Feth, L. (2023, August 16). The Ocean Cleanup Breaks Records With New Innovative Tech. Innovation & Tech Today. Retrieved August 24, 2023 from https://innotechtoday.com/the-oce an-cleanup-breaks-records-with-new-innovative-tech/ 

The Ocean Cleanup which is a nonprofit was able to achieve a significant milestone. They managed to remove 11,353 kilograms of trash from the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The patch is twice the size of Texas and results in a number of negatives including marine ecosystems and human health. This success was the result of a new and more effective model and a more efficient strategy for targeting hotspots.

This great milestone achieved by the Ocean Cleanup effort is extremely environmentally significant. Plastic pollution is one of the most important issues facing marine life. Plastic can release toxins and can trap sea life in addition to a great number of other harmful effects. The Great Garbage Pacific Patch is not the only garbage patch in the ocean. It is an important issue facing many areas. The Ocean Cleanup demonstrated that intelligent design in conjunction with AI can lead to highly effective ocean cleanup. Their success shows us how even though technology and industrialization have been the cause of many environmental problems they can also be the solution in many cases. I think it would be very interesting to see artificial intelligence being used more widely in ocean cleanup efforts and in environmental issues as a whole. The Garbage Patch has often been seen as almost impossible to fix, but with the great success of the Ocean Cleanup effort, it is clear that even the most complex environmental issues can be fixed with human ingenuity. 

McKenzie, P. (2022, December 31). In the Pacific, Outcry Over Japan’s Plan to Release Fukushima Wastewater. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/world/asia/japan-fukushima-wastewater-pacific-radiation.html?smid=url-share

A debate has sprung over the release of nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. Ever since 2011 after its meltdown, Japan has been flushing water through its reactors to cool them down. All of the used water has to be isolated or treated as its highly radioactive. Japan has been storing the 1.3 million tons of wastewater in containers. However, recently they have intended to treat and release the water into the ocean. Pacific Islanders are weary of this decision due to their past with nuclear contamination. US nuclear testing in the 50s caused many forced relocations as people had intense radiation exposure in the Marshall Islands. Only a hydrogen isotope called tritium will remain in the water after treatment, which is considered a low health risk. However, the lack of transparency from Japanese officials still leaves a cause for concern.

I think the concern of Pacific islanders is completely understandable as dumping contaminated water into their nearby oceans doesn’t sound good on paper. However, I do not see an issue with releasing the wastewater if it’s scientifically proven to be safe. As storing so much water must be a heavy financial burden on the Japanese government. I hope that the diplomatic bond between the Pacific and Japan strengthens as they come to a compromise. This is a unique issue that cannot be avoided. Its especially to examine the environmental aspect of releasing this wastewater. As it affects humans as much as it affects the local ecosystem.

Zhuang, Y. (2022, December 6). ‘Important Step’ Toward Addressing Toxic Legacy of Huge Mine. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/05/world/australia/bougainville-rio-tinto-mine.html?searchResultPosition=8

Residents in Bougainville, an autonomous region of Australia, have been accusing Rio Tinto of environmental and human rights violations. The company failed to clean millions of tons of waste from a mine that was closed decades ago. The closing of the mine was connected to a greater civil conflict over the independence of Bougainville. This waste leaks into the nearby rivers that residents rely on for fishing, farming, and drinking. This left locals frustrated as people have to walk for hours to acquire fresh water from other sources, while the mainland of Papua New Guinea reaped most of the profits of the mine. An environmental assessment sponsored by Rio Tinto will be made, the first phase taking about 18 months. However, no commitment over funding solutions have been made.

The people of Bougainville are standing their ground against this massive conglomerate and I have nothing but respect for them. These articles are good examples of how environmental issues are often tied to human rights issues. I’m glad that they gathered enough attention to conduct an environmental assessment, but I’m worried over the lack of commitment made for any solutions. As this is an ongoing issue, I’m curious about what is going to happen in the future, especially after the assessment is complete.

Isai, V. (2022, December 24). With Unfit Drinking Water, Indigenous Communities in Canada Bear Hardship. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/24/world/canada/canada-indigenous-populations-drinking-water.html?searchResultPosition=7

Indigenous communities in Canada have been suffering from a lack of safe drinking water. Defunct infrastructure and a lack of qualified operators at local water plants have led to many people getting sick from drinking from the tap. Gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, rashes, and other health issues were commonplace as many couldn’t afford the expenses of bottled water. North Spirit Lake, an isolated reserve found in Northern Ontario, has been under a boil advisory for over two decades. This community alongside 250 other nations have been affected since 1977. A class action lawsuit filed by three Indigenous communities led to the Canadian government pledging to spend at least 6 billion Canadian dollars on water infrastructure.

Learning about the experiences of the Nations in Canada is eye-opening for me. I never realized how much I take advantage of our clean water supply. Day by day, we have fresh running water just about everywhere we go. Taking this into consideration, it’s very apparent that these communities in Canada are getting marginalized by their own government. The federal government has the legal obligation to provide these services, and it’s a human rights violation to deprive anyone of those services. Ever since the natives of North America have been colonized, they have gone through centuries of constant belittlement by their colonizers from any established Country. This is still true up to this day. I’m just glad that progress has been made. Again, another good example of how environmental issues are often tied to human rights issues.

Lake of garbage: Every winter pollution is swept from overflowing landfills into

Balkan waterways. (2023, January 26). CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/

news/lake-of-garbage-serbia-balkans-pollution-landfills-water-eu/

Serbia, Bosnia, and other Balkan countries have been suffering from an overwhelming amount of garbage accumulating in their waterways. Heavy machinery is currently being used to clear tons of waste from the Potpecko accumulation lake next to its hydroelectric power plant. About 45,000 tons are collected per year from 8 municipalities in Montenegro and Serbia. Bosnia has also reported a similar situation with a garbage buildup threatening its hydroelectric dam on the Drina River. The garbage taken from Potpec late will eventually end up in a landfill in western Serbia after the few weeks it will take to remove the waste. Environmental issues are often overlooked in countries with struggling economies; as is the case in the Balkans as a series of conflicts in the 1990s crippled their financial stability.

This article brings up a difficult issue over how politics and the economy play a huge role in environmental science. It’s frustrating to see progress being slowed due to human conflict that’s meaningless in the long run. There still is no permanent solution that seems to be available to countries in that region. They resorted to just burning trash which seems much too common considering the negative effects it has on the environment.

Burrows, D. (2023, February 12). How Britain’s waterways became a dirty joke –

and why we should act now. The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/

      water-pollution-why-water-crisis-uk-2023-clean-it-up-ftzbfpm8j

Thousands of people in the United Kingdom have been protesting over sewage pollution from the Thames to the Wye river. The campaign group Whitstable SOS was formed in 2021 after Southern Water Services gave an inadequate response in fighting back against the discharging of sewage into the sea. The Times reported that only 16 percent of the surface water around England could be considered close enough to its natural state. While 63 percent of the water received a moderate rating, and 20 percent of the water received a poor or bad rating. The government wants to raise the rating to 75 percent of water considered good by 2027. They wish to achieve this through rigorous new standards and cleaning. However, this figure hasn’t changed for the past five years.

I was surprised by the quality of water in England. I was expecting the country to have a much better ecological status in its surrounding surface water; considering that many view it as the ultimate first-world country. It’s interesting to think that countries like England still haven’t solved issues with their own local environment.

Perkins, T. (2022, October 18). More than 80% of us waterways contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’. The Guardian. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/18/pfas-forever-chemicals-80-percent-us-waterways-contaminated 

Tom Perkins introduces the article by stating that most of the waterways in America are very likely to contain toxic PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”. In the Waterkeeper Alliance analysis, PFAS levels in around 83% percent of waterways tested throughout multiple states were detected. CEO of the Waterkeeper Alliance, Marc Yaggi, explains that the detected PFAS contamination is proof that the rules and regulations on water quality/protection need to be updated. PFAS earned the name “forever chemicals”; they were created to make products more resistant which means they don’t break down naturally. It was also discovered that PFAS are linked to diseases such as cancer, liver problems, kidney diseases, and other health issues. Past tests and analyses have discovered that these chemicals have successfully contaminated drinking water for over 200 million people. Because of the regulations and laws that aren’t up to standard, big industrial companies have been able to release all their toxic waste into the environment, mostly water, without any punishments. More studies have been conducted on chemical levels in water and the results were that most bodies of water were contaminated. The bodies of water that didn’t show any signs of contamination were located in rural areas with no machinery. While the EPA has come up with some solutions to help the issue such as designating PFOS and PFOA as dangerous substances, there has to be a lot more done to have safe drinking water.

This article talked more about the substances that are polluting our water and backed it up with evidence from multiple tests of contamination. I found the “forever chemicals” interesting to learn about and I also wasn’t aware of how many states don’t have clean drinking water. I wonder how long these chemicals have existed, how long they’ve been dumped into our water, and how long it would take to cancel out the contamination. It’s a little nerve-wracking to think that there are chemicals in your water that are linked to diseases such as cancer. I also think that this article backs up the point that groups such as the EPA aren’t doing enough to make progress toward clean water. The solutions that they’ve brought up are temporary and they probably wouldn’t be strongly reinforced. I’m afraid that forever chemicals are just the beginning of the decline of our water quality if something isn’t done soon.

Bosman, A. (2022, October 5). Water quality threatened by nutrient pollution in 40 U.S. states. Earth.com. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.earth.com/news/water-quality-threatened-by-nutrient-pollution-in-40-u-s-states/ 

Alison Bosman introduces the article by talking about climate change and how people usually associate it with heat waves, ocean temperatures rising, etc. However, it’s important to look at winter for statistics show it is the season that is warming the fastest in the U.S. Scientists from various states have come together and discovered a new threat to the water quality in the U.S. that is related to the rising temperature in climate change. Normally, nutrients from farming activities stay frozen throughout winter and thaw in the spring. When these nutrients thaw, they have been spread out into rivers and lakes for plants to utilize. Due to climate change and warmer winters, the nutrients thaw much quicker but the plants aren’t able to use them because it is technically still winter. This results in what is known as nutrient pollution. Winter nutrient pollution is seen as a newer form of pollution for its impacts have only been more significant due to the temperature rise. Some effects of this pollution are algal blooms, dead zones, harming aquatic life, etc. Researchers and scientists have also focused on “rain-on-snow” which is when rain causes snow to melt, leading to extreme floods and more nutrient pollution in waterways. Studies have been made to learn more about this effect, nutrient pollution, and water quality. One study discovered that nutrient pollution has the potential to put water quality at risk. Another study was done on the Mississippi River floods in 2019 and discovered a large number of nutrients and sediments in the river and the Gulf of Mexico. The article ends up talking more about the large-scale effects that this form of pollution has on the quality and safety of our water, hoping that the evidence discovered will inspire the government to take action.

Though the topic is water pollution, this article highlights a key component of the topic. When people think of water pollution, they’re most likely to think of oil spills, dumping harmful chemicals into water, etc. However, there are different ways to pollute water and this article proves that nutrient pollution is one of them. One could argue that this form of pollution contributes to worsening the quality of the country’s water. Just like in oil refineries, harmful substances and compounds are being released into bodies of water, affecting aquatic life, affecting human life, and affecting the quality of water. Another thing that this form of pollution has in common is that the government isn’t putting enough effort into reducing it which has been a common trend throughout many articles. It’s interesting to learn about the many contributors to the poor quality of our water.

Newburger, E. (2022, December 31). EPA issues Clean Water Rule that repeals Trump administration changes. CNBC. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/30/epa-issues-clean-water-rule-that-repeals-trump-administration-changes.html?&qsearchterm=water+pollution 

The Biden Administration issued a rule that established the types of waterways in the U.S. that would receive federal water quality protections under the 1972 Clean Water Act. By doing this, it repealed Trump’s decision to repeal the water regulation that Obama had set ( limiting the amount of pollution and chemicals in the country’s bodies of water ) which the federal courts and environmental groups were not fond of. According to the EPA and Department of the Army, the rule that the Biden Administration issued was a revised version of the one that Obama issued. Officials have stated that the rule ensures a more durable definition of the “waters of the United States”. It also means that a large number of the country’s bodies of water will receive federal protection and restore shields. Ones that are federally protected qualify for government programs that maintain water quality, prevent oil spills, and more. Environmental groups have raised their concerns that by slacking on federal water protections, the quality of the country’s drinking water would worsen. Other groups such as farming, oil, gas, and real estate developers view the regulations as something that could negatively affect their businesses and supported the decision that Trump made on the matter. Changes are also included that define specific requirements for waters that aren’t under regulation. It’s also been said that the rule’s definition of waterways will diminish uncertainty from developing regulatory definitions that have negatively impacted communities and the country’s water.

This article focuses on a rule that the Biden Administration established on the waterways in the country. I thought it was interesting that it was a revised version of Obama’s but it was especially interesting to see what type of people and groups supported this rule or preferred Trump’s decision. It’d be interesting to see why those specific industries were upset with the new rule. However, I think that setting regulations can have many benefits and improve the quality of the bodies of water in the country. Though it may draw some setbacks for businesses, is making money or having clean drinking water more important? In a lot of other articles I’ve read about water pollution, it seems like the government either doesn’t care enough or cares too much about a small issue. I think it’s a good thing that water quality/pollution is becoming more significant because it is something that could affect us all if not taken seriously. 

, A. P. (2022, October 25). US Justice Department sues Idaho City Over Water Pollution. U.S. News. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/idaho/articles/2022-10-25/us-justice-department-sues-idaho-city-over-water-pollution 

As a result of dumping toxic waste and pollutants into a stream, the city of Driggs in Idaho received a lawsuit from the federal government. On October 24, 2022, a lawsuit for more than $160 million from the U.S. Department of Justice was filed in Idaho’s U.S. District Court. They claimed that the city violated the Clean Water Act by dumping waste that contained a high amount of harmful substances that violated wastewater permit rules more than 2,600 times for almost a decade. The stream that the waste was dumped into is known as Woods Creek which flows into multiple rivers in the area. These rivers consist of the Teton River, Henry’s Fork, the Snake, and Columbia Rivers which flow into the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the scenery, Henry’s Fork and the Teton River are popular fly-fishing locations that draw in a lot of tourism and fishermen. Though such a lawsuit could potentially leave the small town bankrupt, the city publicly stated that the situation was a positive opportunity for them and the EPA to work together to fix the issue. Officials from the city believed that because their wastewater treatment facility was in such poor condition, the city and the EPA could reach a legal agreement and upgrade the facility so that it could meet federal standards. Unfortunately, the Department of Justice would rather the city pay the fine and obey the Clean Water Act and other pollution rules that the federal government established.

In my opinion, this article was just one example of many instances of illegal dumping and water pollution throughout the country. At first, I was a little surprised that the Department of Justice cared so much that a random small city in Idaho dumped some waste but I wonder if they only cared because the dumping affected popular rivers. If it didn’t affect them then how would the government react? Why would they care so much about a random town when there are other, much worse instances of water pollution in the country? I also found it interesting how the city believed that there would be a chance of the EPA upgrading their water treatment facility after they had just broken federal pollution rules. Compared to reading a list of states with contaminated water, I think that looking at smaller and more specific events has the advantage of gaining more depth into the effects of pollution. Though one of the shorter articles, I still think this can inform someone about the effects of water pollution, not just how it affects the environment.