Some Good News

Make no mistake, this is a dire moment for the environment, with decades of development taking a toll on what were once healthy ecosystems, and climate change bringing a new potential for devastation. Calls to action are urgent for a reason.

But in the midst of the challenges ahead, it’s nice to see some green sprouts — and it’s important to take note of them, and nurture them, so we can remind ourselves that all is not lost, not yet.

Dr. Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University, the region’s leading water expert, had some good news recently at a panel on environmental policy hosted by the Southampton Arts Center and Southampton Village. There are a few local efforts that are starting to show signs of turning the tide — pun most certainly intended — in the battle with the harmful algae that are attacking both freshwater lakes and ponds and the saltwater bays that have been an economic resource for generations.

Last month brought word from Dr. Gobler that a two-pronged approach in Lake Agawam in Southampton Village in April had all but eradicated the poisonous blue-green algae. The team effort between the village, Southampton Town Trustees, Dr. Gobler’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook Southampton, the Lake Agawam Conservancy, and the State Department of Environmental Conservation tested a plan to combine ultrasonic technology and the use of hydrogen peroxide. This first use, at least initially, looks beyond promising — which could bring relief to a nagging problem in bodies of water both here and throughout the state.

The move toward the use of innovative new septic systems throughout Suffolk County, and particularly in Southampton and East Hampton towns, is starting to pay off as well: Septic pollution is the worst contributor to the mess in local waters, and also threatens our sole-source aquifer, our water supply. Even beyond sewer systems — which are increasingly being considered in villages, and a boost in infrastructure spending in the coming years could bring them off the drawing board — the new private septic systems are a significant way to address the damage.

Finally, Dr. Gobler spoke last week about the burgeoning use of kelp farming in local waters. It’s quite literally a win-win: Like the aquaculture industry, it’s the rare economic effort that leaves behind cleaner water after harvest. It also offers a new income for those whose livelihood has been impacted by poor water quality, and it could usher in an era where nitrogen loading is treated the same as carbon pollution, with limits and opportunities to fund cleanup efforts to offset the damage.

It’s important for the region to continue, full speed, on every front — but it’s a boost in morale to look around and see that some of the efforts are already helping, and innovative new ideas are arriving every day. It could be a turning point — and that’s worth celebrating.