#Water Damage Toledo Ohio | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tootiredmotel · 5 years ago

Text

Been one of those days (can I lean on you?)

Read on ao3

“Toledo. Out of all the places this could’ve led us to, we ended up in goddamn Toledo. In mid-fucking-December.” The windshield wipers struggle to keep the snowfall clear of Sam’s vision, dim street lights not being of much help either. “ ‘We need you back asap Cap, and don’t worry, there’s no snow scheduled in Ohio till next week’ bullshit, Fury.” He mutters under his breath in his best impersonation of the man, squinting towards the upcoming sign reading ‘Welcome to the city of Strongsville’.

“Spot on, Sammy.” Bucky slurs out next to him, before drifting back asleep. Sam smiles.

The last two weeks have been a neverending story. Following lead after lead, they’ve been to four states and seven cities all across the northeast. A simple, straightforward mission, Fury said. One weekend tops, to take down these arms dealers.

“Bullshit,” Sam mumbles again.

It all led them to some forgotten warehouse, of course, and it was absolutely jam-packed with these guys. It took the pair about an hour to take care of them all, and then another two to clean it up with the help of local police. They’d been awake for a good 16 hours before that (Bucky a bit longer since he’d done most of the driving), and Sam almost popped a vein when he got the call from Fury that they were needed back in D.C. the next morning. So he simply said ‘yes, sir’ and let Bucky continue patching him up. He and Nick have been at odds the past couple of months.

He stops at the first red light he’s seen in the last hour and rubs his face. Sam doesn’t know why he stopped; it’s well past midnight and there’s clearly no one else on the road. All he knows is that he can’t help his gaze from wandering to the man next to him. Bucky’s leg had suffered some damage that will probably fully heal in the next two to three days, while the cuts and bruises on his face are already looking better. Sam wonders if there are any more cuts and bruises Bucky didn’t mention that are also starting to heal, but stops himself from wondering too much about where those bruises might be. He remembers having seen someone round-kick him in the lower back, and someone else elbow him in the chest pretty hard… He’s sure that some bullets Bucky only nearly missed.

He turns his gaze up to Bucky’s face again. The strands of hair that had fallen out of his bun lay across his face, his head laying on his right arm against the car door. He looks peaceful. Nothing like when he was in cryo, Sam thinks. Like this, he actually looks like he’s resting. He looks content and young and hands-.

He stops his brain from finishing the word. It’s not that Bucky isn’t handsome, of course, he definitely is. Sam has even told him this once or twice like he compliments all his friends (or it could’ve been to throw him off, he can’t recall). But this is different. This he can’t do. This isn’t to tease Bucky or to banter; this is Sam in his own head during a moment of dark and quiet. This is pure and unfiltered and not to Bucky, but to himself. Sam can’t let his mind go there. Maybe it’s the two weeks of non-stop companionship, the proximity inside the car, the darkness of the strange town, or the snow that now seems to be floating instead of falling around them…

It’s then that Sam notices the light is already green. He doesn’t know how long it has been or how many times it has changed, but he knows his mind is somewhere else and he is in no condition to be on the road for five more hours. He makes up his mind to deal with Fury in the morning and turns at the next motel sign.

“Bucky… heyyy, wake up…” Sam’s sore and hushed voice lures Bucky back to consciousness, along with the tickling feeling of hair being removed from atop his forehead and nose. He hums in response. He slowly wills his eyes open and is met with a fuzzy image of Sam’s tired smile, a surprisingly small amount of inches away from his face. It takes Bucky aback for a hot second, but gosh that smile. Sam flashes that grin, lazy but tender and still reaching his eyes, and, as with so many others of his, Bucky can never stop himself from smiling back. That’s Sam’s effect on him. He makes him smile more often than anyone else can. Not to mention that, though Sam is never one to hold off on showing affection, proximity like this isn’t common, and it feels pretty nice.

The clock on the car system reads 2:46 am. There’s no way they’ve made it back to D.C. already, Bucky thinks, it’s only been two hours since they left Toledo. To his right stands a (weirdly triangular) white establishment, and peeking inside he can only see a counter and a couple of armchairs. Turning back a little, he spots the sign in front of it, reading “King’s Inn”. Yet it looks to be made for anyone but a king.

“Where are we?” Bucky mutters, rubbing his face and straightening up on his seat.

“Strongsville, still Ohio. I’m sorry, man, I couldn’t keep going.”

Why Sam is sorry is something Bucky’s too tired to figure out. “‘S alright. We’ll deal with Fury in the morning.”

“Great minds,” is all Sam says, before they both quickly step out of the car and into the building.

The counter inside is nothing more than a rectangular hole in the wall, adorned with two potted plants and one of those tiny American flags. On the other side, in a folding chair, sits an old woman who definitely shouldn’t be awake so late, happily reading a newspaper from a few days ago and listening to old rock music on a small stereo. She pays no mind to the two men standing across from her, too enraptured with what she’s reading.

It’s only when Bucky softly knocks on the countertop that she finally looks up, flashing a warm smile that’s missing a few teeth.

“Hello, dears. Are you lost?” Her voice is high and shaky. Something about her tells Bucky that she has lived quite a life.

“Roadtrip. Sorry to bother you so late ma’am but we need a room.” Despite trying his best to hide it, Bucky can hear the tiredness peaking through Sam’s tone, as well as feel Sam instinctively leaning on him. More than usual, he notices, and marks it down to exhaustion.

The woman’s look turns empathetic. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, we’re all booked! There’s so many tired people trying to get home for the holidays, you know? And there’s only so many of them we can fit.”

Right. Hanukkah’s about to start, Christmas is a few days later, then Kwanzaa… Chasing around these dealers really made Bucky lose track of time, and he can only imagine how Sam feels. He probably wants to be home with his mother and sisters and the rest of the Wilson crew, drinking hot chocolate, playing with his nieces, insisting he’s seeing someone so they won’t berate him too much about not settling down (yes, that’s what they give Captain America crap for); but no. Instead, he’s stuck with his partner in a rundown motel in the middle of Shitwhere, Ohio at 3 am. Bucky’s suspicions are confirmed when Sam lets his head drop on top of the counter. He puts a hand on Sam’s back and gives him a small rub. He’s tense.

“Are you sure there’s absolutely nothing ma’am?” Bucky insists. “We’ll take anything you have.” He gives the woman a soft smile and a head tilt that, back in the day, all the girls that he wasn’t interested in would swoon over.

“I’ll check one more time for you, dear.” The woman begins shuffling around all the clutter on the table that acts as a desk until she comes across a clipboard. “Well… we have one room, but it’s not in the best condition.” At this, Sam lifts his head in what Bucky can only assume to be hope. He moves his hand to Sam’s shoulder and squeezes.

“As long as it’s got a couple of warm beds,“ Bucky gives her another smile, "I’m sure we’ll be alright.”

“Well… the bed is warm.” The woman says sweetly, and Bucky feels she’s insinuating something, but decides not to pay it much mind.

He turns to Sam, and only then notices how close together they’re standing, although that’s really nothing new for them. Sam’s eyes were already searching his expression with a questioning brow, to which Bucky only shrugs as he fumbles for his wallet.

Sam has to give the woman some credit. ‘Not in the best condition’ is a pretty accurate descriptor of the room, and he knew this the moment he flipped the light switch and had to wait for a solid seven seconds for the lamps to flicker on. It does the job though.

As he and Bucky stand side by side, borderline squeezed into the doorframe to try and escape the cold, another thing the woman said comes to mind; ‘the bed is warm’. As in, one bed; the one queen-sized bed that stands against the far right wall, with an oddly-shaped mirror hanging above it.

His brain didn’t process that when she said it.

They have to share, Sam concludes once inside. There’s no couch, only a table and two chairs with stuffing coming out of them. He checks the closet; no extra sheets.

He turns back to say something, he’s not sure what, something to lighten the vibe and hopefully makes Bucky laugh; only to find Bucky standing by the bed where he’s set his bag down, struggling to take off his jacket and running his hands through his now lose hair. Sam decides to forego the comment and turns his attention to the hardwood floors, walking past Bucky and to the bathroom. He doesn’t notice until he shuts the door behind him that he’s biting his lip and needs to take a breath.

The air he inhales is significantly colder in the bathroom. The small window above the mirror seems to let in a draft. There’s a steady drip coming from the sink, and the water refuses to heat up, so Sam skips the hot shower he felt he so desperately needs. ‘The bed is warm’ that lady said. Sam decides to trust her.

After changing into some sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt, he walks out to find Bucky already collapsed on the bed. He changed into something similar, except his t-shirt has short sleeves, and that old man once again forgot his arm is detachable. So Sam now has to deal with that freezing thing in the bed all night.

Except he doesn’t mind. He really doesn’t. Vibranium doesn’t get as cold as other metals anyway. It’s the thought of sharing a bed with his partner that has him looking for reasons to complain. This is all just too close to The Line.

The Line was coined by Natasha a few months ago. She and Sam got absolutely wasted one night after one of few perfectly executed missions, and let’s just say that the following scientific discovery was made that night: a black widow has a way higher level of alcohol tolerance than a falcon. Sam ended up spilling his guts about these growing feelings for Bucky, about all the things he wants to do and say, but that something stands between them, and he can’t pinpoint what. A sense of professionalism? Fear of rejection? Of awkwardness? Something that stops him from staring too much, from smiling too wide, from hugging too tight, from sitting too close. Whatever it is, he’s not crossing it. And so Nat suggested he just call it The Line. Not long after that, Sam passed out on the couch; he awoke the next morning to breakfast, orange juice, and painkillers sitting on the counter for him, with a note that read “Hope you and Nat had fun last night, she texted me this morning to make you this. Out for groceries :) - B.B.” That idiot always signs his notes, even though no one else lives there. This was Sam’s only thought before he dug in, paying no mind to the fuzzy memories of the previous night.

A hand on a shoulder is one thing. So is a pat (or rub) on the back. Maybe pushing Bucky’s hair away from his face earlier in the car was close to The Line, but it’s nowhere near as close as sleeping under the same ugly motel bed covers is. Although Sam has to admit that they are pretty warm…

Quickly and steadily, like the ocean retreating from the shore before a big wave, every fear of awkwardness and unease slips away. The warmth and comfort engulf him in an embrace he hasn’t felt in much too long (or at least it feels like it after a too-long day). He nestles into his pillow, laying on his right side, back to back with his partner. Gosh, Sam envies Bucky’s ability to fall asleep so fast. You would think a man who was frozen for so long would have more trouble, but he’s able to go under in as little as five minutes when he’s tired enough.

Sam always stays awake for 20 minutes or so after going to bed, and despite the exhaustion, this night is no different. He’d usually dig into his current book, which is probably in his backpack, but neither his eyes nor his brain is in a place to do so. He’d get a headache. So he settles for watching the snowfall out the window while drifting off.

Sometime later, he’s not sure how much, with his eyes already closed but still half-conscious, Sam feels shuffling. Then an unnaturally heavy and (as he predicted) slightly cold limb settles around his waist, pulling him closer. Bucky’s chest fits snugly against his back, and his long hair and hot breath tickles the back of Sam’s neck a bit before he buries his face into it, and goes still. Sam can’t help a small smile, letting this unfamiliar (but not at all unpleasant) peacefulness have its way with him and take him into a deep slumber.

It’s just as easy for Bucky to be awoken as it is for him to fall asleep. Probably the army conditioning. The faintest thing can snap his eyes open, like Sam closing the front door of their apartment when leaving for his morning run, or their upstairs neighbor’s cat that’s basically his by now from all the time she spends meowing for attention on his fire escape; or in this case, the distant beeping of a heavy-duty snowplow at 9 am.

Still, despite this curse, he loves sleeping, and can always doze off again until the next sound happens by. But not this time. Not this morning.

This morning there’s a response to his waking jolt. It’s movement, something stirring beside him, and then a deep, quiet hum, before the something relaxes once again, moving its hand from Bucky’s abdomen to just over his heart. This is one Samuel Thomas Wilson, sleeping soundly, cuddled into Bucky’s side. His head lays just at the crook of Bucky’s neck, with Bucky’s right arm under and around him.

Bucky freezes (no pun intended), his eyes fixed on what little he can see of Sam’s face, from how close it is. A white glare shines in through the window, only partly covered by the patterned curtains, and a leafless tree sways just outside. The air is cool and slightly stuffy in his nose, the covers are heavy and warm and not all that soft. A dog barks, a car drives by, and Sam sleeps in his arms.

He’s scared to breathe now, to move, afraid he’ll wake him. Sam waking up means this moment would end, and Bucky doesn’t want it to.

Sam, who always lets him pick what historical documentary to watch on movie night, because he knows Bucky wants to catch up on all he missed; Sam, who teases him for whatever ice cream flavor or candy he discovers and becomes obsessed with, but will then buy some of it for home; Sam, whose laugh, wit, eyes, whose very existence can bring a smile to his face; Bucky’s now sharing a perfect morning in bed with him, and that’s one thought he never could’ve imagined passing through his head. He brings his left hand up to hold Sam’s over his heart.

He still can’t believe it.

All those nights in, all those long stakeouts turned dull, all those afternoons on a park bench, he longed- he yearned to hold Sam like this. It ached inside him like a dam about to crack open. But he’d convinced himself long ago that their relationship- their partnership wouldn’t go anywhere past a hug when they needed one.

And yet there he is, in bed, with Sam. It’s been a good ten minutes now, and he’s still transfixed.

There’s always something about Sam that could send Bucky into a trance; how free he looks when he flies around during a sunset, his unmoving crossed-arms stance when dealing with official Cap business, his cute gap-toothed smile during a laughing fit; more than once Bucky has been caught staring at Sam, luckily never by Sam himself, as far as he knows. Natasha approached him once, a little over a year ago, back when the pair still pretended to not get along. It was during their bi-weekly training with the other Avengers. Sam and Peter were sparring, and Nat seemed to notice how closely Bucky was studying Sam, unknowingly biting his lower lip. So she went to stand next to him against a wall and said: “Sam Wilson. Heck of a man, huh?”. Bucky’s defenses immediately sprung up and he began to list all the things he ‘can’t stand’ about the guy; his constant sass, how competitive he could get, how righteous he was, the way he fought, his cocky smile, his stupid brown eyes; and by then he was staring again. “Oh yeah. It’s definitely his eyes,” Nat mocked beside him, earning herself a glare before she smirked and walked away.

Bucky smiles at the memory. Gosh, he loves those stupid brown eyes.

“You know your hand is cold as hell, right?”

It’s then that Bucky realizes he’s staring into those eyes, which are now open. He has now been caught staring once by Sam himself. But he’s already in the most vulnerable position he’s ever found himself in with the man, so what can he do?

He snaps himself out of it. “What?”

Sam simply shakes his head in a dismissive manner with a smile and a slow blink, not moving from his spot on Bucky’s shoulder. “How long you been awake?” he asks.

“Like 20 minutes.”

Sam raises an eyebrow. “Staring at me like a creep?” He stretches a bit, and Bucky has no choice but to let go of his hand, so he puts his own behind his head. “You’re not a morning person though, Barnes.” He says, settling again, this time with his arm completely wrapped around Bucky’s torso.

“Usually.”

Sam cuddles deeper into Bucky and feels himself drifting off again. “So what’s different?” he croaks out.

A few seconds pass before Bucky replies. “You’re here with me.” The sheer tenderness of the statement wakes Sam right up, like part of his brain hadn’t powered up until now. He stares up at Bucky, loosens his grip around his torso, and chuckles. He chuckles again, letting his head drop on Bucky’s chest, and the chuckle turns into a full-blown cackle. He feels Bucky rubbing his arm, hears him laughing along in confusion while asking, “What? What is it?”

Sam leans away from Bucky to lay more on his back, on top of Bucky’s right arm, staring up at the ceiling. “Oh you smooth fucker…” he says, still laughing.

“What? I’m serious, Sam.” Bucky playfully pulls Sam back into him with that same arm, maybe a bit faster and harder than he intended to. Their noses bump into each other, and their laughter comes to a full stop. It feels like the whole world does too.

Sam had never seen Bucky’s eyes this close and is just now noticing the flecks of silver amongst all the blue, like an icy lake or striped clouds against a midday sky. His breath hitches in his throat.

Bucky’s gaze travels all over Sam’s face, from his eyes and the gentle expression in them, to his lips and the softness Bucky imagines he’d feel if he were to touch them. His heart boils in his chest.

As much as he tries, he can’t stop his metal hand from reaching up to Sam’s face. His thumb strokes Sam’s bottom lip, Bucky’s artificial nerves proving him right: they were very soft.

The contact sends Sam’s heart racing faster than anything. Faster than when running, faster than when being shot at; this isn’t normal, he thinks. So he needs to know he’s not the only one. His brings his hand to Bucky’s chest; it’s thumping just as heavily as his. It’s also very toned, he notes.

After a few seconds of nothing but longing gazes and deafening silence, it’s Bucky that gives in. He kisses Sam, and their world is reborn. All the back and forth, the uncertainty, the repression; weeks, months, what feels like ages of stolen glances and touches; moments of should we, can we, could we, and a million more questions and insecurities rushing through their heads; it all vanishes in this one kiss.

It’s not an eager kiss or a desperate one. It’s tender and slow, and it feels like taking a breath after coming out from underwater. Bucky flips onto his back, bringing Sam to lay half on top of him, and Sam somehow deepens the kiss. His lips feel even softer against Bucky’s. He can only press Sam against him as much as possible, while Sam’s hands explore his hair, face, and neck like he’s clinging for his life. It lasts for as long as any good kiss can last, both of them relishing the proximity they’ve been craving for so long. They’ve been needing this from each other as much as their lungs need air.

As they part, Sam struggles to catch his breath, attempting to hide a smile he can’t control. He doesn’t dare look at Bucky, who can’t stop looking at him. Instead, he wraps his arms around Bucky’s neck and lays his head down on the pillow, neck to his. Bucky completely wraps his arms around Sam, grinning at the ceiling in disbelief. They lie there in an endless, soundless embrace for as long as it takes their brains to catch up with their pounding hearts.

Bucky breaks the silence with a deep breath. “I’m done, Sam,” he exhales, squeezing Sam’s torso.

Sam’s stomach churns. “Done what?”

“Pretending I don’t want.. something like this.“

Sam pushes himself up and lays back down at Bucky’s side, his head propped up on one hand, while the other one rests tentatively on Bucky’s chest.

Bucky intertwines Sam’s fingers with his metal ones. "With you.” His voice betrays him, only allowing the words to come out at a whisper. His eyes are pleading and adoring and hold a million words though: I want this, it feels right, I need more of you, I belong with you, I love you.

And Sam hears him loud and clear. He puts his forehead to Bucky’s and brushes the words “Me too, baby,” against his lips. He places a soft peck on them, before trailing his way kiss after kiss along Bucky’s jaw, until he buries his face at the crook of his neck.

After another while of trying to convince themselves this is all really happening, Bucky starts placing soft kisses on Sam’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Sam mumbles into Bucky’s neck, as cool and casual as ever.

Bucky pauses in between kisses. “Hey, yourself.” He keeps going until Sam pushes himself away and sits up. Bucky’s hands linger and reach and catch Sam’s with a squeeze, as if asking it not to go too far. Sam tugs at him to sit up too, and Bucky raises his eyebrows in question.

“Let’s go home, man.”

Bucky smiles wide and lets both his arms plop down on the bed. “Yes please, I’m sick of the road.”

Sam flips over him and out of the bed. “Too bad, ‘cause you’re driving.”

“Oh I’M- no, yeah that’s fair.”

Unlike the time spent in the car during the previous weeks, the ride back to DC is overwhelmingly delightful. Sam blasts the radio at full volume and sings along. Surprisingly well, actually. Bucky glances over with a smile whenever he can. Sam occasionally takes his hand and kisses the back of it (any time a love song comes on, though Sam thinks Bucky doesn’t notice), then promptly reminds him to put both hands on the wheel. They take advantage of every single red light they encounter to share a dopey grin and a kiss. They say whatever dumb thing they come up with just to hear the other one laugh. It’s heaven in an Audi.

About an hour into the drive, there’s a phone call from Natasha, who’s ecstatic about the news and to have a few teammates pay up. She’s actually calling on behalf of Fury though. It’s 1pm and they are both in deep shit.

—

A/N: Thanks so much @lazynikky and Cora for sticking by me through this whole thing and for beta-ing, ily guys.

Title from Ben Platt’s Bad Habit.

—

TAGGING: @mackiesmcu @foreverbeingthunderbuddy

84 notes · View notes

rjzimmerman · 6 years ago

Link

Excerpt from this Common Dreams/EcoWatch story:

Tired of receiving notices warning that their drinking water may have been compromised and having little recourse to fight corporate polluters, voters in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday approved a measure granting Lake Erie some of the same legal rights as a human being.

Sixty-one percent of voters in Tuesday's special election voted in favor of Lake Erie's Bill of Rights, which allows residents to take legal action against entities that violate the lake's rights to "flourish and naturally evolve" without interference.

Toledoans for Safe Water led a years-long campaign to convince voters that their city's charter must be amended to ensure that the "environmental burden" carried by the lake, which provides drinking water to 12 million Americans and Canadians, must be reduced.

Under the Bill of Rights, residents will now have legal standing in court to sue corporate polluters on behalf of Lake Erie and to seek damages which would be used to rid the lake of pollution.

The initiative was modeled on "rights to nature" laws which have passed in Lafayette, Colorado; by the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma and the Chippewa Nation in Minnesota; and countries including India and Nepal.

#Lake Erie #Lake Erie bill of rights #Ohio #water pollution

157 notes · View notes

rachelcarsoncenter · 6 years ago

Text

Guest post by Kriss Kevorkian

*Featured image: Jill Hein

Twenty years ago, when I first coined the term environmental grief—the grief reaction stemming from the environmental loss of ecosystems caused by either natural or human-made events—I thought I was the only one grieving the destruction and ecocide I saw taking place around me. Fortunately, a few well-respected scientists told me that I had put a name to a vague feeling people had but couldn’t identify. Environmental grief was exactly what scientists, conservationists, and even science reporters were reacting to as they continued to observe species after species declining in front of their eyes. At a conference at Oxford University in 2006, I presented my research to a group of environmental scientists. When I talked to them, it was as though a light bulb had gone off. They too had experienced something for which, until that moment, they hadn’t been able to give a name to. But, at the time, there were also those who didn’t seem to understand environmental grief at all. At a second conference, several people asked me, “Why would you grieve about the environment?”

There is another form of grief that I coined around the same time as environmental grief and that is ecological grief, the grief reaction stemming from the disconnection, and relational loss, from our natural world. This form of grief speaks to the relationships we have with nature. Many images these days highlight this disconnection with nature—the selfies people take with wild animals comes to mind. There have been instances where a person has gotten too close, not respecting an animal and its space, and the animal has attacked. Other images include people jumping on the backs of sea turtles that are trying to get back to the water, only to be harassed. The worst image I’ve seen was of a group of people who had grabbed a baby dolphin from the sea, holding it up to take pictures. A few years ago, photos emerged of boaters driving over our Southern Resident Orcas (SROs) and disrupting their habitat—a perfect illustration of the lack of understanding or awareness of our relationship with nature .

Sonar Technicians monitoring equipment during a training initiative. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sunday Williams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

I first joined forces with the Orca Network—which has long been involved in efforts to save the SROs—after they learned about my research on environmental grief, which in fact originally focused on Southern Resident Orcas (Orcinus Orca). These creatures spend most of their time in the Salish Sea, which borders British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, United States. But you’d be hard-pressed to see one today, given that the population has plummeted to just 75. The reasons for this startling decline are all directly related to human activity: Humans have poisoned the Salish Sea with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxins from oil, gas, and pesticides from aquaculture; the Navy practices sonar exercises in this area, wreaking havoc on the SROs and their habitat; and boaters eager to see the SROs ignore the legal 200-yard limit. Furthermore, Chinook salmon, the orcas’ preferred source of food, is endangered, which has pushed the J,K, and L pods to the point of starvation.

Those who have been observing the SROs, whether scientist or layperson, are profoundly involved in their lives and know each one’s name and number. For example, everyone knew that J-50 was Scarlet, who died of starvation recently, a little shy of four years old. Prior to her death, we watched Tahlequah, J-35, carry her dead calf for 17 days. The world watched day after day as Tahlequah kept pushing her calf to the surface to breathe, but there was no response. Other members of the pod joined her, offering what to human onlookers might have been considered support.

With these terrible losses and increasing evidence of the damaging impact of human activities on the planet, it is becoming more common today to see scholars, the media, and the public talking about terms like climate grief and eco-despair. The fact that these terms have made their way into the public consciousness and become part of mainstream environmental language is encouraging, because it speaks to an attempt to identify the loss that humankind is facing and feeling, and to reestablish our connection with the natural world.

Tahlequah (J-35) holding up her dead calf. Photo courtesy of the Center for Whale Research.

Scarlet (J-50). Photo courtesy of the Center for Whale Research.

But how are we to deal with this grief? People might react with despair, sadness, frustration, lack of control, hopelessness, and even apathy. It’s understandable, given the enormity of the destruction taking place. It’s understandable to feel powerless when faced with the news of another whale dying, another forest being decimated, or another oil spill. But though it’s important to acknowledge our ecological grief, we also need to use that grief to take action, to get laws changed.

Rights have been given to people, corporations, and even ships. More recently, the concept of legal personhood has been extended to rivers, mountains, national parks, and forests. The entire planet should have the right to live, thrive, and be healthy, which is exactly why we are working towards achieving these same rights for the SROs. We’ve been fortunate to work with groups like the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, which has helped other communities get rights for various ecosystems including Lake Erie—people in Toledo, Ohio, united for this cause and won. Once we partnered with the Earth Law Center and Dam Sense, we gained momentum, allowing us to build a coalition of concerned citizens who, together, composed a Declaration that we will present to politicians both in the United States and Canada.

Harmful algae bloom in Lake Erie, which has just been granted rights. Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory [CC BY-SA 2.0].

So far, in Washington, Governor Jay Inslee called for an Orca Recovery Task Force to look into possible solutions to save our SROs. Unfortunately, those on the task force came from very different backgrounds and there were those who tried to promote their own business interests, putting profit over planet. The biggest issue was that no one was there to speak for the SROs themselves. Many people, including various Native American Tribes, tried but were dismissed.

The task force recommendations included limiting whale-watching boats, which would lessen the boat traffic that SROs have to contend with. Thankfully our legislature recently voted that whale watching would continue. Many of these whale-watch boat captains keep an eye on the recreational boaters, who might not be aware of the laws to stay 400 yards away from the SROs. The whale-watch captains help police the area and educate those who come to see the SROs in their natural habitat. Scientifically, we’re told that the whale-watching boats themselves really aren’t disruptive to SROs. It’s the amount of vessel traffic that is an issue, and the task force wants to limit that traffic, but there’s no mention of limiting the Naval sonar exercises that cause massive harm to the SROs. Another recommendation has been to kill sea lions that eat the Chinook salmon that SROs prefer. The only problem is that the Northern Resident Orca eat sea lions so the recommendation takes food away from another orca species. With the ineffectiveness of these methods, it seems that the rights of nature is the most reasonable course to follow.

In 2014, Mayor Joan House, of Malibu, CA, passed a resolution stating that dolphins and whales deserve the “rights to their own freedom and lives.” The proclamation included a statement about cetacean rights: “whales and dolphins are known to be highly intelligent and emotional creatures…and therefore deserve the right to their own freedom and lives.”

It’s easy for us to live our lives in blissful ignorance as we eat animals, spill oil in the driveway, use toxins to clean the house, flush medication down the toilet, and throw away old clothing. Many people rarely consider what happens to any of those things. In reality, our fish are filled with antidepressants and toxins thanks to the everyday products we buy and dispose of without a thought, and that clothing often ends up in a landfill that only continues to grow. Regaining our relationship with nature by fighting to afford it rights would do much to curb the pollution and destruction that we have unwittingly (and sometimes very consciously) wrought on our planet. Continuing to pursue rights for the environment and its inhabitants is an important step in making sure that we preserve our ecosystem.

Environmental Grief and the Fight for Nature’s Rights Guest post by Kriss Kevorkian *Featured image: Jill Hein Twenty years ago, when I first coined the term…

#ecological grief #environmental grief #orcas #pollution #Rights of Nature #whales

33 notes · View notes

lifeatgraygables · 3 years ago

Photo

Set on the Water... Saturday - Toledo-Style --- I found this old photo from the 1880s showing a canal boat passing through the Toledo-St. Louis Railroad Bridge on the Miami and Erie Canal near Maumee, Ohio. This image is truly a gem, showing how the waterways played a huge role in Toledo's history. --- The Miami and Erie Canal was a 274-mile canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio, creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $8,062,680.07. At it's peak, it included 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, 103 canal locks, multiple feeder canals, and a few man-made water reservoirs. The canal climbed 395 feet above Lake Erie and 513 feet above the Ohio River to reach a topographical peak called the Loramie Summit, which extended 19 miles between new Bremen, Ohio to lock 1-S in Lockington, north of Pique, Ohio. Boats up to 80 feet long were towed along the canal by mules, horses, or oxen walking on a prepared towpath along the bank, at a rate of four to five miles per hour. --- Due to competition from railroads, which began to be built in the area in the 1850s, the commercial use of the canal gradually declined during the late 19th century. It was permanently abandoned for commercial use in 1913 after a historic flood in Ohio severely damaged it. Only a small fraction of the canal survives today, along with its towpath and locks! --- www.thegenealogyinvestigator.com --- #toledohistory #toledoohio #historynerd #thegenealogyinvestigator #genealogy #ancestry #toledowaterways #canalboat #eriecanal https://www.instagram.com/p/CfyxKNyuEV2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#toledohistory #toledoohio #historynerd #thegenealogyinvestigator #genealogy #ancestry #toledowaterways #canalboat #eriecanal

0 notes

firstroof1 · 3 years ago

Text

Why a Roof Inspection? - Roofers in Toledo, Ohio

A roof inspection is important for a variety of reasons. A quality roof inspection can address these concerns. Inspections are crucial for identifying small problems before they become costly. An annual inspection enables homeowners to stay on top of any current problems while becoming wise to bigger risks down the road.

What a quality roof inspection covers:

A comprehensive inspection checks all parts of your roof: shingles, metal or tiles, plus vents, drainage and underlayment. Roof inspection experts in Toledo, Ohio lookout for several things at the time of roof inspection such as:

Leaks, cracks or rust.

Out-of-the-ordinary wear and tear

Weather damage

Missing or damaged shingles

Mold or fungus

Damage to vents, gutters or chimneys.

Strong winds and storms are one of the many mortal enemies of your roofing system. These weather conditions can wear out your roofs over time. So, aside from maintenance, insulation is also important. When roofs get damaged, other parts of the house are affected too. A damaged roof can cause leaks in the ceiling and walls. This leaking, if not checked immediately, can destroy your walls and ceilings. Water is one of the biggest problems. If drains and gutters are clogged up by dead leaves and other debris brought by the storm, then that may cause premature roof replacement. Are you thinking about roof restoration? Safety is the number one priority when it comes to roof restorations. Hopefully, this writing will help you to get the assistance of certified and skilled roof technicians.

#Roof Inspection Toledo Ohio

0 notes

hommebizarre · 3 years ago

Photo

The Destruction of Tyre: A Lesson on The Little Things

In December 2018, my uncle Adam & I went to the Toledo Museum of Art. Who would have thought such a fabulously curated fine art museum would be found in Toledo, Ohio? It even had free admission! It is honestly in my top five museum experiences & I’ve been to The Louvre. Definitely go if you get the chance.

The oil painting pictured is titled “The Destruction of Tyre” by John Martin — AMAZING. I was absolutely enamoured by it. My favorite part? The very tiny yet very obvious clump of titanium white found at the tip of the boat. A detail that boldly illustrates the helpless boat breaking through the treacherous waters beneath it. The painting was smooth besides the white flicks of paint I couldn’t stop obsessing over. They looked like perfectly placed mistakes — mistakes that were brazenly placed right in the focal point. Bold move, John Martin. I like it.

I tried my best to capture just how far the clump of white paint protruded from the canvas by getting a close-up-side-angled photo of the painting. Shortly after taking the photo, two or three security guards ran towards me because I had set off a proximity alarm. Before this moment, I was unaware that museums had secret alarms that go off if you get too close. They’re there to keep artworks safe from thieves and/or damage. Apparently they’re also there to ward off overly curious humans that are dying for a really close up view of that clump of titanium white. I love to learn the hard way.

The security guards quickly assessed that I was a harmless individual & we all continued on with our day. I’d lie if I said it didn’t scare me though — and I am definitely more aware of how close I am standing to objects when visiting museums.

It’s memories such as this that make me feel grateful for the little things. The little things are truly all that matters and the rest is bullshit. Whoever is reading this, I hope you’ve experienced the passion & excitement that I did when I saw that clump of titanium white.

If you haven’t, you’re more focused on the bullshit than you are the little things.

0 notes

4guysandaroof · 3 years ago

Text

What Is the Best Way To Protect Your Roof During the Fall and Winter?

With the temperature beginning to drop outside, you are probably getting ready for the colder weather. You might be swapping out your wardrobe, making holiday plans, and figuring out what to do now that the sun is setting sooner. As you are generating your to-do list, you need to think about your roof as well. Even though a lot of people associate summer storms with roof damage, your roof can also be damaged during the winter. What do you need to do to protect your roof from harm during this time of year? Take a look below, and remember to reach out to a professional Toledo roofing company to ensure your roof is properly protected.

Check the Gutters for Signs of Clogs

Even though it might be nice to look at the trees as the leaves change color, these leaves can also be a significant threat to your roof. Even though the leave themselves are not heavy enough to damage your roof, they can clog your gutters. If leaves clog your gutters, water is going to have a hard time draining from your roof. It will back up in your gutters, pool on your roof, and lead to significant harm.

Therefore, you need to inspect your gutters and make sure they are not clogged. If you have a serious leaf problem above your house, you may want to install gutter guards. That way, you don't have to worry about leaves clogging your gutters.

Protect Your Roof from Falling Tree Branches

In addition, you need to think about the threat of falling branches. When the weather starts to get cooler outside, parts of trees may begin to die. If you have trees directly above your house, the branches could crack and fall off. They might even land on your roof, leading to a serious problem. Furthermore, as snow collects on tree branches, the branches could begin to fall.

If you have trees directly above your roof, you may want to consider trimming back the branches now. Of course, if you have any concerns about your safety, you should reach out to a professional who can help you. That way, you can remove the threat of falling branches above your house.

Get Your Roof Inspected This Winter

Finally, now is a great time to get your roof inspected. Even though you might be more concerned about your roof during the summer, you need to get your roof inspected at least once per year. Even though you may not notice any problems with your roof right now, there could be issues underneath the surface that might not be showing themselves. You need to correct these issues before they are severe enough to cause damage to the rest of your house. If you want to get your roof inspected now, you should reach out to 4 Guys and a Roof. It would be our honor to assist you.

Contact 4 Guys and a Roof for Roof Repair in Toledo Ohio

If you have any questions or concerns about your roof, you need to work with Toledo roofing companies that can help you. We are 4 Guys and a Roof, and we have a tremendous amount of experience working with roofs of all shapes and sizes. Our top priority is to make sure that you have the best roof possible, ensuring your house is protected from harm. It would be our pleasure to come to your location, inspect your roof, and let you know what has to be done to protect your home. Contact us today to learn more about our services!

Source Url:- https://buzztum.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-protect-your-roof-during-the-fall-and-winter/

0 notes

sparklingcleancarpetcare · 5 days ago

Text

The Ultimate Guide to Carpet Cleaning Techniques: From Steam to Dry Cleaning

Sparkling Clean Carpet Care offers carpet cleaning in Toledo, Ohio and surrounding areas. The team is committed to delivering high-quality results using a range of techniques tailored to your needs.

#water damage toledo ohio #tile and grout cleaning toledo ohio #carpet cleaning toledo ohio

0 notes

megaservices · 3 years ago

Text

House Washing Services

House washing services have been around for a long time. A house cleaning service will clean your home to improve your home's appearance and value. These types of companies offer professional cleaning services that clean homes on a regular basis. This makes them stand out from other companies who may not have the same schedule.

Professional power washing services: The way to properly clean wood siding is with a pressure washing machine or chemically. The only way to properly clean wood siding is with a house washing in Brisbane because you cannot get into the wood to remove stains. The only way to do this effectively is with a professional pressure washing service in the city that does it regularly. Many house washing services have been hard washing homes since 2021 in Athens, Coxsackie, Durham, Germantown, Hunter, Saugerties, Windham, Woodstock, New York City, Orange County, North Tonawanda, Orange County Geneva, Seton Harbor NY, Westchesterchester County, Monroe County, Orange County NJ, Rockland County, Washington County, Toledo OH, Wilmington, Ohio.

The typical house washing services uses a truck mounted pressure sprayer along with a high-pressure water jetting system. This high-pressure method will leave your siding looking great and will make it very tough to remove stains. These types of companies usually also use some type of scrubbing chemical or power washing system. The scrubbing chemical will help to get out the stubborn dirt and grime.

Why is customer service important? Customer service is important because it gives the client an assurance that their property is being cleaned properly and the property is not being exposed to dangerous mold. Mold is not good for the health of anyone. It can cause allergies, breathing problems, sinusitis and respiratory infections. Customers should take the time to check that a house washing services company is licensed, bonded and insured.

How does the house washing services company give a free estimate? When doing a free estimate on your home cleaning needs, they will bring a truck mounted pressure washing machine with them and use it to give you a free estimate. This type of pressure washing system is used by professional companies all over the country and they are trusted by most people. They come equipped with an air compressor, power washer, ultraviolet lamp, high-pressurized water sprayer and a foam cutter.

House washing and siding cleaning services are a huge industry and house washing and siding cleaning in general have become quite competitive. You can find great deals on the internet and in local advertising circulars. They may offer to come out and do a free estimate on your home or they may contact you after you have given them your information.

Why should you hire professional house washing services? Professional house washing services companies wash your exterior surfaces such as your exterior doors and windows, patio decks and walkways. The company will use a high pressure washer along with a hot water rinse to wash these surfaces. Exterior surfaces need to be washed regularly to prevent damage to your exterior paint and siding. Professional house washing services companies will also clean the verandas, eaves, stairwells and porches of your home. Your porches will need to be scrubbed down with special cleaners in order to prevent cracking from moisture and fungus growth.

Soft Spill Prevention: If you have hardwood or concrete patio flooring, you should consider installing an anti-spill system to prevent any liquid or solid debris from getting into the cracks. Low pressure house washing machines are an excellent alternative to high pressure washing systems. You can save money by doing your own low pressure house washing instead of hiring professional services. A low pressure machine is more cost effective than a high pressure washing system and they will not damage your siding or paint.

#house washing brisbane #brisbane tile cleaning #specialist cleaning services #roof cleaners brisbane #external house cleaning brisbane #house cleaning brisbane #pressure washing brisbane

0 notes

rjzimmerman · 7 years ago

Link

Excerpt:

Every summer, a massive green-algae blob colonizes western Lake Erie. Last year’s bloom ranked among the biggest ever, blanketing 700 square miles—an area 1.5 times bigger than Los Angeles. The shoreline of Toledo, Ohio, “smelled like a sewer,” according to one reporter.

These fetid growths appear on lakes throughout the country and world. They’re known as “harmful algal blooms” because they generate toxins called microcystins, which when ingested cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe headaches, fever, and liver damage. “Pets and livestock have died from drinking water contaminated with microcystins,” the US Environmental Protection Agency reports.

Where do these green blobs come from? In short, we create them. In land upstream from the lake, farmers apply phosphorus as fertilizer for their corn and soybean crops. Every year, a portion of it leeches into the lake, where it fertilizes algae instead—a process called eutrophication. While Erie’s west-side drainage basin has been planted in millions of acres of farmland for decades, the state’s regulators have documented that the amount of biologically active phosphorus entering the lake each year spiked in the 1990s and has remained high ever since. The reason may be linked to the boom in no-till soybean farming that started in the 90s, as a 2017 paper by researchers from the National Center for Water Quality Research suggests.

Poisoned water is only one of the consequences of the excess farm fertilizer that ends up in lakes. Another is accelerated climate change. A new paper—by a team that includes researchers from the EPA and the University of Minnesota—finds that algae-riddled lakes are much bigger emitters of the potent gas methane than was previously known. Methane is a greenhouse gas with about 30 times the heat-trapping effect of carbon.

All told, they found, methane from the world’s lakes emits methane equivalent in greenhouse effect to about 20 percent of all the carbon dioxide from fossil fuels burned globally—about twice the level of previous assumptions. And they directly tied these emissions to algae blooms. “The greener or more eutrophic these water bodies become, the more methane is emitted, which exacerbates climate warming,” the study’s lead author, University of Geneva researcher Tonya DelSontro, said in a press release. The paper found that even modest increases in eutrophication over the past century could add methane to the atmosphere equivalent in greenhouse gas terms to 13 percent of the world’s current fossil fuel combustion.

#EPA #microcystins #algal blooms #Great Lakes #municipal water #methan emissions #climate change

10 notes · View notes

bgsuclasses · 5 years ago

Link

“On Tuesday, April 16, 2013 Randolph Linn was sentenced to 20 years in prison for hate crimes stemming from the arson of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, law enforcement officials announced today.

U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Randolph Linn, 52, of St. Joe, Indiana. Linn pleaded guilty in December to three counts: (1) intentionally defacing, damaging and destroying religious real property because of the religious character of that property; (2) using fire to commit a felony and (3) using and carrying a firearm to commit a crime of violence.

According to court documents, Linn left his home on Sept. 30, 2012, in a red four-door Chevrolet Sonic. Inside the vehicle were numerous firearms and three red gas cans.

Linn stopped at a gas station near Perrysburg, Ohio, and filled the three gas can, then drove to the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. Linn made numerous efforts to enter the Islamic Center before gaining entry. He walked through several rooms with a handgun in his left hand before exiting, then returning with a red gas can, according to court documents.

Linn then entered the prayer room on the second floor and poured gasoline on the prayer rug, a large Oriental-style rug used by members of the Islamic Center during prayer services. He then set fire to the prayer rug, according to court documents.

Linn acknowledges he intentionally set the fire because of the religious character of the Islamic Center property, according to court documents.

Linn agrees to pay restitution and understands that the amount may exceed $1 million due to the amount of fire and water damage sustained by the Islamic Center, according to court documents.” Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh/pr/indiana-man-sentenced-20-years-prison-religiously-motivated-attack-toledo-area-mosque

0 notes

bluemagic-girl · 5 years ago

Text

All Mississippi Beaches Close Due To Toxic Algae Bloom

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

All general public beach locations along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast have been requested closed for swimming and fishing amid a sweeping bloom of harmful blue-eco-friendly algae that authorities alert can sicken individuals and animals upon get hold of.

The order imposed Sunday by the condition Section of Environmental Quality affects a whole of 21 general public seashores.

The blue-inexperienced algae, truly a micro organism known as cyanobacteria, grows on the area of water and can bring about rashes, belly cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting in human beings. The outcomes are even a lot more critical for other animals, and an infection can switch lethal inside hrs or times, in accordance to the Centers for Disease Command and Prevention.

Well being officials alert towards swimming, wading or fishing in the water till further detect. The sand parts of the shorelines stay open.

CrackerClips by way of Getty Photographs

All public beach locations along Mississippi’s coastline have been ordered shut to bathers because of to a bloom of unsafe blue-inexperienced algae.

Damaging algal blooms, or HABs, have been noted in each and every U.S. coastal state, nevertheless considerably less than 1% of algal blooms produce toxins. Continue to, HABs can be dangerous to the natural environment in other methods, which includes depleting water of oxygen and sunlight, according to the National Ocean Service.

The recent Mississippi bloom is linked to freshwater getting into the gulf shoreline through the Bonnet Carre spillway. The spillway has been opened twice this yr to relieve flooding together the Mississippi River adhering to an exceptionally wet winter season, the Clarion-Ledger documented.

The spillway was opened in February and in May well to guard New Orleans from flooding ― the to start with time in its 90-calendar year heritage that it has been opened far more than the moment in a 12 months.

When the spillway closes, likely in mid-July, authorities forecast the algae bloom will dissipate.

Linked Push

Employees open up bays of the Bonnet Carre Spillway to divert climbing water from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, upriver from New Orleans on Might 10, 2019.

The U.S. Military Corps of Engineers, which oversees the spillway, has acknowledged that flooding the shoreline with freshwater has an rapid adverse environmental impact. But the corps asserts that the harm is non permanent, and that extended-term positive aspects consist of the spreading of beneficial sediment and nutrition.

In addition to fueling cyanobacteria, the surge of freshwater has been blamed for the fatalities of at the very least 48 dolphins involving Could 22 and June 7 thanks to reduced salinity levels. This is far more than half of the variety of dolphins killed by the BP oil blowout for the duration of all of 2010, the Clarion-Ledger documented.

“During the BP oil spill we had 91 dolphins the entire year,” Moby Solangi, president and government director of the Institute for Maritime Mammal Experiments, explained to the area paper. “So, which is a significant improve and the calendar year is not in excess of yet. Ecologically, we’re seeing a ton a lot more sustained damage than the BP oil spill.”

Related Press

A lot less than 1% of algal blooms essentially produce toxins, nevertheless they can be unsafe to the environment in other techniques. A satellite picture from 2017 demonstrates Toledo, Ohio in the decreased still left corner with a significant phytoplankton bloom in western Lake Erie.

The release of freshwater has also harmed oyster harvesting areas in Lousiana, the Times-Picayune described.

Last month, researchers warned that the Gulf of Mexico would practical experience 1 of the greatest “dead zones” in recorded background for the reason that of unusually weighty rainfall and pollution from agricultural runoff that feeds substantial phytoplankton blooms, which damage the water’s oxygen provide.

This oxygen-starved space is anticipated to develop to around the measurement of Massachusetts, or roughly 7,829 sq. miles, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mentioned.

The Gulf Coastline is specifically vulnerable to these kinds of useless zones for the reason that 41% of the U.S. drains into the Mississippi River, whose watershed is mainly composed of farmland, in accordance to the Environmental Defense Agency.

Real Life. Serious News. True VOICES.

Help us inform more of the tales that make any difference from voices that much too often continue being unheard.

!perform(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)returnn=f.fbq=perform()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.use(n,arguments):n.queue.thrust(arguments)if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n n.press=nn.loaded=!0n.variation='2.0'n.queue=[]t=b.createElement(e)t.async=! t.src=vs=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0] s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,doc,'script','https://join.fb.net/en_US/fbevents.js') fbq('init', '1621685564716533') // Edition distinct fbq('init', '1043018625788392') // Partner Studio fbq('track', "PageView") fbq('track', 'ViewContent', "content_title":"All Mississippi Beaches Shut Owing To Toxic Algae Bloom","information_class":"us.hpmggre" ) fbq('trackCustom', 'EntryPage', "area_title":"Setting","tags":["mississippi","beaches","mississippi-river","algae","cyanobacteria"],"workforce":"us_huffpost_now","ncid":null,"surroundings":"desktop","render_type":"world-wide-web" ) waitForGlobal(perform() return HP.modules.Tracky , operate() /* TODO do we even now want this? $('body').on('click', operate(party) HP.modules.Tracky.reportClick(occasion, function(details) fbq('trackCustom', "Click", data) ) ) */ ) (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

from Nosy Media https://ift.tt/2K3fwbo via nosymedia.info

#Nosy Media

0 notes