Why We Fight

Oh, werd?
This weekend, Eric and I decided to plan a camping and fishing trip to the Pine Barrens (also known as the "Pinelands", but I like the Barrens better). The Pine Barrens is a massive tract of land sandwiched between the Turnpike and the Parkway. At times, it has been considered for the site of a SUPER AIRPORT to serve Philly and NYC (conveniently located equally inconveniently from either city), a SUPER HIGHWAY to parallel the Turnpike, and a SUPER AQUIFER to quench the thirst of Pennsylvania. Luckily, a combination of features including its tendency to light on fire and its reputation for being the home of lost tribes of back country (true) inbred (false) homesteaders have kept most development at bay. Today, the vast tract of land is a preserve.

Whenever you plan a fishing trip in NJ (or anywhere for that matter), it's not a bad idea to check the local environmental warnings to make sure the fish you catch are safe to eat. For example, at the mouth of the Passaic River in Newark, there are a lot of delicious crabs. There is also a lot of dioxin. For this reason, studies have concluded that consuming blue claws in Newark Bay carries up to a 100% risk of cancer. Wow.

Most people know that Newark Bay is a bad place to catch dinner (except the many immigrants who supplement family meals with fresh catches, oops), but most people also assume that unspoiled natural spaces should be safe. That is why Eric and I were very surprised when we learned that I, as a woman who might ever have children, can not eat anything I catch in the Pine Barrens except sunfish. I can not eat anything I catch in the Delaware Bay, where my parents live, except one fluke or one weakfish per month. What is in these bodies of water? Mercury. Mercury from trash incineration and coal-burning power plants. Mercury is not good for the children I might one day decide to have.
I am furious.
Some people don't want wind farms on bodies of water because they might disrupt fishing. My fishing is already disrupted.

To Read the Newark Bay Study and Other Studies of Jersey Fish:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/njmainfish.htm