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Water
Water, water every where, but not a drop to drink any where. That's the direction our water resources are going. Between wasteful use and pollution, water resources are being stressed. Water purification, filtering and conservation will help fix the problem that exists, but it will take a mind-set shift to truly save our water resources.
Water is the most common element in the world so most people take it for granted. This is very dangerous, however, because most of the water in the world is not drinkable and usable for human consumption. The 71 percent of Earth is covered by water. This means that the land that we live on only makes up a little over a quarter of the entire area of Earth. Most of the water content of the earth is concentrated in the oceans and polar ice caps, but there are lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers that hold of the water content, too. Although it may feel like there is enough water to take care of all the citizens of the world, it is important to remember that most of the water sources in the world are not fit for human consumption.
Many countries around the world don't have drinkable water. This is difficult to understand for many of us, because we simply go to the water faucet and get water. Most people in the world get their water directly from a water source like a river, stream, or lake. This water, for the most part, is polluted and contaminated by many different things, including pathogens. This, in turn, makes water-borne disease and illness rampant. These countries do not have proper water filtration for their citizens and although they do try to filter their water using homemade filters, this does not remove all of the contaminants from the water, including bacteria and viruses.
This is not the only issue with water. Since people in civilized countries take their water supply for granted, they don't put thought into the things that they do that pollute the water. These things may seem quite innocuous, but they can have significant impacts on the water and air. What are some things that we need to think about?
- Our use of detergents.
This includes clothes washing, dish washing, and washing the cars. Have you ever thought about where that detergent goes when you wash your car outside? It doesn't just simply disappear with no affect on the environment. It soaks into the ground or runs down the street, which can eventually end up in water sources. - Chemical use.
Using fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides on your lawn pollutes water sources. If you have to use chemicals, it's important to use environmentally friendly fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides on your lawn to help decrease the affect on the environment.When the chemicals runoff the land, they go straight into the water sources, polluting them. - Chemical disposal.
Pouring paint, paint thinner and other chemicals down your drain is not without consequences. Proper disposal of these items can help keep the chemicals from your water supply.
The thing that you need to keep in mind is that everything that you do can have consequences on the water supply, air supply, or environment. That is why you want to carefully consider your activities to help keep your impact as light as possible on the environment. This misuse of our water supply will have severe consequences in the future if we are not careful. That is why it is so important to learn more about water, water pollution and water conservation.
