What is pollution?

[tom00_uk]

they are located at the top of the BMWP (Biological Monitoring Working Party) scheme table when doing a invertebrate survey to check recent water quality in a stream/river.

Things that score right at the bottom like tubifex are low scoring and used as a indicator of a poor water quality event

[wanlock dod]

Tom,

I think that the dragonflies had BMWP scores of 8 under the original system, but some of the revised scores are rather lower (revised score for libellulidae is 5). Many of the mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies score higher. However, the BMWP scoreing system is aimed at being sensitive to sanitary pollution (ammonia, oxygen depletion, etc.) I do not think that sensitivity to these pressures tells us anything about sensitivity to other chemical toxicants such as metals or pesticides, do you think that it does?

Dod

[aquarian31]

Thames Water have done the environment and rivers around London another disgraceful service by Killing ALL the fish and the aquatic life in the River Crane from Heathrow in what they describe as unnavoidable action to save heathrow from flooding with sewage..
When will the directors of the water companies be held personally liable in the courts for the action of their employees as the fines given out so far have proven to be no deterrence to this most insiduous form of environmental crime.
Thames water won't admit as to when this site was serviced or maintained last and its always poorly maintained equipment that breaks down and often negkligence at the end of the day1
I've found a link to the Thames anglers conservancy and when you read all the facts revealed, I think its votal thal all environmentalists on this forum join forces with anglers who form what I have read love our watercourses beyounf belief but can't get real support to bring pollution to heal

Please read the link details and take the appropriate action you believe to be best from here >
http://rivertac.org/site/?p=3571
http://rivertac.org/site/?p=3518 with pics

Having read about the proposed Thames Sewage tunnel, It can't happen soon enough for me as a resident who walks along the open Thames sewer that the Environment Agency screams is cleaner.........far from it, I wouldn't let my dog swim in it - ever!
The numbers of times the sewers have overflowed into the Thames at times of rainfall is a disgrace and the sewer men should be forced to come and clean the sanitary towels, condoms and other litter that hangs from trees after each episode.
If members of the forum see this disgusting problem, not only on th Thames but all rivers and watercourses, I'd ask you to ring the EA on their hotline telephone number 0800 807060 and tell them immediately just in case more rivers, fish and the environmen as a whole is wiped out through neglect.

End of rant!

[fairplay]

Surely 'pollution' is anything that affects the 'natural balance' - but how do you define the natural balance ?

Do you use the 'natural balance' for sustaining human life or all forms of life, or what ? When the earth was 'in the making' there must have been many toxic gasses floating around, and after billions of years these gasses somehow became 'locked up' (or floating around in the atmosphere ?).

A meteoroid could suddenly hit planet earth releasing no end of locked up gasses and introduce lots of interesting 'goodies and baddies' at the same time.
But this would still be a part of earths natural evolution.

Earth is still evolving and in my opinion the presence of man will be only a tiny blip on a graph of life on earth.

Neil.

[watsthat]

I agree with you Neil, i.e. about us ultimately being quite insignificant players in the long term scheme of things but we can only look at our short term as custodians. That probably sounds a bit supremist but never the less IMO we are currently just that, custodians. It is of some concern to me that we are not making a very good job of it. I see pollution as anything inflicted on the planet by mans desire (you could say natural), to achieve material satisfaction by etc. etc...
I want to say more but my other half is waiting to go out, (more material desires to satisfy)

Cheers

Pete

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by wanlock dod

I'm not sure that stray light is causing a measureable adverse effect on any wildlife, so it is simply a case of sensationalising the issue to call it light pollution, and it should really be called light contamination?

Light pollution or light spill has an affect on several species of bat that are more light sensitive in that it affects the way they behave in relation to their feeding patterns.

Cheers,

Adam

[The Woodman]

You are right to raise that, Adam.

A local example to me would be the floodlighting of Nether Bridge over the River Kent near the centre of Kendal. I no longer see Daubenton's bats foraging over the water surface in the area affected by the light. By placing isolated lighting, the disruption of flight lines and feeding areas are probably being affected.