| There are many environmental issues facing our | | | | remains of the dead algae add to the organic wastes |
| world today. If I were given a year to improve the | | | | already in the water. Eventually the water ends up |
| earths environment I would focus on one issue the | | | | lacking oxygen. |
| world faces today, it is our dependence on oil. This | | | | Water pollution is one of the world's worst forms of |
| dependence we have is so strong we have started | | | | pollution. For example, take a look at a glass of |
| wars, killed and deceived people for oil. I think it is | | | | water. It may appear clear, but there are really |
| time we do something about it and try and find an | | | | millions of microscopic pollutants floating in it. |
| alternative form of energy. Because soon this | | | | Approximately 70% of the earth's surface are |
| problem will be too much for us to handle and by | | | | covered by water; water is a very dynamic system, |
| then it will be too late. | | | | any change in its normal content could affect local, |
| Oil has become a pressing issue for both the USA | | | | regional, and eventually worldwide water. |
| and the world in the past century partly due to the | | | | Oil is one of the world's biggest pollutants; oil is |
| fact that we are either too lazy or some people are | | | | usually spilled or leaked from land or rivers and flows |
| too greedy to find an environmentally sound solution | | | | from them to the sea or ocean. The more direct |
| to our increasing dependence on it. | | | | form of oil pollution is when ships transporting oil |
| These are just a few solutions to this problem but | | | | leaks or the ship crashes. Oil can also ruin shores it |
| we need to act on them now or else it will be to late | | | | can was up on them and become tar like lumps; |
| because by then we will be involved in a tragic war | | | | some coat fur of animals and can effect their heating |
| over it or our earths atmosphere will have become | | | | system. Also some oil can find its way into other |
| so polluted the changes are irreversible. If it were up | | | | sources causing hazardous water to be consumed. In |
| to me these things would be put into affect now we | | | | some extreme cases, rivers, lakes, and wells have |
| would live in a much cleaner and much safer | | | | been known to ignite. |
| environment. | | | | Air pollution is also a worldwide polluter. Air pollution |
| Such as the often to frequent oil spills all over the | | | | mainly comes from cars and industries. There are |
| world. One cause to this problem is the use of | | | | particles called hydrocarbons that settle or are |
| outdated and poorly maintained oil tankers. One | | | | washed down by rain from the air to the ocean. |
| obvious solution to this problem is the constant | | | | The effect of water pollution depends on the type |
| maintenance and purchase of new oil tankers. | | | | and amount of contamination, the time of exposure, |
| According to Effects of Pollution by Scott Forseman, | | | | and what the water was like before the pollution. An |
| pollution is defined as the addition of any substance | | | | estuary is a deep and wide channel to the sea. |
| or form of energy to the environment at a rate | | | | Estuaries are flushed easily by the sea's tide and can |
| faster than the environment can accommodate it by | | | | cope with more pollution. Some signs of water |
| dispersion, decomposition, recycling, or storage in | | | | pollution is some algae may die causing the marine life |
| some harmless form. In my course of research, I | | | | to starve and move to other streams or lakes there |
| uncovered many forms pollution. However, the ones | | | | have been many lakes that are now classified as |
| I included were the forms of pollution that may | | | | dead lakes. |
| interfere with our present and future existence. In | | | | Things you can do to help prevent or slow down |
| this paper, air, water, and land pollutions have been | | | | water pollution. Use treatment of wastewater to |
| identified and explained, as well as the consequences | | | | make water reusable and of high quality. To enforce |
| of these pollutants, also some possible solutions for | | | | government regulations prohibiting and limiting pollution |
| these types of problems. | | | | of water and to develop practices and techniques |
| Air pollution is a problem that everyone should be | | | | that will prevent or limit the natural runoff of |
| concerned about. With the growing number of | | | | pollutants. Maintain systems to declare areas to |
| automobiles, and the greenhouse effect problem | | | | minimize litter and algae. Clean up small-scale oil spills |
| becoming more and more of a threat, air pollution is | | | | witch threaten the waterways, and help other |
| something to be concerned with. “Air pollution | | | | services to clean up hazardous chemical spills by |
| involves the release of gases, finely dissolved solids, | | | | providing advice or materials. |
| or liquid aerosols into the atmosphere at rates that | | | | In the United States, control over water pollution has |
| exceed the capacity of the atmosphere to dissipate | | | | come around in the 20th century. States only in latter |
| them or to dispose of them through incorporation | | | | years started taking active part in making laws and |
| into solid or liquid layers of the biosphere (Newton | | | | procedures for water pollution control. The first |
| 43). | | | | federal law concerning pollution was the 1899 Rivers |
| The materials released by industries and urban | | | | and Harbor act, The 1965 Water Quality Act, the |
| communities usually exceed the biological capacity of | | | | 1966 Clean Water Restoration Act, and the 1987 |
| aquatic systems, causing water to become polluted. | | | | Clean Water Act. The federal government has slowly |
| “When organic materials surpass the capacity of | | | | established criteria for all interstate and coastal |
| those microorganisms in water that break it down | | | | waters, and provided for enforcement of laws |
| and recycle it, the excess of nutrients blooms to | | | | against pollution. |
| algae ( Zipko 12).” When the alga dies, the | | | | |