Green Living Mandates Green Taxes

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With the upcoming presidential election, politics is one of the hottest topics around.  While we owe it to ourselves to be educated on the issues and to go out and vote in November, it is also imperative that we pay attention to local, state and regional issues, especially those affecting the environment.  The clamor over immigration issues, health care and “Fast and Furious” was so loud this past week that it practically drowned out the enactment of several “green” laws that took effect on July 1st.

Noting that “the abundance of aquatic life is one measure of a healthy Chesapeake Bay“, several laws taking affect over the weekend are aimed at significantly reducing pollution from varying sources.  Laws passed to protect the Chesapeake Bay include:

  • Doubling the flush tax from $2.50 to $5.00 to raise funds to upgrade wastewater treatment plants.
  • Placement of limitations on areas where developers can build residential communities that use septic tanks.
  • Requiring local jurisdictions to set fees to fight storm water pollution in Baltimore City and nine of the largest counties in Maryland.

These green laws are a manifestation of the need to accomplish eco-friendly objectives through taxation as there clearly has been a failure to achieve the desired results through advertising, education and voluntary public support.  The green movement has been around for a long time, yet most citizens have not jumped on the bandwagon.  In future legislation, we can expect to see further taxes to reduce waste and increase recycling in the form of taxes on grocery bags and more bottle deposits.  

No one likes the idea of higher taxes, but “green” taxes are an inevitable component of improving the environment and failure to act voluntarily serves as a mandate for government to enact and enforce policies to guarantee the protection of the environment.  In an effort to lower our taxes, let’s voluntarily live green, be green!

Greening Up Our Beaches

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Summertime is here, and the beach is the number one destination for many vacations.  Sadly, many of the beaches in the United States are polluted by storm water runoff and sewage.  Moreover, a study by the National Resources Defense Council indicates that 15 of the beaches cited in 2012 have had “water samples violating public health standards more than 25% of the time” every year from 2007 to 2011.  Over the past few years, the United States has been plagued by severe storms that create storm water runoff; however, the problem with pollution at more than 3000 beaches in this country has been defined by animal and human waste.  It is so important that we put in place and observe green initiatives to protect our beaches so that vacations on the water can remain carefree.  Green beaches translate to green economy for so many areas of this country that are dependent on the dollars earned from tourists and vacationers.  

The goal to clean up beaches is not an impossible one as evidenced by the state of beaches in Great Britain, where quality of bathing waters has improved significantly over the past 20 years.  This was accomplished largely by upgrading sewage overflow infrastructures, thereby reducing the amount of sewage overflow to surrounding waters.  The increase in populations alone all over the country mandate the upgrades of water flow systems to meet the added use demands.  Consistent and frequent monitoring of water quality through sampling is of utmost importance.  Relaying the results of water quality samples serves to engage the green public to take action to support these environmental green initiatives.  

Green beaches are important to our world because they protect sea life— plants and fish.  They are a source of relaxation and fun for all citizens, and they are vital to the economies of so many communities.  

Let’s green up our beaches to live green, be green!

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