ABSTRACT
An outdoor excursion to the local stream can be a relaxing and enjoyable undertaking. However, when the wayfarer arrives at the local stream, spreads a blanket on its bank, and then looks out upon its flowing mass and discovers a parade of waste and discarded rubble bobbing along cluttering the adjacent shoreline and downstream areas, he quickly loses any feeling of relaxation or enjoyment. The sickening sensation only increases as our observer closely scrutinizes the putrid flow. He recognizes the rainbow-colored shimmer of an oil slick, interrupted here and there by dead fish and floating refuse, and the slimy fungal growth that prevails. At the same time, the observer’s sense of smell is also alerted to the noxious conditions. Along with the fouled water and the stench of rot-filled air, the observer notices the ultimate insult and tragedy: a sign warning, ”DANGER-NO SWIMMING or FISHING.” The observer soon realizes that the stream before him is not a stream at all; it is little more than an unsightly drainage ditch. He has discovered what ecologists have known and warned about for years-that is, contrary to popular belief, rivers and streams do not have an infinite capacity for taking care of pollution (Spellman, 1996).
