Tragedy of the commons

Soon after writing last month’s column on the folly of bottled water, I came across the appalling fact that 40 percent of our nation’s rivers and streams are too polluted for swimming or fishing, let alone drinking.

That fact bears repeating: Americans have contaminated almost half of our nation’s water sources on which all life depends.

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Notes on a long summer weekend

Thursday, July 10

Drove down to Bethel Woods from working in Cherry Valley for the Steely Dan show, to attend a wedding and to check on my apartment in Brooklyn.

Stop in Hancock to get some smoked eel and jerky-the smokehouse is on the river and beautiful. Though there is an open sign and smoke billowing out of the chimney, there is no one around. We take what we want and leave money?careful to calculate tax and err on the side of leaving too much. One glance back at the peaceful house where the proprietor lives makes me wonder if perhaps living in the city is starting to get to me.

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