On the News With Thom Hartmann: Drinking Water Polluted for Thousands of Ohians and Canadians ....

[marmar]

Thom Hartmann here - on the best of the rest of....science & green news.....

You need to know this. We can't survive without clean water, but we're completely irresponsible when it comes to protecting this vital resource. Last week, a half a million people in Ohio were told that their water was so toxic that they should avoid any contact with it, and more than a billion gallons of mining waste poisoned drinking water for many Canadians. Sewage plants, factory farms, and other industries dump tons of phosphorus into our waterways, which is an excellent source of nutrients for toxic algae blooms. And of course, we all know the Fossil Fuel industry's horrendous track record of polluting our lakes, rivers, and oceans. We have the power to enact regulations to prevent these disasters, but our politicians opt to please Big Business instead of protecting The People. Last week was a terrifying example of how easily our water supply can be destroyed, but it wasn't the first time corporations put profits over people, and it certainly won't be the last. Corporate power has corrupted our democracy, devastated our environment, and destroyed our middle class, and now it's threatening a resource we need to survive. The same toxic algae that poisoned drinking water in Toledo could soon pop up in other states with similar agricultural runoff, and the Fossil Fuel industry is always working to get their hands on more land. If we don't fight back, more and more of our water supply could be contaminated. We need to stand up to corporate power to save our democracy, our planet, and our economy. However, protecting our water supply may be one of the most important fights we have ever faced.

A Colorado farmer has a great idea for an abandoned prison – grow pot in it! A medium-security prison in Brush, Colorado shut down back in 2010, and it left 85 residents in that community out of a job. Since Colorado has legalized marijuana, a farmer named Nicholas Erker came up with a great plan to get people in his town back to work. Mr. Erker told the Denver Post, "I was walking through the empty [prison] one day by myself and I thought, 'This place would be perfect to grow marijuana.'" He explained that the facility has plenty of water and electricity, and it's extremely secure. Currently, the city has a ban on all marijuana businesses, but Mr. Erker is calling on the City Council to overturn the moratorium and put people to work. He even sat down with the Mayor of his town to explain that the grow-house could employ at least 30 people, and increase city tax collections by 30 percent. Legalizing cannabis has already saved states money on criminal prosecutions and allowed police to focus on real crime, but it can also bring states more revenue. States can tax the marijuana sales themselves, and expanding this new industry can also create jobs and boost local economies. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/25561-on-the-news-with-thom-hartmann-polluted-drinking-water-in-ohio-and-more