Drinking Water

Drinking Water 

As made clear by the videos, our whole society functions off of water. Unfortunately, much of this water is disappearing, both above and below ground. This is due in part because we are using more water than can be naturally replaced. For instance, the ground water that is used for agriculture here in the United States, is often used too aggressively. Consequently, the reservoirs of ground water once abundant, are now nearing depletion.

Moreover, what water sources are available, can often be made toxic for human use, due to human activity. For instance, much of the pesticides used in agriculture seep into the ground water, pipes, and streams, which feed into local communities. The people of these communities which are fed by such toxic water can suffer, as a result. Additionally, any of that same toxic water can also harm any animals that come into contact with it as well. Essentially, any toxic materials which end up in a water source, has the potential to negatively affect the entire environment. Although policies have been put into place to both preserve what water sources are left, and to help ensure that that water is untainted, such as the case with the Clean Water Act of 1972, much of our water remains near depletion, is toxic, and poorly managed.

The Clean Water Act:

The Clean Water Act of 1972 was a pivotal moment in environmental justice history. This act set the standard for water usage and cleanliness in the United States. As a reaction to highly-polluted waters, primarily due to industrialization and agriculture, the Chicago river became almost, virtually dead. This was the catalyst to the Clean Water Act, which set regulations to restrict pollution of water bodies within Chicago, and eventually the rest of the US.

I have learned to take water into consideration, when considering the Public's health. Part of this would be to promote water conservation efforts. I was amazed to see that in the United States, the average American uses 30 times more water than those in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are no doubt several contributing factors to this incredible disparity, but it goes without question that if water conservation is a concern, our extreme water use is something we should address as a society.

Also, this has made me consider the Dakota Access Pipeline. Originally, I was for the Standing Rock Sioux' cause to deny the passage of the pipeline because it would be an invasion into their sovereign nation by a foreign entity. However, this is not the only, or most important reason for which the Standing Rock Sioux have to denying access of the pipeline through their territory.  It is absolutely understandable that the Standing Rock Sioux are concerned that their drinking water may end up becoming contaminated by such a pipeline. Especially after seeing how toxins can escape into water supplies through broken or leaky pipes, it seems unreasonable , reckless, and illegal to build a pipeline through a community's water supply.