Exercise #4
June 19, 2025 By: Shelsey Ambrosi
Global News shared an article highlighting the presence of extremely high levels of E. coli in British Columbia Middle Shuswap River, which were so high they could not even calculate it. These dangerous levels pose health risks to local ecosystems and swimmers. It is also said that the high levels of E. coli are likely linked to agricultural runoff and improper waste management. Bee SAFE and residents in the region call for stricter regulations on farming practices and to prevent further contamination, while many are concerned about access to drinking water and concern about the thousands of fish West Bank First Nations band recently populated the river with that also require clean water to survive.
Although this specific article does not address the issues in the city I live in, the same river runs through the city and contributes to contaminating it. When looking back to exercise 1, some sources I used shared that early colonization and settlers, such as Alexander Leslie Fortune, settled on land all along the riverbanks where they established farming and agricultural practices that are still present today. In Enderby, it is not uncommon to be at the local beach on the Shuswap River and see the farm across the stream draining waste directly into the river. At the same time, people discard deflated floating devices and garbage into the water. These water sources must be protected to ensure biodiversity and a clean drinking source for all species.
For decades, environmental movements have used civil disobedience to generate change. Ted Steinberg shares an example of civil disobedience in the case of Bolivia. In 1999, Bolivian protesters exercised their water rights, which was not met without violence; however, their civil disobedience eventually led to the government ending their contract with the company that controlled the water source in the region (p. 267). In the case of the Middle Shuswap River Bee, SAFE is a movement that works to protect and improve the environment while pushing for safe agricultural practices. Community members speaking up to the government and sharing concerns with the media show civil disobedience, and they draw attention to their cause and concerns while putting pressure on the government.
https://globalnews.ca/news/10523158/e-coli-middle-shuswap-river/
Steinberg, Ted. “Down to Earth: Nature’s Role in American History 4th Edition: 9780190864422, 9780190864439.” VitalSource. Accessed June 11, 2025. https://www.vitalsource.com/products/down-to-earth-ted-steinberg-v9780190864439.