Newspapers / The Brunswick beacon. / May 21, 1992, edition 1 / Page 92
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CLEAN UP YOUR ACT! Steps You Can Take To Care For The Coast Wondering what you can do to help preserve and protect the frag ile coastal environment? I'NC Sea Grant, a federal and state program that promotes wise use of our coastal and marine re sources through research, exten sion and education, offers these ups: In Your Home... 1) Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass, aluminum foil and pans, motor oil, scrap met al and plastics. Contact your local solid waste agency to find out what can be recycled in your area. 2) Save your kitchen scrap, ex cept meat, for the compost pile, and avoid use of garbage disposal because it can add to many solids to an already overloaded home or municipal sewer system. 3) Use reusable containers for storing food instead of plastic wraps and foil. 4) Turn off the water when it's not actually in use ? while brush ing your teeth, shaving, washing dishes and cleaning foods. A gal lon of water can run out of your faucet in less than 60 seconds. 5) Fix leaks. A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons of water per day; a leaky toilet, 200 gallons per day. To test your toilet for a leak, add a few drops of food coloring to the tank water. Color will show up in the bowl if there is a leak. 6) Install a water-conserving showerhead. They are inexpensive and reduce flow by at least 25 per cent. 7) Place a plastic jug filled with water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water flushed. 8) Wash only full loads in wash ing machines and dishwashers. 9) Be sure faucets are complete ly off to eliminate dripping. 10) Buy a suds-saver washing machine when you need to buy a new machine. 11) Check for leaks outside. Faucets, hoses hose connectors and sprinklers can leak. 12) Don't put hazardous house hold substances such as paint thin ner, paint, furniture polish and pes Holder) Beach Activist Takes Stand For Coast BY DOUG RUTTER Don't ask Crawford Hart his opinion on preserv ing wetlands or controlling coastal development un less you're prepared to listen. Holden Beach's resident activist has strong feelings about the need to protect the environment and has no prob lem telling you all about iL "You've got to consider the environment belongs to every person and every living thing on this Earth," he says. "That in cludes the wildlife, and if the wildlife is gone we're in bad shape. It's all part of the system." Hart grew up reading National Geographic magazine and has lived near the coast much of his life. The UNC-Chapel Hill graduate lived in Connecticut for 32 years before moving to Holden Beach in 1989. He says he's always had a thing for clean water and air and admits that watching what happened to beaches like Cape Cod, Mass., has fueled his pro-en vironment stance. "People seemed to want to get to the coast a lot faster up there than they did down here," Hart said. "It's a wonder the Massachusetts coast doesn't sink into the water." Hart said trips to Europe have also had a lasting effect, particularly on the way he views litter. Once he saw people putting cigarette butts in their pockets instead of dropping them on the ground, there was no turning back. "For some reason Americans just have a habit of throwing things wherever," said Hart, who lived off and art in litter-laden New York City. "I think when I saw how clean things can be I brought it back with me. Hart belongs to several environmental groups in cluding the Audubon Society and N.C. Coastal Federation and said he mails as many as 50 letters a month relaying his concerns to elected officials. Sane people tell him he's just spinning his wheels, but Hart says he's gotten results. The key is being persistent and writing to the right people. "I think protecting the wetlands is a must I don't think anything should be built on them or over them," he said. "There isn't enough of the wetlands left that we can risk disturbing them." Holden Beach's land use plan allows docks and gazebos over wetlands. Hart says that's no good be cause they block out sunlight which is vital to the wetlands. When it comes to development of the beach. Hart says he has no problem with growth as long as it's responsible. "I'd like to see it stay this way and not gel out of hand," he said. That means no high-rise buildings or homes with more bedrooms than the septic tanks can handle. As for a sewer system on the island. Hart is very much opposed. He says septic systems can do the job just as well and don't pose a major environmen tal risk in the event of a serious hurricane. In the long run, Hart says preserving wetlands and keeping density low on Holden Beach and other beaches will only help real estate developers. "We can attract a much nicer class of tourists if we protect the pristine factors of the island and keep it a quiet, family beach," he said. "We can't let it be come another Myrtle Beach." Hart sees no middle of the road on this issue. He says a beach community must either stand firm against high-density development or yield to it. "I don't think there's an in-between. You've ei ther got one or the other," he said. "The minute you start giving a little, there's always going to be the guy who gets greedy." Hart said it's happened over and over again up and down the East Coast, and Holden Beach and Sunset Beach are two of the few "family beaches" remaining between Maine and Miami. "I think the best salvation we've got as far as protection of the environment is education and I think they're doing a good job in some of the schools," he said. ticides down your drain or in your trash. These products can pollute groundwater supplies, surface wa ter or the air. Save these items for special collection days sponsored by local governments. 13) Choose household cleaners carefully by reading the label. Use the least toxic product available and buy only what you need. Products labeled with "caution" are Service Fit For A Kins We'll treat your pool like royalty! \ Use: BioGuard Spa & Pool Care Products Chlorine Concentrate-Water Clarifier?PH Balancers PROFESSIONAL POOL MAINTENANCE Hwy. 179, Island Village Specialty Shops, Ocean Isle Beach. Behind IGA 579-8828 OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY Daily Maintenance Chemicals ? Accessories & Equipment considered the least toxic. Those with "warning" are moderately toxic, and highly toxic chemicals are marked with the skull and crossbones. 14) Clean with non-toxic sub stances such as baking soda, salt, vinegar, ammonia and elbow grease instead of bathroom and kitchen cleaners. 15) Use sink baskets to prevent clogs, and plungers to fix them. Septic Systems... 16) If your home is serviced by a septic system, be sure the system is in proper working order. Malfunctioning septic systems can pose health, pollution and contami nation problems, particularly if they arc located near estuaries and inland waterways. 17) Know the location of all components of your septic system, and keep heavy vehicles away from the system. 18) Don't plant trees or shrubs near drain lines. Roots can clog them. 19) Distribute your laundry chores throughout the week to avoid overloading the system on any given day. 20) Don't use toilets as trash cans. 21) Have your septic tank in spected each year and pumped out every three to five years to remove solids. 22) Do not build swimming pools near your septic system. 23) If you're installing a septic system and encounter soils unsuit able for waste treatment, such as sand or clay, consider an alterna tive septic treatment such as low pressure pipe and mound waste systems. In Your Yard... 24) Landscape with groundcov er, trees and shrubs to minimize runoff. Plants help to prevent ero sion, moderate summer heat and filter rainwater from downspouts and driveways. 25) When landscaping, choose permeable surfaces such as wood en decks, porous pavement, bricks or stones rather than solidly paved surfaces to allow for better absorp tion of water into the soil. 26) Divert rain from paved sur faces onto grass to permit gradual absorption. 27) Choose appropriate plants, shrubs, trees and grasses for the soil in your area. Many new beach front homeowners try to landscape their yards with the same plants they used at their former inland lo cations, and later find out that they won't survive in the harsh ocean environment. 28) Test your soil to determine proper applications of fertilizers and lime for your lawn and shrubs. Consider using organic fertilizers such as manure to boost plant growth and condition your soil. (See STEPS, Page 56) timcm bvOndullnH Corrugated Asphalt Roofing 'Fast, easy installation ^Reduces noise Goes directly over old roof ?Provides added insulation Won't rust or corrode 'Lifetime warranty NOW ONLY Looks great on this Sunset Beach cottage. Top Off Your Next Project With Ondura! $1 09X. $438?r ^ Sh..< 26 tquar* foot sh??t Available at... JM Parker & Sons Hwy. 17 & 211, Supply, 754-4331
May 21, 1992, edition 1
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