Lead popped up in my news feed this week with two stories impacting our health and the health of wildlife.
The first was Troy, NY's desire to declare an emergency due to lead water pipes. Like many old cities in America, Troy's water pipes need an overhaul to remove dangerous lead that impacts the health of all residents as well as visitors who eat in their restaurants.
I wrote about how lead impacts the quality of our drinking water in WHEN THE WORLD RUNS DRY. Flint, Michigan became the poster city lead poisoning. While their contamination was caused by reckless management, the water crisis there highlighted a problem many communities can face.
The other story focused on the needless death of a beloved, young, California condor, in one of America's western national parks. The 5-year-old male condor, named 1K was the 1,000th hatched since the successful California Condor Recovery Program began in 1982. The bird, like the majority of released endangered condors, became poisoned by lead ammo left behind in animal carcasses. I wrote about the recovery and lead poisoning of California condors in BACK FROM THE BRINK.
Lead is a dangerous substance that impacts our health and the health of the entire environment. Lead ammo can be easily replaced. Lead pipe removal requires adequate funding.
Explore the ways you can rid lead from your community. Support lead ammo bans and funding to replace old water pipes.
