WHAT IS LAND POLLUTION?

Dr. Alice Tempel received the “Municipal Coordinator” 2016 Award for her efforts to keep the South Plainfield borough green and clean.

Puja: Please tell us about yourself

Dr. Tempel:

I was raised in New York City and came to New Jersey to study Ecology at Rutgers University.  After receiving my doctorate, I decided not to pursue an academic career but rather looked for something more hands-on that I could do to improve the quality of the environment.  The South Plainfield Environmental Commission was looking for someone to help with their projects, and the Borough hired me part-time to work with that volunteer agency.  My job grew as the Borough added more environmental activities. 

In my private life, I enjoy gardening, singing Barbershop Harmony, Contra dancing, bird watching, and when I have time, reading fiction.

Puja: What is land pollution?

Dr Tempel: There are various ways the land can be polluted.  Chemical contamination of the soil and groundwater usually comes from industry, either deliberately or accidentally, but other sources such as farming, salting icy roads, and even naturally occurring rocks that may release arsenic or other metals into the soil.  Surface water like streams, lakes and oceans can also be polluted by things that are washed off the land, like various kinds of litter, especially plastic.  When plastic gets into the ocean, it breaks apart over time into small pieces, which sea creatures eat by accident.

Puja: What are the ways in which you bring down land pollution at South Plainfield?

Dr Tempel:

The only work I do directly on land pollution is through our Clean Communities program.  I gather volunteers together to collect as much litter as they can for proper disposal so it won’t get into the storm drains or sit along the roadsides.  The schools, businesses and residents all participate in different programs to pick up litter. 

The Recycling Program keeps tons of solid waste out of our Middlesex County landfill and benefits the environment in other ways, like reducing air pollution and the amount of energy needed to manufacture new products.

I also gather information on our contaminated industrial sites for the Environmental Commission, which gives advice to the Mayor and Council to the Planning Board about environmentally sound land use.

Puja: Can  enviroment awareness initiatives  like EcoCamp promote Enviromental science and advocacy? How?

Dr Tempel: :  Absolutely.  The first step in addressing a problem is becoming aware of it.  Then to learn enough about it to know whether this problem is important enough to you for you to try to find a solution to.  An Ecocamp can expose people to a wide variety of issues that they many never even have heard of before, but which can affect them very personally.

Puja: What are the five specific ways kids can help?

Dr Tempel:

Are there only five? Or is there perhaps just one:

Pay attention to the ways your actions can impact other people and the environment:  think about the consequences of your actions.

Simple things to do and not do:

-Pick up at least one piece of litter every day and put it in a litter can.

-Don’t drop litter on the ground.

-Turn off the bathroom faucet while you are brushing your teeth, the turn it on again long enough to rinse.

-Find ways to reuse things instead of throwing them out, for instance, give your old clothes to your younger brother or sister when you grow out of them.

-Don’t buy things you don’t need. 

-Turn off the light when you leave a room.

-Walk to school instead of having a parent drive you.

-Study the wildlife in your backyard instead of using electricity playing a video game.

Puja: Thank you so much for your time, Dr. Tempel !!!