Category: Environmental Issues

Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House (1879) is situated during a dominant patriarchal society where women conform to traditional roles, however through the portrayal of the character Nora, we see that she goes against these roles as she is quite deceptive and secretive towards her husband Torvald Helmer. In contrast, Bret Easton Ellis’ ‘American Psycho’ taking place in 1980s America presents investment banker Patrick Bateman as a person that would be described as a ‘yuppie’, but in truth, he is a drug addict, a cheater, and a dangerous psychopath that fantasizes about serial killings in front of his friends, yet despite this, he isn’t taken seriously which highlights that appearances can be deceiving.

Ibsen’s ‘well-made play’ begins with Nora telling someone to: “ hide the Christmas tree carefully” the verb ‘ hide’ symbolizes the recurring theme of secrecy/deception, especially between Nora and her husband Torvald as their relationship highlights a lack of unison despite being man and wife, furthermore the reality that Nora comes to at the climax of the play, that she has no personal identity and that their marriage makes no sense. In his essay ‘Nora as a doll’ Michael C. Wiseman (2010) argues that, “Nora does not take life seriously, an attitude that led to many of the plot’s complications.” Nora expresses her obedience towards Torvald as he teases her about breaking his ban on sweet eating, although her dishonesty about the macaroons she’s just eaten in secret isn’t extreme, this circumstance shows how easily Nora lies. Nora reassures Torvald that she never will go against his wishes, which we later know is not the case, this presents Nora’s perhaps subconscious, but deceptive attitude even towards her own husband. Animalistic imagery is used to describe Nora as ‘little squirrel’ presenting a clear sense of dominance Torvald has on Nora as she’s described as his pet, even more, so the repetition of the adjective ‘little’ signifies not just Nora’s belittlement, but women’s inferiority to a man during that period. Nora’s lack of her own identity is emphasized as she not only refers to herself in the third person as Torvald does, but she also calls herself a ‘skylark and ‘squirrel’; however, the question raised is, whether this is what Nora is actually like or is this part of her deceptive nature in order to maintain a facade that in which Torvald believes that Nora is a loyal wife ready to follow his instruction? However, as later revealed, we find out that Nora committed forgery, but also borrowed money without Torvald knowing, showing that her: “acting against his wishes” is untrue. Ibsen presents how Nora breaks past the societal construct of a woman’s identity; although she commits forgery, this is to support her husband, but these acts inevitably lead her to shatter the illusion of a doll’s house she persevered so hard to protect her entire life. Deception in the relationship between Nora and Torvald is used by Ibsen to represent in his own words how ‘ A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day

and so are forced to sacrifice themselves in order to gain social acceptance due to the dominant patriarchal society. Bret Easton Ellis’ ‘American Psycho’ presents narrator and main character Patrick Bateman as an unreliable narrator, Ellis’ purpose by leaving the reader with a storyteller who may or may not be trustworthy, with a view under the effects of drugs, paranoia, and hallucinations create an atmosphere for the reader that is essentially unpredictable and uncertain, emulating the feeling of being within the mindset of a psychotic and corrupt serial killer eventually exposing the possibility of us being like Bateman as a psycho ourselves. Ellis’ use of simple phrases in American Psycho clearly demonstrates how people and the things around us are more than they seem. The use of repetition as Evelyn Richards constantly refers that ‘the boy next door’ is Patrick Bateman, which implies that the personality and overall attitude of Bateman are that of a fine young man, surely not a psychotic murderer, however as the novel reveals, appearances can be deceiving. Furthermore, the recurring theme of mistaken identity within the novel leads to a rapidly increasing sense of alienation on the part of both the reader and the narrator. Bateman often is mistaken for others, however, within the novel, it is not unusual for anyone to greet him as someone else while he is out with his friends and not to be corrected. These moments of mistaken identity suggest that it is not really important who anyone is within the world of the book since the meaning and understanding of each other’s characters is totally superficial and that they are within a society where no one has any personal connections or where no one really understands or communicates. Ellis does this for a few reasons, such as how he wanted to present the consequences of capitalism more specifically neoliberalism capitalism hence the novel’s title, this type was especially emerging during 1980s America. A key characteristic associated with neoliberalism is that appears to have a good liberal and democratic government but is actually corrupted similar to when Patrick Bateman tells his friends he wants: “to end apartheid for one. […] to provide food and shelter for the homeless, oppose racial discrimination, and promote civil rights, while also promoting equal rights for women.[…]most importantly, we have to promote general social concern and less materialism in young people.” but in reality he goes against every word he says and kills women and homeless people thus demonstrating the duplicitous nature of people and how easy it is for them to put on a facade and play two identities, perfectly illustrating the deceptive demeanor and uncertainty of people. This is signified by the end of the novel when Bateman ends up alone in his mind, where he eventually starts to deteriorate and lose his sanity and questions just as the reader does did he commit all those killings or was it all in his head? Ibsen’s Symbolism in ‘A Dolls House’ is used to express deceit, symbolism can be seen in the tarantella dance that Nora performs for the family. Such as the macaroons, and the tarantella dance symbolizes the part of Nora that she can’t usually reveal; the intensity of the dance allows Nora to remove the facade of the ideal Victorian lady. Throughout the play, Nora uses success to impress Torvald, most notably the tarantella; he acknowledges that seeing her perform makes him desire her. Ibsen portrays through Nora how women within the patriarchal society are restricted from expressing themselves and their presented identity is controlled by the hands of their husbands and fathers, but Nora through this dance can be free and move about how she wants, it apart from the end that Nora has her own free will. Traditionally, the dance is done to rid the venom of the tarantula venom, but as Nora moves more and more aggressively, it’s as though she’s attempting to rid herself of the facade or false identity that she’s designed to put up to make sure her husband loves her and not find out about the crime and the attack upon his pride otherwise everything will come falling down. Patrick Bateman contrastingly presents himself as a character in which the majority of the novel is in control of his attitude as he sets up this character that is normal which is why he’s referred to as ‘ the boy next door’. Bateman relates his extreme depersonalization to his delusional condition, but he doesn’t tell which one triggered the other, but that ‘the normal ability to feel compassion has been eradicated.’ Bateman highlights how he has created a persona of himself imitating a real human being, it was something he managed naturally at the beginning of the book, but as the novel progressed it became a strain. On a date with Jean, his assistant, Bateman is trying to convey that he’s not romantically interested in her and although he’s ready to go out with her it doesn’t imply he’s drawn to her, despite the context of the book, this statement has an added significance; “his look was that of a fairly typical Wall Street stockbroker, yet secretly, he has a sinister face, full of aggressive urges and visions” which is why Bateman says: “I’m just … letting you know that … appearances can be deceiving”.

Deception is evident within the stage directions when Nora is playing hide and seek with her children, although this may seem like just a game, it is actually a symbolic representation of Nora and her secretive nature, especially as to how hard she’s trying to conceal her secret from Torvald. The stage directions go on to say: “Finally Nora hides” this quite ironically portrays how Nora is playing a game of hide and seek with adults most notably her husband, Nora believes that if she tries hard enough she can stay hidden forever, this highlights the state of disavowal that Nora is in, Ibsen does this to show that deception won’t last and that the truth will come out, which is why he created ‘A Doll’s House’ as he intended to expose the hypocrisy of society, furthermore Nora herself realizes that she can’t keep this up which is why she even refuses to play hide and seek with her children anymore as she herself can no longer hide anything. The Christmas tree’s recurring symbol expresses Nora’s transition from a doll to a real woman. A clear reflection or juxtaposition of Nora’s journey of her character is when the tree comes into the house first, Nora insists on covering it until it is cleaned and presentable which is representative of her desire for perfection, but when she begins to recognize that it is only a matter of time before Torvald learns her secret, the tree gradually starts to wither, until it becomes ‘stripped of its ornaments, with burnt candle-ends on its disheveled branches” the deterioration of the tree symbolizes the gradual end towards Nora as an innocent character and the start to the inevitable destruction of the family that has been constructed in this dolls house. Bret Easton Ellis presents how consumerism has taken over the American lifestyle and how the capitalist lifestyle highly contributes especially to how the upper-class act, furthermore the superficiality of the American dream is represented through Bateman. One instance of how Bateman goes to extreme lengths to construct part of their identity is through his general appearance, we see this when he goes through his daily routine in the utmost detail, such as what he uses, why he uses it, and how he does it. He states: “I wash the facial massage off with a spearmint face scrub. The shower has a universal all-directional shower head that adjusts within a thirty-inch vertical range. It’s made from Australian gold-black brass and covered with a white enamel finish” Bateman has an extremely structured morning routine. He obsesses about keeping his body in perfect shape because for him his outward appearance is what is significant not just to himself, but as to how the people around him view him as. The reader has an impression that every day he goes through this process in the same custom as some kind of repetitive ritual geared toward upholding this superficial image of perfection. Although this scene may seem like Ellis presenting this character as extremely vain, it quite incredibly highlights the emphasis on a person’s exterior which is why Bateman seems to most a successful ‘yuppie’ and a perfect embodiment of the success of the American Dream, in truth what is hidden beneath the surface is who he really is and explains why he is highly unnoticed.

Introduction

Water is fundamental for living organisms. In the farming system, water can come from many different sources and the quality are varied. Water sources include surface water, groundwater, or town water. Water from a number of different sources may be not suitable in the aspect of quality for its intended use for irrigation, stock, household, or other farm activities. It is crucial to determine and solve water quality problems that may affect farm productivity. The farm owner should have their farm water tested before and sometimes during, use.

Identifying the water quality, allows you to plan for water treatments to prevent problems such as poor plant growth, blocked irrigation or stock watering pipes, staining, and other undesirable effects of poor water quality.

There have been a variety of different water quality guidelines related to irrigated agriculture. But none has been entirely satisfactory due to the wide variability in field conditions. Therefore, there are several parameters that we use to measure water quality. These properties can be physical, chemical, or biological factors. Physical properties include temperature and turbidity and chemical parameters include pH and dissolved oxygen (DO). Biological parameters of water quality include algae and phytoplankton. All of these parameters are suitable and relevant to various types of water sources.

Materials

• YSI 556 Multi-parameter system
• LAQUAact D-75 Water Quality Analyzer HORIBA
• Horiba LAQUA Twin Nitrate Meter
• API Ammonia NH_3/ NH_4^+, Test Kit

Methods

Apparatus handling

• Before testing the water sample, all the usage instructions are thoroughly read
• The procedures were followed properly and the apparatus are used carefully
• The apparatus particularly the sense or probe are handled gently to avoid any damage or crush
• The sense of probe is rinsed with distilled water before and after checking the water samples

Water quality parameters checking

• Three different points or locations at each water source are determined for water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, chloride, salinity, and ammonia.
• The readings are recorded in a table for further data analysis
• The water quality measurement continued and was monitored for 30 days

Water quality tests interpreting

• the results are placed in the worksheet and submit them together with the report including the question given below.
• The graphs were plotted to compare the water quality parameter from those sampling locations.

Result

• Sources Replicate Water temperature (℃) Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) pH Conductivity (µS/cm) Salinity (mg/L) Nitrate NO_3 (ppm)

YSI Horiba YSI Horiba YSI YSI YSI LAQUA LAQUA

River

R1 24.67 25.9 8.52 0.1 6.31 30 0.01 0.00 33

R2 24.66 25.3 6.98 0.1 6.25 29 0.01 0.00 37

R3 24.67 25.3 6.86 0.1 6.26 30 0.01 0.00 37

Pond 1

(North) P1-1 30.85 31.7 6.40 0.1 5.78 37 0.02 0.00 756

P1-2 30.97 31.8 6.20 0.1 5.59 38 0.02 0.00 19

P1-3 30.95 31.9 6.33 0.1 5.80 37 0.02 0.00 23

Pond 2

(South) P2-1 28.61 29.8 5.35 0.1 6.00 16 0.01 0.00 27

P2-2 28.75 31.3 5.23 0.1 5.79 16 0.01 0.00 15

P2-3 28.28 27.8 4.97 0.1 5.68 16 0.01 0.00 0

Water storage tank S1 25.86 29.7 5.62 0.1 6.15 20 0.01 0.00 24

S2 25.88 29.7 6.26 0.1 6.41 19 0.01 0.00 24

S3 25.83 28.3 6.03 0.1 6.15 20 0.01 0.00 46

Pond 3

(cattle cages) P3-1 30.67 27.5 5.06 0.1 5.55 32 0.01 0.00 12

P3-2 30.61 26.4 6.78 0.1 5.79 23 0.01 0.00 19

P3-3 30.86 26.4 5.67 0.1 6.14 23 0.01 0.00 2

• Sources Water temperature (℃) Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) pH Nitrate NO_3 (ppm) Salinity (mg/L) Conductivity (µS/cm)

YSI Horiba YSI Horiba YSI LAQUA YSI LAQUA YSI

River

24.67 25.50 7.45 0.1 6.27 35.67 0.01 0 29.67

Pond 1

(North) 28.55 29.23 5.18 0.1 5.82 14 0.01 0 16

Pond 2

(South) 30.92 31.80 6.31 0.1 5.72 266 0.02 0 37.33

Water storage tank

25.86 25.86 5.97 0.1 6.24 31.33 0.01 0 19.67

Pond 3

(cattle cages) 30.71 29.63 5.84 0.1 5.83 11 0.01 0 26

Discussion

Farm water sources and quality checking are fundamental for farm operations. Water quality is measured using several parameters, such as water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia level, and salinity. Each of the parameters is important for the farm and its functions. As mentioned in the introduction, the temperature of the water is included in physical factors, expressing how hot or cold the water is. Temperature can be further defined as a measurement of the average thermal energy of a substance. Water temperature also will be affecting other parameters such as dissolved oxygen levels which will decrease the solubility of the oxygen as water temperature increases. In our practice, we have selected different types of water sources, and for each one of them, we have taken 3 different points. The averages that we gained from the river are 24.67℃ (YSI) and 25.50℃ (Horiba). In pond 1, the temperature using YSI was 28.55℃, and the apparatus Horiba was 29.33℃. The temperature of the water may be varied along the length of the river but can also vary between small sections only meters apart. In lakes, the depth will affect the temperature, according to the level of sunlight penetration and mixing characteristics. The water surface temperature is usually between 0℃ and 30℃, even though the temperature of hot springs may exceed 40℃.

Dissolved oxygen refers to the level of free non-compound oxygen present in water or other liquids. It is an influential parameter in assessing water quality due to the effect of organisms living within the water. The amount of dissolved oxygen can be varied in daily and seasonal patterns and decline with higher temperature, salinity, and elevation. The maximum oxygen solubility in water at 1 atm pressure ranges from 15mg/L at 0℃ to 8mg/L at 30℃. For dissolved oxygen, we used two different apparatuses, YSI and Horiba. Just the same with temperature, we took 3 readings at 3 different points. The average Horiba shows 0.1mg/L DO for the river, pond 1, pond 2, water storage tank, and pond 3. YSI readings show that the river has 7.45mg/L DO meanwhile for pond 1, the dissolved oxygen is 5.18mg/L. for pond 2, the readings are 31.80 mg/L and 25.86 mg/L in the water storage tank. For pond 3, the dissolved oxygen is 5.84 mg/L. Dissolved oxygen comes from the atmosphere and from photosynthesis by aquatic plants, and is depleted through chemical oxidation and respiration by aquatic animals and microorganisms, especially during the decomposition of plant biomass and other organic material.

pH is the parameter that was used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water, which detects the acidity or basicity of water. The normal pH range for irrigation water is from 6.5 to 8.4. An abnormal value is a warning that the water needs further assessment because it may cause a nutritional imbalance or contain toxic ions. During our practice, we used the YSI apparatus. The pH reading that we gained from the river was 6.27. Meanwhile, for ponds 1, 2, and 3 were 5.82, 5.72, and 5.83 respectively. And for the water tank storage, the pH reading was 6.24. If the water pH is too high or too low, the living aquatics within it will die. The solubility and toxicity of the chemicals and heavy metals in the water can be affected.

Nitrogen is the nutrient applied in the largest quantities for lawn and garden care and crop production. Nitrogen occurs naturally in the soil in organic forms from decaying plant and animal residues. Water quality monitoring shows that nitrate is present in the water sources. Using the LAQUA apparatus, the highest nitrate concentration recorded was from pond 2 with 266 ppm. This might be because of the failure of the device itself. In intense farming, the nitrate concentration may approach or exceed the EPA drinking water limit of 10mg/L. The optimum point is 5-10 ppm. Although nitrogen is naturally abundant in the environment, it is also introduced through sewage and fertilizers. Chemical fertilizer or animal manure is usually applied to crops to add nutrients. Nitrate can be absorbed into water from the usage of fertilizer containing nitrate. Nitrate can also be formed in water bodies through oxidation of other forms of nitrogen, including nitrite, ammonia, and organic nitrogen compounds such as amino acids. Excess of nitrogen can give an effect on environments such as causing overstimulation of the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Furthermore, it can clog water intake, use up dissolved oxygen, and block light to deeper waters.

The salinity parameter refers to the concentration of soluble salts in the irrigation water. Salts are highly soluble in surface and groundwater and transported with water movement. The suitability for irrigation will be affected by the level of salt in the water. Conditions that lead to salinity consist of primary salinity and secondary salinity. The salinity measurement was recorded using two devices, YSI and LAQUA. Both of them show 0 readings for all the water sources except YSI in pond 2 with 0.02 mg/L. High levels of salinity in water or soil can cause corrosion of machinery and infrastructure such as fences, roads, and bridges. It also will lead to poor health or even death of native vegetation and will lower crop yields by impairing the growth and health of salt-intolerant crops.

Conductivity is the parameter that is used in the measurement of the ability of an aqueous solution to transport an electrical current. This ability is directly related to the concentration of ions in the water. An ion is an atom of an element that has gained or lost an electron which will create a positive or negative condition. The optimum point is 600 µS/cm. In our practice, the YSI parameter shows that pond 2 has the highest conductivity with µS/cm 37.33 conductivity. Distilled water has a conductivity in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 µmhos/cm. Studies of inland freshwater indicate that streams supporting well-mixed fisheries have a range between 150 and 500 µmhos/cm

In my opinion, I think the river is the most suitable water source for farming. Because all the parameters of the river did not exceed the optimum point and if it does, that might come from devices or human errors. And for the worst water source, I choose pond 2 since most of the parameters exceed the given limit points.

Some suggestions on future farm development that I can suggest are managing the stock more efficiently for example by fencing off streams and waterways to decrease direct water contamination and being cautious when applying fertilizers or pesticides to avoid overuse of them.

Conclusion

High-quality water is necessary for healthy crops and herds. We are now able to perform water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and checking on water sources for farming after completing this practical. The apparatus we used during the practical are YSI 556 Multi-parameter System, LAQUAact D-75 Water Quality Analysers HORIBA, Horiba LAQUA Twin Nitrate Meter, and API Ammonia NH3/ NH4+ Test Kit. Each of them measured different parameters and each parameter of the water quality alone may not tell much, but a few parameters together can show impressive processes that are taking place in the water sources.

The farm water sources and quality checking practical help us to understand more on how to interpret the water quality and figure out changes that occurred in the water sources so that corrective actions and solutions can be taken as fast as possible. Water quality monitoring can help researchers and scientists to predict and learn from natural processes in the environment and determine the human effect on an ecosystem. These measurement efforts can also assist in restoration projects or make sure environmental standards are being met.

References

1. Water quality indicators: temperature and dissolved oxygen. Regional aquatics monitoring program (RAMP) http://www.ramp-alberta.org/river/water+sediment+quality/chemical/temperature+and+dissolved+oxygen.aspx
2. Water quality. Fondriest environmental learning center. https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/
3. Farm water quality-testing and treating for stock and domestic use. Department of primary industries https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/climate-and-emergencies/droughthub/information-and-resources/farm-water-testing
4. Conductivity, salinity, and total dissolved solids. Fondriest environmental learning center. https://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/parameters/water-quality/conductivity-salinity-tds/

Tree plantation, the transplanting of trees in a schematic way, is considered one of the most elegant and eco-friendly activities that every single man can take part in. It is momentous for the environment in a very serious way. The environment is being polluted each second and the world is already under the threat of the Green House effect. In a situation like this, tree plantation is the most positive and best way to control the Green House effect. By absorbing carbon dioxide, they modify the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the surroundings and prevent global warming. So, it can be said that trees play a significant role in maintaining the ecological balance.

Their contribution to the life of a human being is spectacular. By all means, there is no alternative to trees in our life. We, not only human beings but also all living lives, are breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. And it is trees that provide us oxygen without which we can’t breathe. They also furnish us with food, drink, clothes, medicine, and so on. We also get fuel and wood from the trees which we use to make furniture, windows, boats, etc. They shelter us from floods and many other natural calamities. They help the land retain water and topsoil. They keep the environment cool and protected for us. Despite all these benefits, people are cutting down trees indiscriminately, and as a result, forests are being desolated, animals and birds living on trees are losing their shelter, and so on. If people carry on destroying trees, human life will be threatened because without trees the rate of carbon dioxide will uprise gradually and it will create the Green House effect. The temperature of the atmosphere will increase.

Scientists have recently discovered that the polar ice of the earth has started to melt because of the temperature which is causing emersion of the sea level and if this continues, many coastal areas of the world will go underwater within a few years. Countries will turn into a desert and it can be fatal for many inhabitants. People will suffer from the shortage of food and medical service. Different types of natural disasters will occur. Our survival will become difficult on this earth. So, to save our environment as well as our existence on earth, deforestation should be stopped and necessary steps should be taken to influence the general mass not to cut trees but to plant more and more trees. Banks of ponds and darns, on both sides of roads, highways, rail lines, embankments, and barrages are the best places for tree plantation. We should also plant trees on any fallow land near our houses, schools, and offices. June and July are the proper time for tree plantation. Government should take important steps to educate the illiterate and control the population explosion.

The important scope of the right to access water

Section 27(b) of the constitution gives every individual a right to access sufficient food and water together with section 3(1) of the Water Service Act which provides that everyone has a right to access to basic water supply and basic sanitation, are interlinked with other rights of the constitution. It mainly plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic rights which are: section 26(adequate housing), and s27(health, food, and security) which are known as access rights. It also links with section 28(1)(c) on basic nutrition and s29(1)(a) on basic education which is regarded as basic rights. This points out that water is important to provide duties for basic nutrition, food preparation, food production, and for drinking purposes.

The right to access water protects, section 35(2)(e) which stipulates that everyone who is detained, including every sentenced prisoner, has a right to ‘conditions of detention that are in line with human dignity, including at least, exercise and provision, at state expense, of adequate accommodation and nutrition, reading material and immaterial treatment’. As it has been pointed out in the statement that the state should provide nutrition at its own expense, water forms part of nutrition. This right also pressures the state to provide clean water for human consumption, conserve water, and provide basic services for sanitation to secure the environment. Water is important for human survival and must be conserved against any contamination and polluted environmental doings for drinking purposes.

Section 24 provides that everyone has a right to a clean environment that is not harmful to their health and well-being and to have the environment secured through legislative and other measures to prevent pollution and ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development. Water is part of the natural resources which is essential since various people still draw water from rivers, dams, or wells, usually with no alternative, an unhealthy environment would lead to a health hazard. Access to clean water would prevent health hazards.

Water secures the Natural ecosystems and is heavily dependent on it, without water all the species would not survive. Water scarcity leads to degradation, thus aggravating the water supply problems. The right to water is therefore the protection of drinking water sources. The aquatic environment is important to the ecology of the vectors of diseases such as Mosquitoes which transmit Malaria and other transmitters of diseases such as schistosomiasis. The hydrological and demographic changes caused by waterborne diseases, and will unevenly undermine the health stems of the various groups.

In the SERAC case, the plaintiffs laid a complaint of illnesses related to their polluted water and soil, including gastrointestinal issues, skin diseases, cancer, and respiratory ailments. After they issued the first steps to be by the government to correct the situation complained of, the commission stated that government duties associated with the right to health and a healthy environment for its people consisted of the minimum; taking reasonable precautions to avoid contaminating the environment in a way that endangers the physical, mental and environmental health of its people, to ensure that private parties do not systemically endanger the health of the citizens and environment, and to provide its people with information about environmental health risks and meaningful opportunities to take part in development decisions.

The right to access water Is important for food security. Domestic water is used for household food production in most rural areas where they practice activities such as horticulture, crop irrigation, and small-scale commercial activities. These activities may be the sole income from the household through food security and without the use of water, poverty would strike many households. Water may also be essential for farming whereby a large-scale water supply for agricultural production systems produced food for local consumption or for export and trade to food-deficient regions. Moreover, water is used for aquaculture and livestock watering to make more food, and water is needed for food hygiene to ensure that food is safer to eat.

The right to access water is important for health purposes. Access to water reduces the risk of water-related illness. The most known infectious waterborne diseases are; diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera which often lead to death. Access to water also prevents death by dehydration. Regulation 3 of 2001 stipulates that (b)(I) a minimum quantity of potable water of 25 liters per person per day6 kilolitres per household per month, s3(b)(ii) within 200 meters of a household, and s3(b)(iii) with an effect such that no consumer is without supply for more than seven full days in any year. The minimum quantity of water required for each person to consume prevents the effects of dehydration, including potential life-threatening.

Water is essential for cultural practices. The right to water needs access to traditional water sources to be secured from unlawful encroachment and pollution. This applies mainly to the access of indigenous peoples to the water resources on their ancestral lands and also embraces the right to follow traditional cultural actions, such as performing religious ceremonies using water for example the Hindu washing rites on the river Ganges in India. The right to water  is violated if the state fails to take important steps to safeguard the cultural identity of many ethnic or religious groups. This includes the destruction, expropriation, or pollution of water associated with cultural sites by the government or non-state actors, or the offering by the government authorities of land titles to individual members of indigenous peoples when these individuals traditionally take a group approach to use resources, thereby endangers the culture and existence of the whole group.

The aim of The memorandum is to address water conservation issues. The government engineer’s business actively collects data for common use regarding water conservation programs. Government and federal support are available for several improvement programs. As the leading use of water in the government is irrigation, the number of these programs targets supply efficiencies. One method to save supply water is the transformation from uncontrolled flood supply to sprinkler supply. The memorandum talks about two conversion tasks.

water conservation actions decrease food demand, better use efficiency, and reduce water loss and waste. Saving methods may be short-term or long-term. Long-term methods are substitutes for new water supplies while short-term, or emergency measures are used to rapidly get temporary emergency water issues. When planning a conservation system, it is essential to get an accurate image of food needs in order to calculate possible savings. For that reason, the water system examination, outlining all sources of supply and demand, accompanied by the demand structure, is important to the achievable program. The exact water examination cannot be achieved without precise water measurements and records.

As a company, you should consider installing a steam tap. This provides instant boiling water, so no more standing around waiting for the kettle to boil. Work out how often the kettle is being boiled over the course of a typical day to find out if it could save energy. Water reservoirs should be installed in order for us to ensure that water usage has been well managed

It has come to my attention that many in the office have been spending time on the water reservoir units splashing and using them inappropriately instead of how they should not be conducted. We urge you to please join our organization in spreading the water conversation crusade to help save future intoxication.

In order to save a meaningful amount of water, we need to spread the word and encourage others. Many people are simply not aware of how much water they are using in their day-to-day lives. There are so many simple steps that can be taken to help save water. By educating others and encouraging them to make a few simple changes to their habits, we can have a large impact. Pressure from employees on their employers to help save water can change an organization’s practices for the better.

In order to achieve water conservation in this company you ought to flip u with the following steps too:

Get a water audit. In this case with the company’s permission a commercial water audit examines how much water a business uses and provides detailed information on where opportunities lie for using less (and saving money). Audits can also identify costly water leaks that should be repaired. Some water utilities provide audits to commercial customers for free and even provide rebates for water-saving initiatives.

• Purchase water-efficient equipment
• Reduce landscape water use
• Engage and inform employees: in this case I mean the new recruits or other employees who do not yield to the cry

I encourage a fun and competitive environment, and I recognize that we certainly won’t be profitable if you are unhappy or dissatisfied with your jobs. This is just a reminder to be careful with your use of company water.

Water pollution is one of the biggest ecological problems. Water is one of a human being’s basic needs in daily activity. Over the years, the population started to rise, and water sources became polluted. Water pollution occurs when large bodies of water are polluted with toxic substances and bacteria, including groundwater, seas, rivers, and reservoirs. This is because the waste product is dumped directly into the water. There are so many factors that are affected by water contamination like urban development, chemical dumping by factories, oil spills, and the Throwing of Plastics in the Ocean. Pollution of water can cause animals to live in water to die due to Water pollution. This can kill various animal types like whales, dolphins, fish, and even birds. When an animal is killed, it can affect other animals and destroy the system. It can affect people with different diseases. It can affect people. Hepatitis may be obtained from food from seafood infected by contaminated water.

Causes of water pollution:

There are so many factors that are affected pollute the water. The topmost factor is Industrial pollution. Industries are a major source of massive water contamination, creating extremely toxic chemicals for humans and the environment. Many manufacturing plants are moving the waste from the factory to rivers, lakes, and oceans by using freshwater and releasing harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, nitrates, sulfur, and poisonous chemicals into the water. This causes the groundwater has polluted and it affects agriculture and human health.

Some issues are happened by human mistakes like Oil spills in the ocean. This is another biggest problem and one of the real examples is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that released 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, dumping 1,300 miles of oil into the Gulf of Mexico between five states. The scientists concluded that thousands of sea mammals and aquatic turtles were destroyed, and their environments were polluted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After that, the Government starts the ocean cleanup program. It is a challenging process to extract waste oil from the atmosphere. Carbon floats to the surface as it flows into the Water and forms large slicks, regardless of its hydrophobic nature.

Dumping plastic waste in water causes plastic pollution and it’s injured and kills fish, seafarers, and marine mammals in the rivers, lakes, and seas. At least 267 specimens, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all sea mammal species worldwide, were affected by marine plastic contamination. The consequences include deaths caused by ingestion, hunger, vomiting, poisoning, flooding, and interference.

The solution to resolve Water pollution:

Resolving water pollution instantly is not possible but we can control pollution by implementing some policies. To resolve the plastic pollution in water some ocean cleaning programs are already existing to remove trash from the oceans. If the government were also involved and implemented some policies and invite some private sector organizations to implement an ocean cleaning program it would be easy to protect the oceans from plastic wastage.

To resolve the oil spills and industrial pollution Government should implement strict rules on safety precautions for industries. It is often believed that policy restrictions or strong market pressure are required in order to substantially reduce polluting product production, as there is generally no internal short-term gain in reducing company emissions. It is based on customer preference for low-emissions goods and the high cost of failure to comply with environmental regulations the companies that their emissions. However, reducing emissions does not only mean waste treatment or waste management, which only raises costs.

Customers and the government must play their part in pushing companies to reduce emissions. Although reducing pollution may give private corporations a financial incentive, consumer pressure remains required to increase awareness among companies on pollution issues. A policy agency will enforce environmental legislation to establish requirements in the entire pollution-intensive industry. Regulations may include a tax program that would allow polluters to pay a fixed sum for emissions, an emission-specific cap-and-trade system, annual discharge regulation, and minimum waste management techniques.

To protect the environment whether it is water, air, etc it is our responsibility to protect. So we should try to reduce pollution from our side.

The Effect of Deicers on the Environment

The United States utilized approximately fifteen billion kilograms of road salt during the winter of 2013-2014. The removal of snow has evolved over the years from mechanical approaches such as shoveling and plowing to heating to chemical methods, including deicing substances (U.S. Patent No. 4664832A, 1984). Deicers, which are based on lowering the freezing point of water, is applied after snow events (Charola, Rousset, & Bläuer, 2017). Freezing point depression is a type of colligative property: a physical property that is not dependent on size, mass, or other parts of the solute particles in a solution (World of Chemistry, 2000). A freezing point of a solution is when the temperature of vapor pressure is equal to the temperature of the solid. Adding a substance that does not easily evaporate into gas into the solvent will lower the vapor pressure and consequently, lower the temperature where the vapor pressure of the liquid and solid is equal (World of Chemistry, 2000). For example, as salt dissolves in water as a deicer, it lowers the freezing point of water by several degrees, preventing ice from forming on the streets (World of Chemistry, 2000).

There is no “perfect” deicing substance on the market today because there are numerous needs for one product, including solubility with water, efficiency in low temperatures, long-lasting, convenience, cost-effectiveness, and reliability (U.S. Patent No. 6416684B1, 2001). While some products are environmentally friendly, they are expensive and hard to manage at home and while others are inexpensive, they corrode automobiles and create slick conditions. From a statewide perspective, the total economic impact also plays a role in deciding the type of deicing substance to use (U.S. Patent No. 4664832A, 1984). The US Environmental Protection Agency published data stating that the cost of damage from using sodium chloride rock salt for highway deicing is about 15 times the actual cost of purchasing and applying the salt in the first place (U.S. Patent No. 4664832A, 1984). Additionally, the environmental impacts of many deicing substances on the market today are substantial and can cause corrosion, slick conditions on the road, and water pollution (Dai, Xhang, Xu, & Yu, 2012). As a result, the main goal is to find the best product depending on preference to cost, availability, environmental effects, toxicity, and effectiveness in low temperatures (See Appendix A for different deicing substances and environmental impacts).

Research

There are two major kinds of deicing chemicals on the market today: organic chemicals with potassium acetate and chlorate (Dai et al., 2012). Organic chemicals are efficient and non-corrosive but expensive to use as a complete solution (Dai et al., 2012). Deicing depends on the properties of solutes to lower the melting point when dissolved (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). The lower the molecular weight, the lower the freezing point will decrease (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). Chlorate, which includes sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) and is generally called deicing salts, are low cost but produces increased breakage (Dai et al., 2012). Chloride ions from deicing salts will increase soil salinity near roadways and decrease stability and permeability (Charola et al., 2017).

Ice and snow can melt faster using deicing chemicals but there are serious consequences for the environment for using them excessively. Chemicals in melted snow can make their way into the soil through surface water or underground water and stay there, polluting the environment (Dai et al., 2012). These chemicals could also get absorbed by plants and impact plant growth, as well as absorbed by particles in the air and get transported to a new location (Dai et al., 2012). Other environmental effects of deicers include changing the physical and ecological properties of lakes, polluting drinking water by increasing salinity, damaging the ozone layer, and disturbing the balance in plant cells. Sodium chloride is responsible for the corrosion of bridges, road surfaces, vehicles, and the damage to vegetation and aquatic systems (Amrhein, Strong, & Mosher, 1992). During the winter of 2002 in Beijing, many people spread large quantities of deicing chemicals to melt all the snow. The next spring, over 300 thousand living green fences died. According to Dai (2012), “After testing the left snow near (the) main roads and soil around the injured or dead plants, it was found that salt content in soil was 392 times higher than the normal value.” Canadian and northeastern US states also measured sodium content in good reservoirs at levels 2-140 times the recommended limit for people (Amrhein et al., 1992). As a result, many more alternatives to NaCl have been found and commercially used.

While there are better alternatives for NaCl, their performance depends on external conditions such as temperature and road conditions (Hossain et al., 2015). Ice melting abilities are recorded as the amount of melted ice per amount of deicer (Gerbino, Tuan, & Mattison, 2012). The experiment was conducted in parking lots without traffic effects and temperature conditions were within the effective range of rock salt or -9°C. Alternatives, such as a blend of salt and other proprietaries, outperform rock salt but only in certain conditions. When alternatives are used, a lower application rate is needed than an application rate of rock salt at the same level of efficiency (Hossain et al., 2015). As a result, alternatives and combinations could lower the cost of using other expensive options.

In a similar study, one promising solution is calcium magnesium acetate (CMA). While NaCl has sodium ions present, CMA does not, which produces little to no corrosive effects (U.S. Patent No. 4664832A, 1984). Although CMA takes 20-30 minutes to start melting snow, it is longer lasting than road salt and only needs to be applied once in 12 hours (Kelting & Laxson, 2010). However, when CMA gets absorbed by the soil, its microbes will break down the acetate ions and deplete oxygen levels which can impact plant life (Charola et al., 2017). Similarly, oxygen depletion could happen in slow-moving streams and small ponds where the acetate ions could migrate (Charola et al., 2017).

Additionally, CMA is associated with low molecular weight alkaline earth salts produced from waste by alkaline fusion (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). Different from NaCl, CMA releases heat when going into a water solution instead of absorbing heat. This method should speed up melting but is not determined yet (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). Purified CMA is often applied with NaCl which works to increase traction if the solution is unable to work through a sheet of ice (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). If CMA is taken without purification, traction improves meaning that a purification step is potentially not needed. This could lead to a better CMA deicer at a lower cost. Although CMA has positive environmental effects, the deicer is produced by classical chemical methods using pure chemicals (U.S. Patent No. 4664832A, 1984) which results in expensive costs (See Appendix A for costs). Some suggestions have been made for CMA to be made in a crude form of acetic acid by reacting cellulose with an inorganic base, however, this process produces significant amounts of oxalic acid which is toxic to humans (U.S. Patent No. 4664832A, 1984).

Another promising solution is beet juice from desugared sugar cane molasses. Desugared molasses from beet juice is often discarded after the useful sugar is removed (U.S. Patent No. 6416684B1, 2001). Minnesota Department of Transportation started to use beet juice as a deicer from the large industry in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and the need for the reuse of sugar beet waste (Charola et al., 2017). Typically, beet juice syrup is mixed with traditional salt, sand, or chloride brines (Charola et al., 2017). Beet juice is readily soluble as well as improves the properties of other deicers (U.S. Patent No. 6416684B1, 2001). When beet juice is combined with other deicers, a smaller amount of chemicals is needed to do the same amount of work, resulting in a smaller environmental impact. Beet juice itself is highly effective at temperatures below 0°C and is non-corrosive and environmentally friendly (Gerbino et al., 2012). It does not harm vehicles or outdoor structures and similarly to CMA when combined with other deicing compounds, beet juice reduces the corrosiveness of the solution (U.S. Patent No. 6416684B1, 2001). Scientists are also researching other waste products as an alternative to combine with NaCl. Residues of distilled or fermented agricultural products like corn, barley, and pickle brine or other ideas like wet corn milling, wine, and cheese-making are potential solutions to cost-effective alternatives.

Conclusion

Currently, the “best” deicer does not exist. All different deicing substances have their advantages and disadvantages (See Appendix A). Scientists are researching chemicals in relation to infrastructure, roads, bridges, and the environment to find multiple solutions to the increasingly widespread issue of deicing substances’ impact on the environment. Chemical deicing depends on the effect of solutes to lower the melting point when dissolved (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). The amount of lowering depends on the number of ions present in the solution. Low molecular weight materials produce the most freezing point lowering (Dunn and Schenk, 1979). NaCl is effective at lowering the freezing point of water however NaCl breaks down soil structure and could contaminate drinking water (Kelting & Laxson, 2010).

Many alternatives with promising solutions have been proposed such as calcium magnesium acetate and beet juice, however, cost and availability made it hard for governments to switch to using environmentally friendly deicers. While CMA has little to no adverse effects on the environment, it costs about 30 times more than NaCl by ton (See Appendix A for costs). Additionally, while beet juice is cost-effective and efficient, the production is only in certain parts of the United States. Homeowners also have to decide on the best deicer that suits most, if not all, of their needs. While some deicers are animal and plant friendly, they could create dangerous conditions on the roads. If homeowners purchase a cost-effective solution, corrosion could occur on cars and the sides of houses. The search for the perfect deicer still continues statewide and in everyday homes. As snowfall comes earlier year by year, the need for an environmentally friendly solution becomes more pressing. Innovative solutions such as installing heated solar panels on roads present promising results yet lack the funding to continue. Maybe scientists should not be looking for the perfect deicing substance but rather a combination of the most cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally friendly deicing substances.

The first World Climate Conference was held from February 12th to 23rd in 1979 in Geneva. It was one of the first international meetings on climate change. NASA states, since the late nineteenth century, carbon dioxide and human-made emissions were, and still are being released into the atmosphere which has taken a toll on the planet’s surface temperature. Temperatures have risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. From 2010 to now, has had five of the warmest years recorded with 2016 being the warmest year on record. In return, oceans face the consequences of this increased heat by becoming 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer since 1969. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica have been decreasing in size. From 1993 to 2016, Greenland lost about an average of 286 billion tons of ice while Antarctica lost an average of about 127 billion tons of ice, both per year. Satellite observations have indicated that through the last 50 years, spring snow that covers the Northern Hemisphere has decreased and that the snow is melting earlier than usual. Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last 100 years, which indicates glaciers are melting. All of these changes on the earth’s surface and the earth’s climate have taken a toll on many species that rely on certain habitats that are changing or being destroyed because of the current stance of our planet. A specific species and very controversial topic are honey bees. The majority of plants needed for food rely on pollen which honey bees provide. There are public and political concerns about the decline of honey bees. According to Friends of the Earth, this decline is caused by a loss of their habitat and food while being exposed to pesticides, and the temperature changes of climate change. When an important species like bees decline, it can cause an entire ecosystem to have complications whether an increasing population or declining population in one organism, destroying the habitats of the wildlife residing there. That is why the campaign, “Save the Bees” has made protecting this species a priority as well as a global concern. Recognizing the importance of honey bees may ensure that they thrive in our ecosystem. While most of the general population focuses on a popular topic, saving the bees because of climate change they do not realize they can prevent the loss of bees in climate change by saving the whales. Whales are at the top of the ecological food chain and have importance in all aspects of marine life. They do not only have importance towards marine life, but an important to our fight against climate change, and economical benefits to many countries that appreciate the presence of these beautiful large mammals.

Whales establish themselves in an ecological chain that keeps the marine system equilibrium. Charles Darwin believed that species adapt and change by natural selection with the best-suited mutations becoming dominant. This indicates that if whales become extinct it is because they are unequipped and weak for change therefore, they would not be needed in the ecosystem. According to Whales Online, in the ocean, they serve as predators of smaller fish and prey to other whales, sharks, and even men. This indicates that they face both a dual purpose as predators and as prey. According to Animal Welfare Institute, “Whale falls, according to the scientific literature, create habitat islands, benefiting scavengers like sharks and hagfish, crustaceans, gastropods, bivalves, clams, shrimp, anemones, bacteria, and a litany of other marine organisms, including some species heretofore unknown… In addition to storing carbon, whale carcasses feed an array of marine and terrestrial species. When whales strand on land, bears, other mammals, scavenging birds, and marine and terrestrial invertebrates benefit from the massive windfall of food and nutrients and, in turn, expand the nutrient flow from the sea to land.” Therefore when whales die, their carcasses sink and serve as nourishment to organisms that decompose them. This explains that even when the whale carcass strands on land there is still some type of benefit regardless if their carcass sinks or not. As whales are at the top of the food chain, any decrease or increase in their population is an indication of a change in the ecosystem. This indicates that whales are a significant part of the food chain in abling to give other organisms survival in their own species. Whales should be sustained because of the positive effects given to the marine ecological system that always maintains balance in the life cycle of a whale. For example, whalefacts.org states, “When one species of animal that is important to the food chain dies it allows other species to thrive.” When a predator such as whales, are not part of an ecosystem anymore, other species do not benefit because it leads to populations which leads to competition. Whales play an important role because without them there will be a surplus or lack of certain species because of an unbalanced ecosystem. According to the Animal Welfare Institute, “By the time a global moratorium on commercial whaling, approved by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), went into effect in 1986, scientists estimated that whale numbers had plummeted from 66 to 90 percent of their pre-whaling abundance, with some populations, like blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere, declining by 99 percent. While the moratorium remains intact today—saving countless whales—commercial and “scientific” whaling continues, with Iceland, Norway, and Japan killing more than 43,000 whales since 1986. A previously ignored consequence of the slaughter was that it prevented whales from fulfilling their evolutionary role in the ecosystem. In every ecosystem, every native species has a role in the ecology of their habitat, from the smallest microorganisms to the most dominant predator. In a properly functioning ecosystem, they collaborate in a symbiotic dance that maximizes productivity and abundance within nature’s parameters.” (Paragraph 4, Animal Institute Welfare). This indicates that the lack of whales in 1986, unraveled the marine ecosystem which only proves if we do not protect the whales now we will face the same issue when it is far too late. If we protect the whales and allowed them to breed, it would help decrease carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere.

The main reason why the general population needs to focus on whales is that they can help fight against climate change. Even though, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about an increase of 30 percent. This increase is the result of humans emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which allows more carbon to be absorbed into the oceans. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the upper layer of the oceans is increasing by about 2 billion tons per year. According to the International Monetary Fund, whales can help can limit greenhouse gases and global warming. The act of carbon dioxide released into the Earth’s atmosphere contributes to global warming that threatens future life on the planet. Whales can help with the limit of greenhouse gases because of the amount of carbon dioxide consumed within one single whale with the additional help of phytoplankton. According to Google, “Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community and a key part of oceans, seas, and freshwater basin ecosystems.” Therefore instead of carbon being released into the ocean first hand it is stored with the whales and phytoplankton. Phytoplankton lives at the top of the water column, as far down as the sunlight can penetrate which works almost the same way as photosynthesis. Where whales are phytoplankton will be produced. There are two ways phytoplankton stimulates growth. National Geographic states, “… whales, help sequester carbon in a few ways. They hoard it in their fat and protein-rich bodies, stockpiling tons of carbon apiece like giant…whales feed on tiny marine organisms like plankton and krill in the ocean’s depths before surfacing to breathe, poop, and pee—and the latter activities release an enormous plume of nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, into the water. So-called poo-games stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, marine algae that pull carbon out of the air via photosynthesis.” (Paragraph 6, National Geographic). Whales and phytoplankton help each other and the planet fight against climate change because phytoplankton alone captures 40 percent of the world’s CO2 and contributes to 50 percent of the world’s oxygen to the atmosphere, and as stated above wherever whales are phytoplankton grows. National Geographic also states, “When a whale dies and its carcass descends to the bottom of the sea, that stored carbon is taken out of the atmospheric cycle for hundreds to thousands of years, a literal carbon sink…” When they die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean; each great whale sequesters 33 tons of CO2 on average, taking that carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries. A tree, meanwhile, absorbs only up to 48 pounds of CO2 a year.” (Paragraph 6, International Monetary Fund). As stated above, one whale can sequester 33 tons of CO2 on average which does not include the extra amount of CO2 phytoplankton sequester. Even a one percent increase in phytoplankton productivity because of an increase in whale productivity would capture hundreds of millions of tons of additional CO2 a year which is equivalent to the consumption of 2 billion mature trees. While one whale accumulates 33 tons of CO2 on average in one lifetime it does do a better job than thousands of trees, it should indicate that the Earth would have a better chance of limiting greenhouse gases by sustaining and breeding more whales. The breeding and protection of whales would help lessen the amount of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere, but that does not mean that they should stop planting trees. It would add a benefit for both to sequester carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere. As stated, whales can help the earth by limiting greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, but they also help economies globally.

Whales help economies globally by helping jobs for the unemployed, money to economists, and joy to tourists. Although, there are many short-term and long-term effects on the habitat where vessels go whale watching. According to the International Whaling Commission, Pinnacle Travel states, “Whale watching as an organized activity dates back to 1950 when the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego was declared a public spot for the observation of Gray Whales. In 1955 the first water-based whale watching commenced in the same area, charging customers $1 per trip to view the whales at closer quarters.” Since 1950, whale watching has brought jobs for the unemployed, money to economists, and joy to tourists, therefore whale watching has been a success since then and prices are rising every year. According to the International Whaling Commission, “Whale watching tourism is rapidly growing around the world, estimated to generate over 2 billion US dollars and provide employment for over 13,000 people in 2009. A number of coastal communities have been transformed by the introduction of whale-watching tourism, such as Kaikoura, New Zealand, where annual visitor numbers rose from 3,400 to an estimated 873,000 over a period of roughly 10 years. Whale watching also makes significant and long-term contributions to employment and the economy in Scotland, and many other coastal communities around the world where whale watching is growing more rapidly than other forms of tourism…” Overall, whale watching brings in money economically worldwide, especially to industries that attract tourists. Whale watching does not only bring entertainment, but it also brings education and research to those who are trying to study marine life or whales in general. According to the International Whaling Commission it also states, “…generating income and employment in coastal communities, responsible whale watching that includes an educational element has the potential to foster an appreciation for wildlife in its natural habitat and raise awareness of whale and dolphin conservation needs among participating tourists. These inspired tourists may become active proponents of environmental and conservation actions.” Whale watching brings employment and income to areas that provide whale watching. Whale watching usually intrigues those who enjoy wildlife either involved with education or deciding to become activists of environmental and conservation actions. While whales do bring many benefits in the aspect of conserving them, there are many individuals who believe that whales are a burden, and are used for benefits in death.

Throughout the centuries, most whale species have been endangered such as; the blue whale, humpback whale, and the North Atlantic right whale. According to LeisurePro, these are the three whale species that were nearly hunted to extinction in 1970. Although, there is a benefit for whale deaths in the need for many items such as; oil, blubber, and meat which was used to produce a variety of materials such as Oil – Lamp oil, soap, perfume, candles, and cosmetics. Food – Cooking oil, margarine, and whale meat. Clothing – corsets and umbrellas. These species are easier to hunt for these materials which is why they are a main target and were put on the brink of extinction. These three were one of the many species under the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970, and again in the Endangered Species Act in 1973. According to WorldWildLife.org, threats to whales are industries, commercial whaling, and climate change. Industries along the coast that affect whales or their habitats are impacted between ships, exposed fishing gear, and ocean pollution. Shipping activity by oil rigging and gas development causes noise that can disrupt or even damage whales’ hearing which can prevent whales from moving into their migratory paths, their critical feeding, and breeding grounds. By the late 1930s, more than 50,000 whales were killed annually. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling because of the lack of whales in the ocean. The United States and other International Whaling Commission member countries have tried for years to persuade Iceland to end its commercial whaling—which includes hunting of the endangered fin whale—as it undermines the effectiveness of the IWC’s commercial whaling ban. In 2011, after pressure from WWF and others, the US government officially declared Iceland in defiance of the IWC ban. Although no sanctions were implemented, the President urged Iceland to cease its commercial whaling activities. In 2013, Iceland resumed its fin whale hunt. Climate change is a threat to these huge mammals because warming oceans and loss of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic can affect the habitats and food of whales. Large patches of tiny plants and animals that they feed on will likely move or change in abundance as climate change alters seawater temperature, winds, and ocean currents. These changes can mean whales such as humpbacks and blues may have to migrate much further to reach feeding grounds, leaving them with less time to forage for food. The shift in food availability due to climate fluctuations has already hurt the reproductive rates of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. We need to; reduce industrialized industries along the coast which affect their habitats, ban commercial whaling globally to fulfill the balance of the ecosystem, and reduce pollution and waste. Reducing and limiting such activities towards whale killings will allow their population to thrive, and help with the benefits stated previously.

The availability of water proved to be of critical concern as the American Western frontier began to become settled and its natural resources became developed. While California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, and later when the first Americans started heading westward, the initial newcomers circumvented this problem by setting up homesteads and settlements near the sparsely located rivers and freshwater springs that dotted the landscape. This style of sporadic settlement by ranchers and farmers was able to maintain for a short period of time. However, this predated the 1848 discovery of gold in Coloma California at Sutter Mill, January 24, 1848, by James W. Marshall. This event reshaped the landscape of California both literally and figuratively. “The 1848 California discovery of gold caused an upheaval in the pattern of isolated communities separated by vast tracks of arid and semi-arid lands. Led by miners lusting for gold, westerners began to settle away from naturally existing water supplies” (Littlefield p.1). This eventually ignited a conflict that would last far longer than anyone could have anticipated. The Gold Rush marks the inception of the ‘water wars’ that have dominated California’s environmental politics ever since, due to the imbalance in where water resources (and people) are located in the state.

Shortly after James W. Marshall found that yellow metal at Sutter Mill, mass immigration the likes of which were almost incomprehensible descended upon California. What was once a thriving agricultural and largely pastoral economy ceased to exist almost overnight. Newcomers from all around the world sold everything they had and headed westward to try their hands at becoming rich. “Our best guess is that the non-native population of California rose from around 14,000 in mid-1848, to nearly 100,000 by the end of 1849, a figure that rose to one quarter million by the time a special census was taken in 1852” (Kanazawa p.4). The sudden influx of the new gold mining industry put an enormous amount of strain on the already short California water supply. Gold production and gold mining techniques require an exorbitant amount of water to function, water that California just couldn’t spare. Not surprisingly, when the demand for a product is so extremely high, and the supply is finite and dwindling, it resulted in a skyrocket in the value of local water. Because of this, a need for regulations, sanctions, and legal rules needed to be established to “protect” and define individuals’ property rights and water rights claims for the first time. This constituted the inception of the so-called “water wars” in California. It is no secret in California that the issue of water, where it’s coming from, where it’s going to, and how it’s going to get there has been of major concern since immediately after the Gold Rush of 1848.

To this day, the “water wars” and concerns over water rights and regulations have permeated nearly every facet of California’s environmental politics, and you would be hard-pressed to find an election that didn’t cover the water issue in California in some capacity. Following the gold rush in 1848, one event in particular really serves as a microcosm of what the ‘water wars’ are, and have become. Los Angeles, at the time of its founding in late September 1781, was just a small unassuming settlement in southern California. Los Angeles from the beginning was reliant on its own river system to provide water to the newly settled town. The river was dammed and channels were constructed to provide adequate water coverage and irrigation to the residence. Things changed, however, as the city began to grow it was clear that the river just couldn’t provide for a city that was flourishing into what would become a major American metropolis. This is where the precursors to “war” really begin to take shape. “It is a story of ideals rich in conflict, rich with incidents of great daring, deceit, achievement, betrayal and faith” (Kahrl p.1). The city leaders of Los Angeles had real aspirations of Los Angeles becoming a west coast metropolis. But, starting in 1900 until 1902 Los Angeles experiences a series of crippling droughts. These droughts served as urgent reminders that the problem of water needed to be solved before L. A could even think about being considered a metropolis going forward. With this in mind, the city of Los Angeles decided to try and remedy the situation. Up until this time, the water supply system had been controlled by a private entity called the ‘Los Angeles City Water Company’.

In 1902, the city of L.A. decided to buy the Los Angeles City Water Company and converted it into the newly formed Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The new L. A Department of Water and Power absorbed and decided to keep the pre-existing head of the Los Angeles City Water Company William Mulholland. Two years later, the newly established ‘Board of Water Commissioners’ contracted Mulholland and a few other engineers to find or create possible new water sources that could sufficiently provide for the great Los Angeles area. After considerable deliberation, Mulholland landed in the Owens Valley area. Mulholland estimated that the Owens River if diverted could serve as the primary water source for all of Los Angeles. The Owens River area was a location that had not been passed over when early surveyors looked at possible prospects for areas of economic development in California. William E. Smythe, ‘the first executive secretary of the National Irrigation Congress, editor of Irrigation Age, and author of the seminal history of the American reclamation movement, The Conquest of Arid America’ surveyed the California landscape in early 1900 and commented that he saw zero “future for Los Angeles and other communities on the South Coast”(Kahrl p.10). Furthermore, he commented of the Owens River area that it was an “area holding special promise for the state’s future economic growth” (Kahrl p.11). Smythe estimated that the Owens River area would become home to hundreds of thousands of residents in the coming century and be the epicenter of a “manifold industrial life”. Smythe was not alone in his optimism about the Owens River area, most notably the majority of federal engineers and irrigation specialists from the United States Reclamation service all shared the same positive outlook aspirations for the Owens Valley. However, William Mulholland of Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power had entirely different plans for the Owens Valley.

The Owens Valley presented a unique dichotomy between beautiful untouched green land situated in a virtual desert, while still being as Clausen (a University of California graduate and surveyor for the Reclamation Project) commented that the area was “barely removed from the frontier… the streets of Bishop, the main town, were still muddy tracks and for many residents, this was still a ‘country of Lost Borders [where] not the law but the lands set the limits’’(Kahrl p.29). It was a rugged and wild place where lynchings were common until 1908. Despite all of this, Clausen wrote back to his superiors and urged them to immediately drop all other courses of action, and devote all of their effort, time, and money to the Owens River area. While it is flattering that so many people took interest in the Owens River area the residents of Owens River had different plans for their water supply. This is where the real conflict starts to arise, the Owens River valley residents were majority farmers, and ranchers and the economy was mostly agricultural. At the same time the Mulholland was navigating and negotiating a way to somehow claim the valleys river water and divert it to Los Angeles, the Owens Valley residents were seeking federal funding from the Bureau of Reclamation for a public irrigation project in the region. Fred Eaton, Mulholland’s former boss and Mayor of Los Angeles devised a scheme to bring the water from the Owens Valley directly to Los Angeles. “This was an idea that he had borrowed from two private surveys in 1885 and 1891 which had shown it would be technically possible to construct a canal running 235 miles between the two regions in which water would flow entirely by gravity” (Kahrl p.33). Eaton had been promoting this idea ad nauseum to Mulholland and anyone else who would listen.

The Reclamation Service had heard of his idea, but like the officials in Washington, they too wrote it off as just another pipe dream to somehow bring water to Los Angeles that ‘self-proclaimed” experts on the South Coast have been spouting off for years. Eaton shifted his idea to convince the city of Los Angeles to construct an Aqueduct to the Owens Valley River. He originally proposed an aqueduct that would be capable of carrying “twenty thousand miner’s inches of water, half of which would go to the city for domestic use under a long-term contract; the balance was to be distributed by Eaton himself to irrigators and private companies outside the city limits” (Kahrl p. 45). As fate would have it, the announcement of the Reclamation Project in the Owens Valley appeared to undermine and destroy all of the work that Eaton had put in over the course of ten long years. In a last-ditch attempt to somehow remedy the situation, Eaton went back to Los Angeles and convinced his longtime friend and associate Mulholland to set off with him in secret to the Owens Valley to convince him that this was the only suitable water supply capable of supply Los Angeles before it was reclaimed for agriculture. When the two men returned from there on a secret trip to the Owens River Valley, they both concluded that building an aqueduct from Owens River to Los Angeles was the best course of action. Using Eaton, who was the mayor of Los Angeles from 1898-1900 long list of extensive political contacts as well as the occasional kickback/bribe and back channel deals secured enough of the land and water rights in the valley to effectively block the irrigation plans proposed by the Owens residents.

By 1908 funding and loans had been secured and construction began. 4,000 laborers and construction workers descended into the valley to take on what would become the world’s largest aqueduct. 233 miles of water had been routed from the Owens river through a series of channels, canals, and tunnels onto a spillway in the San Fernando Valley. Mulholland of course gained national fame and attention for his design of the aqueduct, as the whole 233 miles were gravity fed, an unheard-of construction feat. in 1913 at the time of the aqueduct’s completion the estimated population of Los Angeles was around 300,000 residents. The water provided was enough for millions more and lead to the explosive growth of Los Angeles as a western metropolis. Not everything was happy-go-lucky, however. The residents of the Owens River Valley saw their farms, ranches, pastures, and waterways all but shrivel up and dry out. Growing more and more frustrated seeing their precious liquid resource being diverted and dumped into the San Fernando Valley, protestors took action. In 1924 and 1927 a series of bombings along the aqueduct occurred lending, even more, credence to the term “water wars”. All of this culminated from the 1848 discovery of gold in California which inundated the area with millions of people and forced those in charge to somehow, someway provide enough water to the exploding numbers of residents. The 1848 discovery of gold in Coloma, California didn’t just lay the foundation for the “water wars” of the last century. The “water wars” are alive today and still permeate California legislation and environmental politics.

Former California Governor Jerry Brown in his years of service to California has been dealing with the “water war” since entering into office. In Brown’s 2016 “state of the state” speech he is quoted as saying “water goes to the heart of what California is and what it has been over centuries”. Under Jerry Brown the ‘water wars’ heated due in part to his 2016 16-billion-dollar plan to build two tunnels underneath the Delta to transfer water from northern California to southern California, which sounds familiar. The governor ensured everyone that his new plan would ensure a reliable water supply while not affecting the Delta’s ecosystem, however, not everyone agreed with Mr. Brown. Congressmen John Garamendi has been fighting against this proposal from Jerry Brown since the 1970s. Garamendi in an interview with VICE responds in opposition to Brown’s proposal “you want to build a system that would destroy the largest estuary on the west coast of the western hemisphere. It’s the North vs. The South, it’s the war of water in California and it’s been going on since the Gold Rush and it’s continuing to this day”. In even more recent examples of the California water wars, our current Governor of California, Governor Newsome has had to answer some tough questions and critics in response to his dealings with the war on California’s water. In a very recent article published by “USA Today” titled California’s Water War Reignited in April of 2020, while the state and world are being changed daily trying to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, “one aspect of life in California appears immune to change: the state’s perennial war over water”.

Among other promises, Newsome ran on the promise to restore and revitalize California’s water delivery system and put an end once and for all to the ongoing water wars. However, three of the most powerful groups in California water sued the state this week over Newsom’s April 2020 plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of California’s complex water delivery network. These serve as examples to illustrate that the water war is something that has been ongoing since the Gold Rush of 1848. Water itself has been at the heart of California since its inception, and the fight to control the water has been a major issue in California politics that persists to this day. There is an old saying out west that goes “Steal my horse, carry off my wife, but don’t touch my water”. For California, I don’t think there has ever been a quote that encapsulated the state and its essence more than that. The 1848 California discovery of gold caused an upheaval in the pattern of isolated communities separated by vast tracks of arid and semi-arid lands. Led by miners lusting for gold, westerners began to settle away from naturally existing water supplies” (Littlefield p.1). While California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, and later when the first settlers began heading westward, the availability of water was a question that loomed heavily on their minds. Even at that time water scarcity was already a clear and present issue.

The newcomers to California circumvented this problem by setting up outposts, towns, and settlements near riverways and freshwater springs. This style of permanent and semi-permanent residency worked for a time as the state provided just enough freshwater to sustain them. The little rainfall and water that California did provide were enough for the sporadically dotted villages and towns near the state’s riverways. However, that was a short-lived luxury by the time James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter Mill in 1848. In just four short years California saw its population go from about 14,000 people in 1848 to nearly 250,000 in 1852. That type of strain on the state’s natural resources and ecosystem had to reach a breaking point, and it did. Since then, men, mayors, organizations, corporations, and conglomerates have been fighting over the most precious resource California has to offer, water. It is no secret that he who controls the water in California controls California itself. As a source told Marc Reisner, author of Cadillac Desert in California “water flows uphill toward money”. The more I researched this topic the more disheartened I became at the results. As I read reports and sources from 1848 clear on to the present, one common thread ran through every single article, newspaper clipping, interview, and archival report I could get my hands on, and that was money. Before I thought this was a “war” that could be won. Now I don’t think it can be. The amount of money tied up in preserving who gets the water, how its distributed, and when is just too fiscally lucrative to give up. The reality is that the San Joaquin Valley Farmers control the interest of the water in the state which is essentially one company, Paramount Farms. The owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick use more water than anyone else in the state of California, including the entirety of Los Angeles. That stat is so mind-boggling it’s hard to even attempt to wrap your mind around it. Taking a step back a bit and looking at California’s “water war” it seems like a new name for an ages-old struggle. A precious resource with an incredible demand and a finite and ever-diminishing supply. California isn’t getting a major influx of rainwater any time soon, in fact, studies show California trending towards another long drought season. The “water war” will inevitably continue as the population, demand, and cost value continue to rise each coming year. I remain optimistic, but realistic in my pessimistic view of our “war” here in California. This research project provided me with an opportunity to delve deep into a subject I would have otherwise never researched on my own. It helped round out my view of California the resources and the residents who reside here. It has piqued my interest to look into this subject matter further and given me the resources to do so. A successful project or assignment in my mind is one that encourages the student to go beyond just what is required and engage and interact with the material and this research paper created an atmosphere to do just that.

Significance and Impacts

Natural resource depletion is one of the crucial current environmental problems faced worldwide. Fossil fuel consumption emits greenhouse gases responsible for global warming and climate change. As of now, the global population is 7.2 billion and growing. However, at the current demand, Earth’s resources are only enough for 2 billion people. If we do the math, we are using more than what Earth has for us, and this situation is deteriorating day as our global population is bound to increase as time passes.

The Top 3 natural resources that are being depleted right now are water, oil, and our forests. Let’s start off with water. Out of all the water we have on Earth right now, only 2.5% of it is fresh, and to simplify it even further, 70% of that 2.5% fresh water is frozen. This, really shows how precious water is to us. What will we drink without water? The answer to this question remains unsolved to this date. And among that 30% of the non-frozen water, a mere 10% is used for our consumption. Of the remaining 90%, a whopping 70% is used in agriculture and 20% is used in industries. As our population continues to increase, it is believed that feeding a planet of 9 billion people will require an estimated 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a 15 percent increase in water withdrawals by 2050.

Secondly, oil is also important to us. Without it, nothing can be moved, manufactured, transported, built, planted, mined, or harvested. Oil reverses are a non-renewable resource, amounting to 40% of the energy we use. According to EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), it shows that we have enough oil that only lasts for 25 more years.

Finally, our forests are also depleting due to increased deforestation. An estimated 18 million acres of forests are destroyed each year and as we speak, half of the world’s forest has been cleared. Deforestation contributes 12 to 17% of carbon dioxide daily and by removing the trees, there will be fewer trees that take in carbon dioxide. It produces the oxygen we breathe and is also a habitat for millions of species.

Solutions

Natural resource depletion is anthropogenic in nature. For the solution to the problem let’s dive deeper into the word “anthropogenic” in particular. On Google, it is defined as (chiefly environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity. In the recent century, the human population has been using natural resources at a historic high rate. If we do not limit our usage right now and waste our existing resources irresponsibly, I cannot imagine how future generations would have to suffer because of how selfish we are. For water and oil, businesses handling them should try to minimize wastage as much as possible. At the personal level, we can save water by changing our bad habits that using up a lot of water. An example of a bad habit would be bathing more than thrice a day. It’s also not always about wasting. Adopting habits that allow us to conserve water like recycling used water from washing machines to wash the toilet can really help a lot, even if it doesn’t mean anything to you.

For oil, nuclear energy can serve as a good substitute. Nuclear power provides clean energy to power the grid by using fission, which splits atoms of molecules apart. From a small amount of fuel, nuclear power produces a large amount of energy for electricity and its onsite fuel source lasts up to 18 months. A byproduct of nuclear power is waste, which must be carefully managed because it is temporarily radioactive. By reprocessing nuclear waste, a plant can recover up to 95% of otherwise wasted uranium and plutonium. Reprocessing also reduces the long-term radioactivity and the volume of waste by up to 90%. To summarize, nuclear energy is renewable, and it can help reduce the rapid depletion of oil.

For the forests, because agriculture needs to increase in response to our growing population, we can’t really stop cutting down trees completely. A solution to this would be planting trees in cities to mitigate the effects of deforestation.

Thoughts+Reflection

I am shocked that our natural resources are depleting. I have learned a lot about the problems Earth has after researching this assignment. I know that there are lots of other new and challenging environmental problems that we face right now, and I believe if each of us took a step to conserve the environment, the Earth would not be facing so many problems today.

I have learned to be grateful for what I have in daily life. Whatever I consume comes from farms, which are built by clearing space in the forests. I can finally appreciate how precious water is.

Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and it is implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Every country has its own target to hit. I really feel that with the Kyoto Protocol in place, every country should play a part in conserving Earth, our shared homeland. It shouldn’t just be one country participating, but all of us. USA for example is a country that didn’t sign the protocol for its own development. I truly see this as being very selfish and self-centered.