Author: jakst

by

Davies, A. (2021, February 13). Toxic blooms and Local fury: What’s going on AT Menindee lakes? Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/14/toxic-blooms-and-local-fury-whats-going-on-at-menindee-lakes

In the town of Menindee, the drinking water is green and filled with algae. These toxic blue and green algae blooms make it so that people cannot go near the water for fear of poisoning. There is good rainfall, yet the sludge and algae still has not cleared. If nothing changes, experts predict that the river will be in as poor a condition as it was last year, when hundreds of thousands of fish were killed in the Darling River. Residents think that the problem is in the unsuccess of the government to stop over extraction by the upstream irrigators. This has led to a substantial decrease in the level of water that actually make it downstream.

These algae blooms are very bad for the ecosystem and environment, as they take vital oxygen out of the water. This can have a rippling effect on the food web, and can lead to many problems in addition the drinking water for humans issue. The drinking water in Menindee is in such poor condition, and I think that the government needs to take actions and start restricting the amount of water that can be withdrawn from upriver.

 

by

Hurts, S. (2021, February 15). ‘Am I going to regret it?’: Forever chemicals dilemma for breastfeeding mothers. Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/15/forever-chemicals-breastfeeding-contamination-pfas

In 2015 a chemical called PFOA was found in Hoosick town’s drinking water. Unfortunately, this chemical has caused serious diseases, and it is one of many “forever chemicals”, named because of how they stay in your body forever. A woman who was pregnant with a son was drinking the water, and she thought that he would be protected. Through breastfeeding, she passed the carcinogen to her son, Oliver. This was due to a French factory using these PFOA’s and carrying them downriver. More than 200 million Americans drinking water could be contaminated with these carcinogens. Citizens in this town suffer from cracking teeth, lumps, and other illnesses that could be caused from these PFOAs.

This water pollution is causing serious harm in many of these cities and towns across the US. I’ve said it before, every person should have the right to clean drinking water, and it’s especially disheartening that in the richest country in the world, people still do not have what should be universally available. Whole families are effected by carcinogens in drinking water, and kids should not be forced to suffer through water pollution caused illnesses. 

 

by

Oakes, B. (2020, December 3). Increasing Ocean Pollution Poses Threat To Human Health. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.wbur.org/earthwhile/2020/12/03/ocean-pollution-health-philip-landriganc

As the oceans continue to become more and more unhealthy, humans will also be affected by this. A report that was published in the Annals of Global Health indicated that human caused pollution will lead to an increase in sea food contamination, infections, and a decrease in oxygen in the atmosphere. Plastics in the ocean carry carcinogens, fire retardant, and other chemicals that can have terrible effects on human bodies. These substances can interfere with the endocrine system.

Water pollution is dramatically affecting our environment, and is changing sea life as well as beginning to effect humans. Luckily the ocean is not past the point of saving, although we are at the turning point. Action needs to be taken now in order to protect our oceans, and at the end of the day, every organism on earth will pay the price if nothing is done.

 

by

Sengupta, S. (2021, February 1). Jal Jeevan Mission Urban launched in Union budget 2021-22. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/jal-jeevan-mission-urban-launched-in-union-budget-2021-22-75294

Union budget announced the Jal Jeevan plan to bring clean water 2.86 households in India. Unfortunately, this is India’s 12th attempt at attempting to bring clean, good drinking water to all the households in the country. It is expected to be finished by 2024. The current budget gives Rs 9,994 crore for the toilet ++ program which was started in 2019. This is significantly higher than the budget of last year, which was Rs 6,000 crore.

Water is crucial to any ecosystem, so it is very important that it is clean. Having access to clean drinking water should be a guarantee to every citizen, and it’s shameful that so many people around the world are not guaranteed this. It’s good to see that India is taking more aggressive action, and I hope that their efforts work out this time unlike the past twelve attempts.

 

by

Tan, S. (2021, February 20). China’s carbon Neutral push gathers pace as coal power plants drop below half. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3122419/chinas-carbon-neutral-push-gathers-pace-coal-fired-power

China’s coal-fired powered plants composed less then 50 percent of its total power generation mix. However they still produced 60 percent of the nations energy needs. This sharp change was driven by wind power plants use rising by 178 percent and solar capacity by 60 percent. However, the overall contribution of coal to energy is not expected to drop very rapidly in the short term, but it is expected that more renewable energy sources will continue to be pursued and installed. The use of fossil fuels to provide energy causes the water on earth to heat up, and can have devastating consequences like increasing acidity and extinction. Because water molecules are moving faster, they can accept more gases that increase the oceans acidity. This can cause coral reefs to become bleached, as we are seeing all across the world.

The ways that we get our energy play a huge role in the environment. A lot of the global warming we see today is caused by factories and power plants that use coals, and this expels greenhouse gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere and earth. This is a good sign that China is developing plants that use renewable resource, but I would like to see more of that, as global warming is an immediate issue, especially for the ocean.

 

by

Horberry, M. (2020, October 02). After Wildfires Stop Burning, a Danger in the Drinking Water. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/science/wildfires-water-toxic.html

Fires can cause toxic chemicals like benzene to go into the water supply. In the short term, this can cause nausea and vomiting, but in the long term can lead to cancer. After the fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, there were 2,217 parts per billion of benzene. Authorities say that one part per billion is very dangerous over the long term. After fires, water in the pipes can contaminated with an array of volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds.

With the constant fires in California, this is an extremely serious problem. There are tons of terrible particles in the water supply, which can lead to serious health issues among the populace. We need to give more money for research to figure out how to prevent and solve bad particles leaking into the water.

 

by

Richtel, M. (2020, October 08). Brain Surgery for a ‘Sweet Boy’: Saving Cronutt the Sea Lion. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/science/sea-lion-epilepsy-surgery-cronutt.html

Climate change is causing epilepsy among sea life. One example is a sea lion, who was forced to undergo extreme treatments. This is because ocean warms, there is an increase in algae blooms. These create toxins that are ingested by small fish like sardines that eat the algae. Then, sea lions eat these fish, causing them to ingest the harmful toxins. To correct this, surgeons bored a hole in the hippocampus, and put in pig embryonic cells. This tapped down the electrical signals, leading to a decrease in epileptic seizures. 

Our choices are directly affecting organisms in the environment, which is caused by global warming. Humans need to cut down on the carbon dioxide released, because this could very soon have drastic consequences on the environment. There is only so much that new surgeries can accomplish, so we need to prevent these things from even happening.

 

by

Penney, V. (2020, October 30). Americans May Add Five Times More Plastic to the Oceans Than Thought. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/30/climate/plastic-pollution-oceans.html

The United State’s contribution of plastic to the ocean is up to 5 times higher than previously estimated. There are two reasons for this, one because the amount of plastic Americans are using has increased, and two, because the first estimate didn’t take account of pollution created. In addition, the US needs to export fifty percent of its plastic because of insufficient infrastructure. Of that, 80 percent ends up going to countries that are unable to responsibly recycle the plastic. 

This plastic ends up going to the environment, disrupting ocean ecosystems. Again, this is extremely disappointing. The US is the wealthiest country in the world, and we need to set a precedent for the other countries. We need to eliminate single use plastics, while also investing in the appropriate infrastructure to support recycling demands.

 

by

Peeples, L. (2020, September 15). ‘We’ve always known ours was contaminated’: The trouble with America’s water. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/15/america-water-crisis-contamination-pollution-infrastructure

El Rancho has always had problems with their water. The water contains high-levels of nitrates, which are caused by fertilizer leaking into nearby water sources. People in the community are forced to buy large quantities of bottled water, which ends up being very expensive. Across the US, millions of people don’t have satisfactory water. In actuality, the US has some of the best water sources in the world. However, the problem is helping people who fall between the cracks.

Water plays a huge part in the environment, so this problem of polluted water relates to the environment. I’m impressed by the United State’s overall water quality, but there are still so many people that have to suffer through terrible quality. We need to figure out some way right the water quality levels, so that innocent people don’t suffer through polluted waters.

 

by

Davenport, C. (2020, July 6). Trump Removes Pollution Controls on Streams and Wetlands. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/climate/trump-environment-water.html

The Trump administration decided to strip away many of the legal protections for streams, rivers, and lakes. Throughout his presidency, Trump has vowed to repeal many of the laws that Obama put into place. These are wins for farmers, but a loss for the environment and our future. The new law restricts the government’s ability to protect waters, and gives land owners less rules to follow. Trump’s rules would not only repeal Obama’s previous laws, but roll them even farther back, giving more opportunities for pollutants to enter our waterways.

This obviously relates to the environments because laws are being put into place that endanger the environment. I think this is terrible for our country. While other countries are ramping up protection for the environment, the United States is rolling back protective laws. As the leader of the world, this sets a terrible precedent for other countries that look to us for guidance, and this will likely have ripple effects throughout the world.