Unpopular opinion- I hate fireworks. There, I said it. I’ve never liked them, when I was little I could never get over the giant booms and the overall thought that the sky must be falling. Everyone around me would say, “but look at the pretty colors!” … to which I wish I would have responded, “Oh wow, gee, thanks for reminding me, totally didn’t notice how pretty it was while fearing for my life.”
So maybe I am a buzzkill but I think many of you following us here at GreenATLiens agree that this year’s Independence Day amidst the headlines of police brutality, climate injustice, global pandemic, and children in cages is cause for pause, or maybe a full stop. This year as we reflect on all that it means to be “American” and celebrate our “Independence Day” (read: the independence of slave-holding, misogynistic white men), I say we also take some time to understand that the “celebrating America by blowing things up” idea has pretty devastating impacts to our environment and biodiversity surrounding us.
The above graphic, created by Andy Brunning in The Chemistry of Firework Pollution for Compound Chem, clearly breaks down the chemicals used to create this explosive artwork, and how those chemicals and other materials can have negative effects on the world around us.
According to Terrapass, there are ways to make your annual fireworks displays a little more eco-friendly, even making them completely carbon neutral through the purchase of carbon offsets. The New Year’s Eve Firework display in Sydney, Australia has achieved total carbon neutrality by encouraging public transit, recycling leftover waste, and purchasing carbon offsets to balance out the pollution left in the air.
But what about noise pollution? The devastating effects fireworks have on local wildlife? The danger for wildfires in those habitats from shoddy at home firework displays? The use of fireworks has been known to cause serious disturbance in the habitats of birds, small vertebrates, invertebrates and mammals. The possibility of resulting brush fires, even ones that are small and easily contained, still destroy the living spaces of many of these creatures and their established eco-systems. The fear and panic caused by loud noises can cause birds and mammals to leave their nests and become disoriented and unable to return, leaving their young unprotected (source).
We can see evidence of this in our own domesticated animals. Fireworks have a very high decibel level in the boom, as much as 190 decibels, more than a gunshot or even some jet engines. We know that many animals, including dogs and cats have a much more sensitive sense of hearing than humans, meaning they are at much greater risk for hearing loss or tinnitus from firework sounds (source). And additionally, many animal welfare professionals will tell you that July 5th is one of their busiest days of the year when it comes to stray animals. If you follow any of our local animal welfare organizations here in Atlanta, you will have seen their posts recommending that you keep your dogs and cats inside. Firework noise, summer storms, and other factors all contribute to a higher level of stray animal intake throughout the summer, which reaches a maximum around this time. Here you can find a list of helpful tips to keep your pets safe and prevent them from getting lost around this time. Because of the higher amounts of animals needing care in shelters at this time of year, many shelters are operating at or over capacity and are offering low-cost adoption events or promoting fostering.
So, all I am saying is, maybe this year you mix up your usual Fourth of July celebrations. Foster a dog or cat, go for a nice walk to observe your local biodiversity, or watch Hamilton! And if you really need a little flair, go outside with some sparklers, just make sure you properly dispose of all the pieces!
Meredith is GreenATLiens’ Foodie ATLien writing and reporting on all things sustainable food systems in Atlanta. She is an actor and a low-waster transplant originally from Cincinnati, OH. She will likely talk your ear off about locally grown food, carbon emissions, or animal welfare. But when she is not, she can be found hiking with her dog, kayaking, or riding her horse. Her latest obsession is the connection between growing your own food and the rich fertilizer that is manure. In short, she’s trying to grow tomatoes out of horse poop. She also does stand up comedy.
After the recent whirlwind of police killings of victims George Floyd in Minneapolis, MO, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, KY, and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, GA, there has been an increasing call from the people to defund police departments that have been the perpetrators of brutality, violence, and murder against black people for centuries in the United States.
The people of Atlanta have mobilized numerous times to march and demonstrate in downtown Atlanta and beyond to defund the police, stop police brutality, end voter suppression, and dismantle the prison industrial complex. Especially considering that Rayshard Brooks was the 48th police shooting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigated in 2020 (Mainline Zine). In response to rising public sentiment to defund APD, Mayor Bottoms met with and Atlanta City Council June 15th to respond to public calls to revise the budget. Essentially, the amendment to defund APD by 50% was shot down and members of City Council -most vocally Antonio Brown of District 3 where Rayshard Brooks was killed by APD – have been calling on constituents to call into virtual City Council meetings to demand the City defund APD by 33% or 73 million to reimagine safety. In reimagining safety Brown is possibly subtly referencing a viral infographic that was circulating on social media:
Infographic from KnowYourMeme.Com
Since the 2021 Atlanta City Budget has remained unchanged, we at GreenATLiens thought you’d might like to know a few things that got defunded in order to increase the APD budget by over $12 million.
What did the City of Atlanta defund for 2021?
Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list. The full PDF of the 2021 Atlanta City Budget can be found here. GreenATLiens is also interested in examining how these particular instances of defunding not only harm the environment but also harm the black community, or in other words are concrete examples of systemic environmental racism.
Department of Public Works defunded from $51.7 million in 2020 to $0 in 2021. Public Works is responsible for maintaining infrastructure, so if there’s any broken bridges or crumbling historic buildings they’ll have to apply for a grant or rely on community donations to fund infrastructural renovations.
Built environment is an incredibly valuable aspect of sustainability. Preserving buildings and infrastructure helps us make things last for as long as possible and reduce the use of new resources. Built environment preservation helps reduce activity that contributes to climate change, essentially.
Defunding the Department of Public Works also disadvantages predominantly black neighborhoods in Atlanta, particularly Historic West End with historic buildings in need of renovation. The Atlanta Budget is essentially saying “You won’t get a cent from us, go have a fish fry to raise the funds cuz we ain’t helpin’.” The budget for Public Works in 2021 is literally $0! *Rubs eyes* Yep, still $0!
2. Department of Parks and Rec is being defunded by $1.6 million (2.4%) in 2021. Not only that but they’ll also lose 33 personnel (see below or budget page 70).
Parks as green spaces naturally are beneficial to the environment, specifically as urban wildlife habitats, carbon sequestration in the form of trees, water pollution reduction through plants that retain and prevent stormwater runoff that carries toxins into storm drains and ultimately our drinking water.
Parks are also highly important for maintaining public health. They provide a community green space to run, jog, play sports, or otherwise exercise, as well as improve one’s mental health through nature therapy and release of endorphins from physical activity and sun exposure. Defunding Parks and Rec means that communities lacking access to greenspaces are less likely to see any park development in the coming year. Wait, the budget says.
Screenshot of the Atlanta City Budget’s summary of personnel showing that APD will have an increase in personnel of 229, while Parks and Rec will lose 33 personnel, Watershed Management will lose 25, Human Resources will lose 9 and Department of Audit will lose 2.
3. The budget literally defunded justice. Atlanta’s Judicial Agencies got a 2.74% budget cut of $367K, so judges will be more overrun with cases than before. If you believe the Criminal Justice System and Prison Industrial Complex can be reformed, then defunding the courts that give Atlantans trials is a blow to justice and a disservice to the people.
Filling up prisons with black people for offenses white people get off easy for is another example of environmental racism. It keeps people out of the workforce and out of the voting pool to suppress black voters and keep black families economically destabilized without two members of household to contribute to household income and the work of running a household. Holding people in cages and forcing them to perform unpaid labor while leaving their families to fend for themselves is a modern form of slavery and oppression. A fair and non-corrupt justice system would end this continued disservice to Atlantans.
4. The Department of City Planning was defunded by $1.6 million (7.33%). Defunding City Planning means defunding walkability and bikability in Atlanta. Defunding City Planning is an example of systemic environmental racism and here’s why:
Poor urban mobility, meaning a poor ability to get around without full dependence on a car, is a systemic factor that makes it more challenging for low-income communities to get around to places like a job, the DMV, a poll location, or the grocery store. It’s essentially a way of keeping wealth in the communities that have wealth and denying low-income communities access to that wealth. Additionally, for those who do decide to walk or bike to access opportunities and needs, doing so poses a greater threat to one’s life than on, say, the cushy BeltLine or Freedom Park Trail.
Poor urban mobility reinforces poverty, car dependency, air pollution, and carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Not to mention the effects of a car-dependent lifestyle on physical health. Car dependency also puts a financial burden on and further economically destabilizes low income households. This is why City Planning needs a budget increase and not a budget cut to improve urban mobility across all of Atlanta and particularly low income areas. Improved urban mobility and diminished car dependence reduces the city’s footprint and air pollution while also connecting communities to more opportunities. With reduced air pollution we’re likely to see less asthma-related hospitalizations and deaths, which disproportionately affect black and brown communities.
5. Water was defunded. The Water and Wastewater Revenue Fund is scheduled to be defunded in 2021 by $23 million (3.9%). The Department of Watershed Management is also scheduled to lose 25 personnel next year while APD adds on 229. Despite Atlanta’s innumerable water woes, Atlanta’s water received the second largest budget cut after the Department of Public Works. Perhaps they’ll pass the buck to non-profit organizations Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Westside Water Alliance (WaWa) to keep our drinking water clean. Why spend government budget money on clean water when we can have these non-profit organizations apply for unreliable grant funding and rally their supporters to give out of the kindness of their hearts for our basic human right to clean water?
Cancerous toxins in our drinking water is an environmental health issue that quite literally, albeit slowly, kills the poor and disproportionately affects black and brown communities that have been systemically kept from accumulating wealth. Defunding water is defunding black lives, and defunding environmental health across the board for all Atlantans.
What can you do?
District 3 Council Member Antonio Brown is calling on all residents of Atlanta to:
“call in to every committee and full council meeting to demand we amend the budget and fund the resolution approved by council today. Reallocate $73M of police funds in order to reimagine public safety. We must stop the business of the city from moving forward until our demands are met.”
If you can’t attend the meeting due to work be sure to leave a voicemail write a message to your Councilmember and the general City Council email atlantacouncil@atlantaga.gov.
Sharing personally how defunding these various areas of the city budget to increase funding and personnel for APD affects you or a loved one will be the most impactful. Here are a few prompts to get you started:
Is there infrastructure near you that won’t get the attention it deserves as a result of cuts to Public Works?
Is there a lack of community greenspace where you live, or community greenspace that needs investment to be properly maintained? In that case why is Parks and Rec being defunded and scheduled for lay-offs when these greenspaces are of growing importance to the physical and mental health of our communities? If there’s a lack of greenspace where you live, how far would one have to walk to the nearest greenspace? Is it a safe walking distance for children?
Have you or a family member been incarcerated? How did that affect your family economically, emotionally? Do you think defunding the Atlanta’s judicial agencies is in the interest of justice for the people of Atlanta?
Do you walk, bike, or take public transit for transportation? Or would you like to? Tell City Council that cuts to City Planning hurts urban mobility in Atlanta and in turn dampens economic opportunity, reinforces income inequality, and increases car dependency that’s shown to be so detrimental to environmental health as well as public health.
Do you drink water? Would you like Atlanta’s water to be safe to drink for all Atlantans? Don’t you think instead of defunding the Department of Watershed by $23 million (meanwhile increasing APD’s budget by over $12 million) we should be increasing investment in clean water for all?
That’s all for now. Please feel free to add your comments, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Stay green, ATLiens!
March on Georgia this Monday, 9:00AM at the Richard Russel Federal Buildong 75 Spring St SW. Don’t forget your masks, signs, and energy!
There is no sustainability in Georgia’s future without repealing citizen’s attest, criminal legal reform, restoring voting rights, and ending police brutality.
Removing invasive plant species from our own yards is an actionable way we can all help reverse the effects of climate change. As it turns out, our insect populations are being decimated by invasive plants, which out-compete native plants and create habitat “dead-zones”. Professor of Entomology and acclaimed author Bringing Nature Home, Doug Tallamy sums up why this is important: “Life as we know of it depends on insects,” Tallamy tell us. “If you take those insects away, nasty things will happen.” This is because insects are one of the only organisms on the planet that eat the food plants make from the sun with photosynthesis (I know! It’s like magic!!), and make it readily available to the rest of the food chain, including us. One native oak tree can support up to 280 different species of insect. Take into account that 97% of our terrestrial songbirds raise their young on insects alone, and we start to see how this snowballs very quickly.
Remember, without pollinators we also don’t have fruits and veg. And for you carnivores out there, without birds and rodents, we don’t have grasslands or forests to support sustainable meat production.
So, you want to help! That’s great! But looking at your yard and knowing where to start can be intimidating. Take a deep breath and remember that restoration is a process. You’re not going to lose that quarantine-15 you gained over the past 3 months overnight, and your yard won’t get “fixed” from years of neglect in one go. That’s why we always start with the most valuable ecological commodity in any ecosystem when we’re removing invasive plants: the TREES!
With that said, meet the first invasive plant in a long list of Atlanta’s most notorious invasive plants, English ivy! The biggest natural resource Atlanta has is its urban forest; its trees. The biggest threat to trees in the Atlanta Metro area is English ivy, or Hedera helix if you want to sound smart. English ivy strains and weakens the infrastructural integrity of the tree by acting as a dead weight and creating a wind-sail effect along the trunk. When the vines reach the top of the tree, they will drop down runners which anchor and eventually pull down the whole tree like a winch.
Removing English ivy seems easy, right? It’s just cutting some vines, right? Wrong! Severing the connections between the vines infesting a tree is a temporary fix. If you want your trees to breathe easy and get healthy again, those vines have to be pulled back and the roots removed. Keeping ivy out and away from your trees will inhibit it from reproducing and make it easier to remove from the ground layer over time.
Step 1: First thing to do is get prepared: wear closed toed shoes, pants and long sleeves because English ivy really likes to hang out with poison ivy! You will need a cutting tool, a digging tool, and a prying tool. I like my small loppers, soil knife, and machete but a handsaw, handpick, and pry-bar will work just as well.
Step 2: Now, cut the vines around the trunk of the tree. You want to cut them 6”-1’ off the ground, or where at the top of the tree’s root flare in order to have enough leverage to pull them off/out.
Step 3: Cut the vines connecting these sections and then begin to work your prying tool under the section to loosen them. The vines fuse together on the tree trunk, creating a living suit-of-armor. Like a suit of armor has plates, the ivy can be broken into sections.
Step 4: Pull back the vines along the trunk, being careful not to damage the bark. Like when you play with a rope as a kid and make a transverse wave that travels along it, use the vines’ own momentum in a snapping motion to pull them off if they are loose enough. Pull out, never down.
Step 5: Cut and roll back the vines, creating a circular berm with a 2’ radius around the base of the tree. Pull and dig out roots as you go. If there are roots that are too big to be dug out, cut them, leaving at least 1’ of the vine behind so it can be poisoned in the future if need be.
Step 6: Take the sections you’ve removed from the tree trunk and lay them leaf side down over your berm. This will help suppress future growth.
Step 7: Replace leaf litter from the site in your now cleaned 2’ “circa-base”. Step back, admire, brag to your friends.
Step 8: Do it again 🙂
This may seem like a lot, but don’t get discouraged – it’s all about technique, baby. At EcoLogic, we’ve come across trees with infestations over 50 years old. It’s pretty remarkable that in an afternoon, we can free a 150 year old oak tree that can support over 280 insect species, which support hundreds of vertebrates like us.
Stay tuned as we make our way through the list of Atlanta’s most notorious invasive plants and learn how to DESTROY THEM (or manage them in an ecologically friendly and sustainable manner).
About the Author
Meet Tanya “Tea” Povolny, expert on native and invasive plants and founder of EcoLogic, an invasive plant removal service. You can follow her on Instagram at @ecologic.atlanta. You can read more about Tanya here and on her company’s website Eco-Logic ATL.
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