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Water Pollution

Everyday, we, as humans, are literally destroying this beautiful and

amazing planet that offers us life. One of the largest parts of Earth is our oceans,

lakes and rivers, which encompasses more than two-thirds of the planet. This issue

has been addressed by Congress but the government alone cannot tackle this

obstacle; the people must change, they must recycle and be sure to take hazardous

materials where they belong. Also, to prevent soil erosion, keeping trees alive and

planting new ones would help as well because it supports infiltration of water into

the soil. In addition, off shore oil drilling and major oil spills contribute to water

pollution. Lastly, keeping our gutters and storm drains around our houses free

from garbage, leaves and pet waste would promote better water safety.

These causes of water pollution are classified into two different categories:

direct and indirect contaminant sources. Direct means that is coming from a

refinery, factory or ship and going directly into the water body; whereas with

indirect it happens when water on your lawn that contains fertilizer runs into a

stream then travels to a lake, for example. Water pollution is defined as: to make

foul or unclean, which is exactly what is happening to our waters. When factories,

refineries and treatment plants release radioactive chemicals such as uranium and

thorium, not to mention crude oil into our drinking water, our recreational water,

our life, it is devastating. Littered sewer drains and gutters also contribute to this

catastrophe. Pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, enter waterways though

dump sewage, storm drains and septic tanks. These pathogens cause

many severe illnesses that range from respiratory diseases to skin disorders. One

other form of pollution that may come as a surprise us heat. This is due to the fact

that extreme temperatures affect the livelihood of organisms,...