Keep Charleston Beautiful

All plastics start their lives as crude oil, also known as petroleum, trapped in the Earth’s crust. The plastics industry has the fastest growing demand for oil in the world. Petroleum can be harvested on or off shore through various different means. In the US, on-shore oil well drilling, offshore well drilling, and fracking are popular techniques for extraction. With modern-day technology, drills can reach up to thousands of meters deep. However, there are some hazards associated with drilling.

With offshore oil drilling, the dynamic environmental conditions can result in disastrous effects. Oil spills are one of the most impactful events that can occur. Oceanic and coastal ecosystems are devastated as mass amounts of sea life can be killed as a result of crude petroleum in the water. While offshore drilling is illegal off the coast of South Carolina, it is still done in many places around the world and the US. Currents and winds can cause the leak oil to travel far from the original leak site.

While on-shore oil rigs may seem like a safer option to offshore drilling, there are still many potential environmental and human impacts. If there is not perfect monitoring of rigs, petroleum can leak into ground water and soil. Also, drilling emits various air pollutants through escaped fugitive gases.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a newer technique of oil extraction. It is becoming extremely popular in the US because it allows for petroleum to be harvested from sites without extremely large oil deposits. While fracking has not made its way to South Carolina, there is a growing presence of it in states such as Pennsylvania and Texas. Environmental impacts associated with the practice are increased seismic activity, freshwater contamination, and habitat destruction.

According to the EPA, around 70 small oil spills happen everyday in the US. When possible, switching to alternative materials from plastics can lower contributions of environmental impacts caused by plastic demand. Reusable items and biodegradable materials from renewable resources are a great alternative to everyday items such as water bottles, grocery bags, take out containers, and more.

In less than two hours this morning, the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, US Air Force, filled 20 bags with litter from one of our most heavily littered cleanup sites. Swipe to see some before & after 📸's!

Every piece of litter collected means less trash in our neighborhoods, green spaces, and waterways. Thank you to this incredible team for showing up, putting in the work in this summer heat, and making a visible difference here in Charleston!🚯

While many flowers may produce pollen, they may not be beneficial to local pollinators. When landscaping, you can prioritize planting species that are native to the local environment. These flowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses can be great food sources for pollinators.

When understanding local flowers, you must understand the species that will use these plant’s nectar for food. The more diverse you make your landscape, the more kinds of pollinators you can attract. While honeybees are one of the most popular pollinators, there are many other species of specialized bees. Many of these require very specific plants. For example, giant sweat bees, also known as sunflower bees, rely on native sunflowers and beggar ticks for their nectar.

Flowers that will be beautiful in your garden and are great for attracting specialized bees are black-eyed susans, mountain azaleas, wild bergamot, eastern rosemallow, starry rosinweed, and more! If you want food while also supporting pollinators, squash, pumpkin, and highbush blueberries all have their own specialized species.

There are many non-bee species you can attract as well. There are native flowers including coral honeysuckle, bee balm, and cardinal flower that attract pollinating hummingbirds. New jersey tea, purple coneflower, virginia sweetspire are examples of flowers that are favored by butterfly species. These are just a few species that you can use to diversify the pollinators in your garden!

While harsh pesticides may get rid of those pesky bugs in your garden and yard, they also kill all of your local neighborhood pollinators. However, there are many pollinator-safe remedies for dealing with pests!

Many plants that you can grow in your own gardens are natural deterrents. In addition to being easy to grow, herbs like peppermint, basil, and spearmint are extremely effective examples of pest control. Their strong aromas deter bugs such as mosquitoes, beetles, flies, aphids, hornworms, and spiders. Marigolds are also a beautiful ornamental flower, but their smell is certainly not favorable to many pests. They can help deter harmful bugs such as aphids, mosquitoes, nematodes, and more from the air, plants, and soil.

Many non-plant organisms can be used for pest-control as well. Native ladybugs and dragonflies are predatory species that have large appetites. Ladybugs will consume species such as aphids, mites, and more, and dragonflies eat pests including mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. Ladybugs are also excellent pollinators! To promote the presence of these species, you can plant pollen-rich herbs and bright white and yellow flowers. In addition, you can attract dragonflies to your yard by providing still-water sources where they can drink and lay eggs. If you have the space, many farm birds such as chickens, ducks, and guineas are also excellent for pest control.

While still-water is a nerve wracking concept as mosquitoes love to lay their eggs there too, there are many other pollinator-safe remedies to fight this. Traps known as “buckets of doom,” can be used to combat mosquito reproduction. In a bucket of water, plants, and dunk solution, any eggs laid by mosquitoes in the bucket will die. These dunks are made specifically for mosquitoes, so nearly all other species will not be harmed.