Gentle on My Mind this morning
Today while reading the broadsheet paper with my breakfast, I’m thrown back almost 4 decades to my kitchen at home on a sunny morning with Glenn Campbell in the background.
…………..It’s just knowin’ that the world will not be cursin’ or forgivin’
When I walk along some railroad track and find
That you’re movin’ on the back roads by the rivers of my memory
And for hours you’re just gentle on my mind
We have great plans and hopes to do some catchment work in the north west for water monitoring as part of a number of research projects. Hopefully we will get back into action after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted somewhat. The water monitoring that we do, allow us to visit some of the most beautiful parts of the country. Believe or not, chemicals enter waters in every location because of our daily activities. Even the most remote places in Ireland have thrown up some surprising occurrences of chemicals – at very low levels for sure, but they are there and they are impacting the very important invertebrate species in the water.
We do need to think about how and why we use chemicals. Chemicals can be very persistent in the environment – and while they may not directly impact humans, they certainly do have impacts on the ecosystems that we rely on so much. This indirect effect can impact for example the bees in pollination, the fish populations, birds and much more. We all should think about the next purchase of pharmaceuticals and chemicals that we use at home. See how we have gone back to using a simple bar of soap during this crisis. And, farmers and foresters, think about your applications of pesticides – that run off into the streams.