April 25, 2023
Michael Sauers
As if acid mine drainage, industrial production effluent, subpar sewage treatment plants and helter-skelter residential development aren’t enough, our streams and rivers now have a new source of pollution. According to American Rivers the Lehigh River is threatened by the burst of warehouse development that is occurring throughout its watershed. This phenomena is being replicated up and down the east coast from Boston to Washington D.C. These behemoth buildings with their massive parking lots and associated driveways are adding enormous quantities of unfiltered, contaminated water into our streams and rivers. All of our major rivers; Delaware, Susquehanna, Schuylkill, Lackawaxen, Lehigh and Lackawanna are threatened as well as their feeder streams. The Lehigh River has been named one of the top ten threatened rivers in the nation. Several states have had to sue Pennsylvania to force compliance with mandated pollution controls regarding the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay. Our leaders and representatives in Harrisburg/Washington seem unable to grasp the obvious. Yikes!
Prior to development, this water fell on permeable surfaces that allowed for natural filtration and contaminant mitigation before it entered groundwater pools, aquifers and wells. Sometimes this water flowed as surface water getting cleaned as it traveled. Sometimes this water resurfaced and flowed into creeks, streams, reservoirs, lakes and rivers. Now, this water flows off impermeable rooftops, driveways and parking lots. It does so with great velocity since there are no barriers. It carries contaminants associated with roofing products such as heavy metals. It carries contaminants associated with asphalt paving and trucks/automobiles many of which are petroleum based. Developers implement basic stormwater management plans. Local, state and federal governments rubber stamp this minimalist approach. The result is easy to predict.
The warehouse concept is crucial to current economic development strategies. They help put retailers out of business as they bolster the online consumer frenzy. Current economic development strategies lean heavily on mindless, unending consumerism with overnight delivery as a lure. This surely ends old downtown shopping districts and it is quickly doing the same to big box stores. Just recently, Bed, Bath and Beyond bit the dust. Goodbye! This trend will continue.
These warehouses produce a limited number of jobs that pay wages that are not living wage scale. Many of these jobs are destined to be eliminated by the lightning speed encroachment of computers, automation, robotics and AI in general. AI workers don’t complain, don’t need sick days, don’t take days off or vacations, don’t pilfer, etc. They are the perfect workers. Truly a brave new world. Oops! There is one problem. Workers have another role in the economy. They are consumers. This is where Andrew Yang’s guaranteed income becomes viable. There are various schemes on how GI will be funded but it is all dystopian.
Finally, let me remind you that these behemoth warehouses devastate habitat. They are wildlife habitat destroyers. They are speciesist! They comply with the homo sapien perspective on life; destroy virtually everything in the pursuit of profit.
Much more could be said. Do some research.