Maybe you've heard the popular adage which says if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem. No where is that pearl of wisdom truer than when we talk about the pollution of the world's water resources. We have used and abused the water we have for so many decades now that the problem is finally catching up with us, clean, fresh water is disappearing, and we've no one to blame but ourselves...
For too many years people have been exploiting the environment, and now that it's time to take steps to correct all the problems we have created, people are turning a deaf ear. It's like when the government talks about cuts and everyone says, “That's a good idea, but don't cut anything that affects me!” Every year we pour millions of gallons of waste products into our existing fresh water resources and, if we think about it at all, we consider it the “other guy's” problem...
How are we going to survive as a society faced with increasing pollution problems and a lack of fresh drinking water? Unless measures are taken now, this could be a real situation for our descendents. In some areas of the United States, aggressive measures are already being taken to stop the contamination at its point of origin and deliver water to the people which is both safe and healthy to drink...
When the beaches of Venice started experiencing excessive contamination, local officials suspected a common source: human feces. However, that wasn't the case. After studying six DNA samples, they also ruled out dog and bird wastes as the cause of the problem. The next step was to make an educated guess as to what was causing the pollution, and by process of elimination, tests pointed a finger at rat and raccoon feces...
Life on our earth consists of a delicate balance. If something gets thrown out of whack, then many possibly unexpected changes incur. Like, for instance, our freshwater ecosystems. When humans allow chemicals, pesticides, waste products, and the like to get into the water, many negative things happen...
Everyone is glad that we have so many prosperous industries in our country. They provide jobs as well as the goods and services that we need to live our modern lifestyles. They also use billions of gallons of water each year, gallons that when run through the manufacturing process come out dirty and polluted...
In the United States, we've always had an endless flow of clean, safe water. We've never had to drink from polluted rivers or wonder where the water is going to come from. We've become not only spoiled with our H2O riches, but also complacent. After all, water resources are replenished every time it rains, so the supply will never run out...
Do you think the Media is biased? I sometimes do, but I have noted something else about the media that is perhaps more troubling: the media often gets facts wrong. Usually these are small and insignificant things that (usually) have little effect on the story. But do you really know? Here is a simple test...
We can all be proud that we live in a country that is the business of helping people around the world. One of the ways in which we help is by providing clean water for countries that have none. Yes, we try to play savior to the whole world, and it's a matter of national pride. What we aren't so proud of is the way our own infrastructure is crumbling...
Horror stories abound of people in developing countries who have to bathe, cook, drink, and relieve themselves in the same bodies of water. It's enough to turn your stomach, and people who are forced by desperation to consume this water actually do sicken and die. Filthy water is unsafe for humans and animals as well as a breeding ground for all types of insects...
