Buy Local

How we vote is important. I think how we spend money has an even greater effect.

I'm buying less imported stuff because I've seen those big cargo ships pumping the black soot onto the ocean. I did some research and found they are allowed to burn whatever they want out there, including very dirty fuels no one else wants. They release all kinds of toxins into the water.

We always thought the soot on our boats was from the power plant. It didn't make sense since the plant vents inland. I found out the soot is from all the ship traffic you can't see offshore coming into LA Harbor. They are burning bunker fuel, from the bottom of the barrel. The ports of LA and Long Beach are encouraging ships to switch to cleaner fuel 40nm out. Still, the middle of the ocean is being used as a toxin dump. When I buy imported goods, some of that pollution is mine.


The ports Clean Air Action Plan:
http://www.cleanairactionplan.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=74&targetid=2

Description of bunker fuel use:
http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=355&targetid=1