If you could eliminate one environmental problem in The Pacific Northwest...?

What would it be?



Of all the areas in which we can improve, what is most important/easiest to solve?If you could eliminate one environmental problem in The Pacific Northwest...?Want the honest answer? All the Californians fleeing their over-taxed state, moving, and ruining Oregon, and Washington state.



I have an Uncle who has live on the coast of Oregon, since the late 1960's.



I have lived in Washington, since the early 1970's.



The people fleeing California, and bringing their children, crime, drugs, attitudes, ect to Oregon %26amp; Washington have done a great deal to drive both states into the ground.



I was here back when everyone wore flannel shirts, hiking boots, drove a pickup truck, with a chainsaw in the bed, and a hunting rifle in the rear window.



People were rugged, independent, and ready to help a neighbor.



Now both states are turning into nanny states, just like California. Small farmers like myself are being driven out of business, thanks to all the "progressive" environmental laws, like having to fence off livestock 50-300 feet on each side of a waterway. A waterway can be a creek, or a man dug ditch, by the way.



They rush to build new houses "in those beautiful areas." They cut down all the trees, so they have a view, and plant lawns they dump huge amounts of chemicals on.



Then the rains come, and they are surprised when their house slides down the hill. They don't believe it's THERE lawn chemicals making the algae blooms so toxic dogs die after swimming in them.



I've watched thousands of acres of prime farm land swallowed up in the name of progress. Houses, shopping malls, even well known businesses, all sit on what use to be prime farmland.



I remember Seattle, back in 1970. There use to be hills, and hills of trees, with a house here and there poking out. Now there are hills and hills of houses, with a tree here and there poking out.



Hands down, the population is the biggest environmental disaster the Pacific Northwest is dealing with.



~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Lived in Washington over 37 yearsIf you could eliminate one environmental problem in The Pacific Northwest...?The garbage in the Pacific Gyre, Northwest of California, South of Alaska. It's a disgusting trash heap of mostly plastic, trapped spinning in this circular motion in the ocean waters a bit south of Alaska. Definitely difficult to solve but quite possibly the largest collection of human rubbage in the world. It is very important that we keep our eyes on it, as it a huge feeding ground for endangered birds and sea life.If you could eliminate one environmental problem in The Pacific Northwest...?StarbucksIf you could eliminate one environmental problem in The Pacific Northwest...?
Although there are numerous areas that could use attention, I believe that recycling/reusing of garbage and used items, can be one of the easiest. Reason being, because it doesn't take a bunch of technology or new ideas, to get a handle on the problem.

There is so much excessiveness and waste, that just being more conscientious in this area, could solve a lot (in my opinion).