Here’s a factoid making the rounds this year: One teaspoon of SALT can permanently pollute 5 gallons of water.

In a world where freshwater is increasingly scarce, salt pollution is worth a minute. As a tool for preserving and preparing food, salt is as important as fire. It’s just as important in industrial processes.

Salt’s a game changer, but what exactly is salt? It’s not a single thing, but a category of chemical building blocks and complex interactions. Table salt, or sodium chloride(NaCl), is most common. The United States uses around 50 to 60 million tons sodium chloride salt every year, mostly to make chemicals and clear roads.

When we salt pavement, we’re radically altering our local environment to make the ice go away. But then it enters our freshwater cycle, where salt continues to radically change the environment. And we’re only just beginning to figure out how. 

The story of salt pollution in our world is the story of a new and urgent round of investigation. Meet the scientists as they untangle the riddles and search for solutions.

Environmental change…

Reveling in nature is a challenge in the midst of climate breakdown. And there’s a lot more going on in the world than warming. Learning how ecosystems change is endlessly fascinating, and can help you connect with nature. And the better we understand what’s happening, the better we can shape public discourse as we adapt in the coming decades. The Lemonadist is here to help dig a little deeper into the complexities of environmental change — on your block, at your favorite park, or halfway around the globe.

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