SHERKIN COMMENT Issue No. 54 Environmental Quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station 2012 Return to Turnstones Addressing the Licensing of Aquaculture Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, USA Mitigating the Threats Posed by Aquatic Oscar Merne highlights the remarkable Sites in Ireland Highlighting the role and responsibilities that Invasive Species migratory journeys of Turnstones from Matt Murphy poses questions on the issue to such an institution has to safeguard plant Joe Caffery on dealing with invasive species, Australia to Siberia. 3 the Dept. of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. 6 diversity & to educate the public. 15/16/17 one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. 20 INSIDE PORT OF CORK & The Environment Page 5 An aerial view of Cork Harbour. Photograph Port of Cork 2 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ SHERKIN COMMENT 2012 Issue No 54 Contents Editorial EDITORIAL: The Bottled Water Dilemma ..............2 Matt Murphy looks at the reasons why people might not have confidence in tap water. The Bottled Water Dilemma Return to Turnstones................................................3 Oscar Merne highlights the remarkable migratory notices in place in recent years and the the Water Services Authorities (19) are cur- journeys of Turnstones from Australia to Siberia. By Matt Murphy number of water supplies that were rently publishing some or all of these adversely effected by high rainfall events, drinking water quality data, as is required Into Tasmania’s Gordon River Wilderness ................4 IS BOTTLED water a fad, a necessity or may have all dented the general public’s by the Minister for the Environment’s cir- The pristine environment of this World Heritage a luxury? People are paying between 1,000 confidence in the quality of their tap water. cular on 20th July 2009. Area is explored by Anthony Toole. to 10,000 times more for bottled water than But do we really know why so many peo- Each local authority needs to become tap water and huge global multi-national Port of Cork & the Environment..............................5 ple are buying bottled water in this much more pro-active and provide up to companies are currently making billions of date information on the quality of their Outlining Port of Cork’s commitment to euros on water that they simply extract country? Should we find out and have the public water supply to the general public, minimising environmental impacts in the harbour. from the ground and bottle. reasons addressed? Who should do this? so that they can have confidence that the At present in the US there is growing Here in Ireland the authority that super- Addressing the Licensing of Aquaculture Sites in water they are drinking is safe. Indeed, all opposition to bottled water. The annual sta- vises our public drinking water supplies is Ireland........................................................6 Local Authorities, the EPA and the Depart- tistics for bottled water in the US show $15 the Environmental Protection Agency Matt Murphy poses questions on the issue to the ment of the Environment should initiate a billion sales, with the average person (EPA). It has the power of enforcement to Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. national information and communications drinking 30 gallons (115 litres) of bottled ensure that action is taken where the qual- campaign to explain to the general public The International Gardeners ....................................8 water annually. There, 40% of bottle water ity of public drinking water is not up to where their water is coming from, how it is Daphne Pochin Mould looks at how world travel comes from public water supplies accord- standard. In its most recent report “Provi- treated and the testing that is undertaken on changed our gardens. ing to a National Resources Defense sion & Quality of Drinking Water in it to ensure that it meets the standards and Council Study. Some 90 US colleges and Ireland 2010” it states that each year it col- Who Needs NGOs? ..................................................9 that it is perfectly safe to drink. universities have banned, or are about to lects and analyses over 250,000 Alex Kirby on the pros and cons of NGOs. Consumers should be encouraged to ban, the sale of bottled water on their cam- monitoring results from Water Services contact their local authority if they have A Slice of Nature Preserved in the Metropolis ........10 pus. They include the Universities of Authorities for all drinking water supplies. any concerns about their water quality and Walter Mugdan tells how New York City’s Udalls Washington, Vermont and Harvard School The safety of the water supplies is deter- this should be made easier by having a Cove Park is a haven preserved by volunteers. of Public Health. Some universities issue mined by comparing the results of drinking water section on the homepage of reusable bottles to students to fill their own monitoring tests carried out on 945 public BSc Botany has been discontinued in the UK ........11 all local authorities. Consumers might also from tap water sources on campus. At least water supplies, 671 group water schemes, gain confidence in the quality of their tap Mike Johnston asks if it possible to predict the 4 major US municipalities, New York, 497 private group water schemes and 1284 consequences of this event? Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago’s Cook small private supplies with the drinking water if local authorities and state bodies Lampriforme Fishes in Irish, NE Atlantic & County have banned the use of government water standards. installed tap source water fountains instead money to purchase bottled water. It also carried out audits of drinking of having bottled water in their premises. Mediterranean Seas..................................12 From an economical point alone this A report from Declan Quigley on a small order of The amount of crude oil needed annu- water treatment plants – 83 were carried out in 2010 and found improvements should be their approach, with the same bizarre marine fishes. ally to produce and transport the over 50 billion plastic bottles is 40 million barrels. across all key indicators examined, with applying to the private sector. Roaringwater Bay’s Smaller Islands ........................13 This is enough to keep 1.5 million cars on the exception of source protection and One cannot deny that there is a need for John Akeroyd talks about the plant-life on some of the road for one year. Unfortunately, just reservoir security (e.g. river/lake pollu- bottled water in some instances, especially the small islands in the bay. 25% of these 50 billion empty bottles are tion), which were identified as areas for where there is an outbreak of E. coli or cryptosporidium in the water supply. It Ireland’s newest renewable energy source................14 recycled, with over 75% of them ending up further improvement. The report also points out that “source protection is the seems ludicrous to be paying for bottled Indaver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility in Co. Meath. in landfill, lakes, streams and oceans and take many years to decompose. first barrier for the protection of safe drink- water when clean tap water is freely avail- Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis, USA ..15/16/17 The only country where bottled water ing water quality”. In 2010, the EPA issued able. Even when water charges are Highlighting the role and responsibilities that such consumption is declining is Australia, nine legally binding directions to seven introduced the difference in price will still an institution has to safeguard plant diversity. where the percentage of people drinking it local authorities that they must undertake be enormous. Cleaning up the Mess We Made ............................18 has reduced from 26% in 2007 to 23% in proper security to improve the relevant 2011. A recent survey has also found that it public water supplies. Matt Murphy, Sherkin Island Marine The final part of Walter Mugdan’s three-part series is the younger age groups that are leading The report is critical in that only half of Station, Sherkin Island, Co Cork, Ireland. exploring ways of cleaning up toxic waste sites. the way by saying “no” to bottled water. Mitigating the Threats Posed by Aquatic Invasive Like in the US, some Australian colleges, Species ....................................................20 universities and public buildings in towns SUBSCRIPTION FORM Joe Caffery on dealing with invasive species, one of have banned bottled water. the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. All that brings us to Ireland where bot- SHERKIN COMMENT is a environmental publication of Sherkin tled water consumption is increasing. The Lake Monitoring & Water Quality ........................21 Island Marine Station, aiming to promote the awareness of our natural average person now drinks nearly 50 litres resources, their use and protection. Ruth Little on the EPA’s approach & objectives. of bottled water – much of which is Cork County Council’s Environmental Awareness imported into the country. The total sales SUBSCRIPTION: to receive a 4-issue subscription to “Sherkin € Strategy....................................................22 have reached a staggering figure of over Comment”, please send a cheque or money order for 7.50 for Ireland Highlighting the Council’s work in this area. €300 million. and £7.00stg for the U.K. (sterling cheques accepted from UK); send For what reasons do people purchase €11.50 for Europe and the rest of the world (surface