilities, farms, or manufacturing plants?
Do you currently reside in a correctional facility, halfway house, assisted living, shelter, or communal living space? Other?
If you are participating in this survey because of water quality concerns, what are they? Does it have a distinct odor or appear discolored?
If you are participating in this survey because you have water access problems due to homelessness or any other kind of issue related to not being able to access clean water including bathing, laundry, or plumbing regularly, can you please describe?
Do you or any of your loved ones have cancer, infertility issues, Alzheimer’s, or other mental health/neurological conditions? Please share.
Based on your perception/interpretation, does it bother you when people “misuse” the terms chemicals, pesticides, and contaminants when it comes to the environment in the media, education, and other forms of communication like advertising?
Please explain the previous answer in greater detail.
How important is it to you that plastic water bottles from corporations transition to alternative, biodegradable plastic packaging? 0, not at all, 5 somewhat, 10 “a lot”
How important is it to you that styrofoam is banned in packaging for transportation?
How important is it to you that water quality testing be readily available such as with a handheld electronic device on an individual basis in your daily routine? For example, knowing your regular sources of water are free of glyphosate or PFAs, at any given time?
How often does the state of the environment cause fear, worry, or apprehension for your safety and that of others? Now and in the future?
Please explain the previous answer.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being extreme, 0 being not at all, does it bother you when people misuse the true meaning of the term organic, fairtrade, or “cage-free” when it comes to your food and beverages in the media, education, and other forms of communication like advertising?
Please explain the previous answer in greater detail.
Would you like to share sightings of pollution or contamination at a body of water, like a bay, ocean, river, stream, beach, inlet, island, etc? If so, please share in the space below.
Do you buy plastic water bottles as your primary source of hydration?
Would you consider transitioning to an alternative homestead lifestyle if you had the funds to do so, such as access to land ownership?
How important is it to you that sustainable environmental practices be implemented legally?
How important is it to you that people who are homeless with mental health problems, disability, or addiction issues be secured to organizations that help them with sustainable solutions, like housing, treatment, vocational training, and access to clean water?
How important is it to you that plastic waste be reduced? For example, making the transition to not using plastic water bottles?
Do you want to report any water quality or access issues?
Please leave any additional thoughts or feedback related to this survey, or thoughts about the environment. For example, do you feel like people and corporations could be doing more to protect the environment? What is your opinion on the word Global Warming or carbon/eco-footprint? Please feel free to answer in your way.
The rest are contact-related and confidential/sign-offs.
Heat map of data spread from all over the United States, 145 responses which skews the relevancy of the data but is a great start nonetheless.
Overview of our responses
Sankey data map
Stacked pie chart
Stacked pie chart
The word comprehensive is used liberally when discussing a 35-question long 12-minute survey . We had over 145 responses.
Part II. Connecting observations of reactions to Flint Crises & local attitudes about the state of our environment.
(To be updated and amended soon, regarding the role of media in shaping our viewpoints as well as what personality profile and demographic truly care? is it merely overblown Hulaballo? fact versus fiction)
It is evident no one thought Flint, Michigan residents would end up needing $100 million grant from the EPA for the Michigan DEQ to fund drinking water infrastructure upgrades after tens of thousands of Flint residents were exposed to dangerous levels of lead, outbreaks of Legionnaire disease that killed at least twelve people and sickened dozens more from 2014-2016.
A recent article in the Eastern Shore News featured a letter sponsored by citizens of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, expressing confidence that there will always be an abundant supply of drinking water. The letter provided readers with a historical account of how the Chesapeake Bay was created by a meteor millions of years ago, shaping the watershed and aquifers that now sustain millions of people.
Meteor shower. Elements of this image furnished by NASA
According to the sponsored insert, humanity faces no imminent threats to its basic needs, including water, as outlined in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The letter suggests that those who claim otherwise are influenced by fear-mongering media narratives from the past two decades.
Stop sign reading "Stop Global Warming Now!"
The insert, which can be found below, offers a candid perspective on how a segment of the Delmarva Peninsula's population views these issues. It reflects a proud reliance on common sense, powers of observation, and a skepticism towards sensationalized news headlines.
Science History Images, Gwen Shockey, Illustration of the Earth's Water Cycle During a recent meeting of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Groundwater Committee, concerns about saltwater intrusion and over-pumping of the lower aquifer came to the forefront, prompting discussions on the sustainability of current water usage practices.
The Eastern Shore of Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula have a certain way of life, where peace is the ultimate goal. Below are a few pictures that offer a glimpse into some of the values of this area, including respecting nature, time spent with family, friends, and loved ones; enjoying life each day as it comes. Balance is a blessing that takes effort to maintain-especially in today's plugged-in world. Most people who are truly "from" The Shore do not cave easily to popular trends, it is understood that to have character means, in part, reading between the lines of any given situation.
Red and White striped lighthouse beacon situated on Assategue Island Maryland
Portrait of the beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog in the forest
A Beautiful Spring Day View across the harbor at St. Michael's Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in Maryland.
Eastern Shore Sunset, through the looking glass of the tidal plains and marshes
The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.
Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will
We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful.
There is no such thing as paranoia. Your worst fears can come true at any moment.
Readers appreciate the typography used in inserts. The use of bold lettering and font changes serves as a visual form of psychological reassurance. This insert was found in the February 2024 edition of the Eastern Shore News.
I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; justice cannot sleep forever.
I commend the article for its courage and optimistic outlook regarding the future availability of water. However, it is prudent to consider the quality of the water before making such optimistic assertions, which often reflect mankind's tendency towards arrogance.
Here are a few recent headlines that paint a less-than-rosy picture of the drinking water situation in Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula:
Report: Eastern Shore has unhealthy levels of nitrate in ...
WTOP
https://wtop.com › Local News › Maryland News
Oct 21, 2020 — Two counties on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore have unhealthy levels of nitrate in drinking water, which may lead to health problems.
Forever chemicals are a perpetual threat to Virginia drinking ...
WHRO
https://whro.org › news › local-news › 36978-forever-c...
Mar 22, 2023 — New rounds of water testing have discovered elevated levels of these chemicals — which have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, and numerous ...
A Legislative Win for Marylanders Who Drink Private Well ...
Center for Progressive Reform
https://progressivereform.org › cpr-blog › a-legislative-...
Apr 11, 2023 — Our 2020 report posits a source for the increased cancer risk associated withprivate well water: nitrate, which is an undetectable contaminant ...
News & Alerts Regarding Water Safety
East Coast Water Quality
Polluted waterway with murky water, representing the broader issue of water contamination including toxic PFAS. PFAS In Drinking Water Is Worse Than Reported.
Missing: shore | Show results with: shore
Study says drinking water from nearly half of US faucets ...
AP News
https://apnews.com › article › pfas-forever-chemicals-dr...
Jul 5, 2023 — A government study says nearly half of the tap water in the US contains potentially harmful compounds known as “forever chemicals.”
It is prudent to never assume that our way of life is guaranteed to be safe, including our drinking water. We are only human, after all.
During Filming, Ranger Bill spoke of the irony of having one of the largest Naval Shipyards "across the bay" while people didn't have access to potable water during the Pandemic just a few miles away on the other side of the bay, according to a few sources. He mentioned the need for a desalination plant, to utilize the geography of being near an ocean, bay, and many tributaries leading to rivers.