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.

Wyland, S. (2022, August 27). Las Vegas struggles with post-fire water pollution. Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/las-vegas-struggles-with-post-fire-water-pollution/article_c1dd9582-22fa-11ed-805d-c7c3f5f85144.html

Las Vegas is going through a serious drought as its water supply has been polluted from ashy sediment and debris. What was supposed to be some prescribed fires became New Mexico’s largest wildfire, burning hundreds of homes and scorching over 530 square miles. Contaminants from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire were carried in a monsoon down into the Gallinas Rive, the city’s main water source. Residents are limited to 44 gallons or half of what an average American consumes a day. Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo wishes for federal funding for the water pre-treatment and treatment systems needed.

It would be funny how painfully ironic it is that major rainfall negatively impacted water availability if it wasn’t at the cost of a city’s livelihood. While I do think that the federal government should pay for what the city needs, like the construction of a water treatment plant, as the U.S. Forest Service were responsible for the events that led to the contamination. I doubt that they will receive any funding anytime soon. Environmental science plays a major role as humans are affecting the environment in the form of trying to start controlled fires. Environmental science also is seen when determining what is in the contaminated river water and how to filter that water. 

Olivo, A. (2022, August 8). Salt in Water Sources Becoming Worrisome in D.C. Region, Experts Warn. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/08/08/salt-sodium-water-levels-dc/

Washington District is facing what is known as “freshwater salinization syndrome” in its local streams. Runoff from de-icing roads, lawn care products, water softeners, and other human waste is rich in salt. This runoff flows into streams and watersheds, increasing the salinity of the water. While currently, it does not pose a hazard, analysts are worried about the upward trend in salt content. Eventually, the water will reach a level of salinity that could damage aquatic life in streams and the surrounding soil. The problem in D.C. is only an example of an issue that spans throughout the United States. 

Salinity is often overlooked as a factor in water contamination. I only ever think of saltwater as being from an ocean, not a pollutant. It goes to show how people are going to be ill prepared when this becomes a big, expensive problem in the future. It frankly is a bit worrying as the article mentions how previous civilizations like Mesopotamia fell due to poor crop yields caused by salination in the soil. Modern technology in the form of desalination plants will prove useful albeit we should focus on prevention rather than a bandaid solution. Environmental science is applied in studying the salt content of the water in the surrounding area and the effects of high salinity in the environment. 

Pipeline developer pleads no contest in water pollution cases. (2022, August 5). CBS News. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/energy-transfer-operating-pleads-no-contest-water-pollution/

A pipeline developer in Western Virginia received criminal charges on August fifth as a result of polluting hundreds of miles of streams and waterways. A set of pipelines named Mariner East were damaged, leading to the nearby environment being contaminated with propane among other chemicals. Energy Transfer Operating pleaded no contest to the charges. They were penalized by having to pay 10 million dollars to restore the polluted groundwater. Residents near Mariner East are also entitled to request independent water testing.

The article mentions that the fines were a minuscule amount compared to the company’s profits of that year. It makes me wonder why the company does not get charged a meaningful amount to really prevent something like what happened at Mariner East from occurring again. Companies like Energy Transfer Operating can just eat the fines as they have done in the past as that is frustratingly more economically viable than not being negligent. A stronger environmental justice system is needed to protect the environment and nearby residents from collateral damage. Environmental science is applied when studying the reach of the contamination and ways to clean the groundwater.

Facio-Krajcer, A. (2022, July 31). When There’s Arsenic in the Water, but ‘We Have Nowhere to Go’. The New York Times. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/31/us/oasis-mobile-home-park-coachella.html?searchResultPosition=1

The Environmental Protection Agency discovered in 2019 that residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park have been dealing with contaminated water for years. Water with up to ten times the legal limit in arsenic. This has led to medical issues for the residents that simply can not afford to move away. Primarily immigrant agricultural workers. Oasis is an example of the nation’s poor drinking water infrastructure. An estimated trillion dollars worth of upgrades and repairs are needed to raise the D rating received by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

It is interesting to think that at a point in time, I was very close to where this problem was taking place in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Yet I never heard about nor had to experience any issues with my water supply. I can attribute this to not being part of a marginalized community and not experiencing any kind of economic hardship. It goes to show that even though everyone deserves clean, running water, the system prioritizes people who are higher up in the class structure. Environmental science is applied when studying the effects of arsenic poisoning in humans and how it affects the environment around them.