Flint's Water Crisis Analysis

The article I decided to use to showcase conflict theory in the news is that of Flint Michigan’s water crisis because after thinking about the concept of conflict theory and the way it plays in our society by benefitting those in power while at the expense of those without power and wealth. Couldn’t help but think of this specific story because the residents were coerced and guided by those in power to believe that the water they were using and drinking was safe for consumption, but in truth was tainted with high levels of total coliform bacteria and lead. It all occurred when the city switched its major water supply despite complaints about the Flint River water, the government misled the residents about the safety of the water in order save

As Doidge et al. illustrate, the historical background of Flint City’s drinking water supply emanated from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. This was through a contractual basis for over three decades, and its main source of water was Lake Huron. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is an extensive system encompassing almost 1,080 square-miles, and provides to more than two fifths of the Michigan State population. In the year 2000 alone, the system covered 11,000 miles of water channels with a storage volume of about 360 million gallons. It supplied water to nearly four million people in Detroit and its metropolitan locale.

According to Data USA, the population of Flint Michigan in 2014 was 99,802. 41.2% of the population in Flint, MI live below the poverty line, a number that high higher than the national average of 14.7%. Households in Flint, have a median annual income of $24,862 which is less than the median annual income in the United States. 61.1% of the population is black or African American. (Data USA, 2015). A third of the population live in poverty and a sixth of the houses are even abandoned. Flint River, Flint Michigan’s primary water source has been known to be of poor quality, having a history of contamination from fecal coliform bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, plants nutrients, and toxic substances. In 2001 there was 134 state ordered

I watch or read the news pretty regularly, but I only watch news which has the traits that I value most. The news to me isn’t about being entertained, it is about learning, in an unbiased, clear, and concise way. Other television shows can entertain, but the news should be reserved for information relevant to people’s everyday lives, allowing them to make informed decisions. I feel this way because I don’t like when a news source is pushing a hidden agenda. I look for a fair telling of both sides of the story. I also feel that because I stay relatively busy, I think it is insulting that the news would choose to waste my time with extraneous background information, off topic statements, or articles over 1,000 words. Most importantly though, It needs to be clear, if I can’t understand it, it’s the worst kind of news, no news. I have chosen three articles regarding the Flint Michigan water crisis to evaluate based on my criteria. One from CNN titled, “Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan, Draws Federal Investigation,” written by Greg Botelho, Sarah Jorgenson, & Joseph Netto, which focuses on the investigation but also background into the crisis. The next article I have chosen an article from the New York Times (NYT). This article titled, “As Water Problems Grew, Officials Belittled Complaints From Flint.” From the contributions of writers, Julia Bosman, Monica Davey, & Mitch Smith. I chose this article from other ones, because this article primarily focuses on politics like who

In Flint Michigan studies show there was a large amount of lead in the water , because of this high turbidity in the water witch means this water is dangerous.

In “Flint’s Water Crises: What went wrong,” Ryan Felton appeals to logic to persuade his readers that the Flint Water Crises could have been prevented because he stated that “As early as October 2014, there were problematic signs.” These signs were when General Motors engine plant stopped using Flint’s water because the engines were becoming rusty. There were also some independent studies that showed that the water contained some compounds that can cause kidney or liver issues an example, “Tests also revealed elevated levels of chemical compounds in the water supply that can lead to liver or kidney issues.” yet, officials continued to reassure residents that the water was safe to drink. Studies continued to follow that shows the water headed

I read an article published by NPR about the water crisis still currently happening in Flint, Michigan. The article provides a timeline leading up to the crisis and the backlash it has created in the town. It starts off with Flint city officials deciding whether or not the town can save money by getting their water from another source. To do this they would build their own pipeline and it’s said it would save the town up to $200 million is 25 years. Despite saying the water was safe and clean to use, it still caused a lot of problems. Residents complained about how the water tasted and smelt bad, and General Motors refused to continue using the water because they feared it would cause corrosion and damage to their machines. And instead of testing

In addiction, in many cases when people human right’s is denied they use law as a tool to hold the perpetuators accountable and bring up changes. This is an issue addressed in the article “The Flint Disaster: Why doesn’t black health matter. The lead-poising disaster in Flint is not only a health public issue but it is also practice of discrimination in a community that its predominately black. While there are thousands of people including young children, whose health conditions are worsening because of the lead-poising they get from the water they drink everyday there has been little done to fix this problem. Meanwhile, because this is happening in a black community there less recognition put into the problem. The Flint water crisis is

The Flint water crisis broke newsstands around September 2015. A town exposed to a poisonous level of lead from the drinking water. This was followed by previous problems they have experienced since the switch of water sources in 2014, to save money. The history of the Flint water crisis is complicated and made so by small governmental agencies. The trial for this tragedy is still on going because of the lack of clarity. (Lin) In my opinion Governor Snyder is part to blame.

Recently, the residents of Flint, Michigan experienced a water crisis that caused lead to contaminate the water supply of thousands of people in the city. Although, Flint is a developed city within one of the worlds most successful countries, the water crisis of 2014 rocked the nation to its core, causing us to investigate how safe our drinking water really is and how social inequality continues to plague the country. The old pipes that channeled the water from the Flint River is lined with lead that has gone untreated with anticorrosive for many years. The Flint River is filled with iron which in itself is highly corrosive, but when mixed with lead is doubly hazardous to those who consume the water (CNN). As contaminated water flowed to the

In Flint, Michigan around a couple years ago decided on the worst decision to save money for the state. The state decided to earn money by switching from Detroit's Lake Huron to one of the Rivers most known for its filth, the Flint River. Residents were shocked at the sudden change and started getting worried, this, being long-term residents there it was a fear amoung them . Most were concerned whether it would be safe for the health of everyone due to the fact the the water looked brown until Former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling drank the brown water in front of everyone to prove a point in front local TV. One of them said, “‘You’re paying for poison. I’m paying for water that’s a toxic waste,’ Kelso said” (Ganim, Tran 1) after realizing that

In April of 2014 Flint Michigan endured one of the deadliest crisis that hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina. It was later called “The Flint Water Crisis”, it made headlines everywhere including hashtags on social media and it also got the the attention of celebrities which spread the news all over. It also became one of the

Flint, Michigan is in a state of emergency, but help isn’t coming fast enough. The seepage of lead into drinking water pipes has created a widespread public health crisis, prompting President Obama to declare a federal state of emergency. The problem can be traced back to 2014 when the city started to use the Flint River as its water source. Flint needed an alternative water source until its connecting pipe to KWA was complete, so the city switched to the Flint River. In a summary of the Flint crisis, the New York Times stated, “the switch was made as a cost-saving measure for the struggling, majority-black city. Soon after, residents [began] to complain about the water’s color, taste and odor, and to report rashes and

Imagine living in an area where tap water looked darker than a glass of cola. Imagine living in an area where water that looked and smelled like sewage earned the name of “the most expensive water in the nation.” Imagine living in an area where poisoned and carcinogenic water was unwittingly being sold to residents. This is what the residents of Flint, Michigan have, and are still, facing since 2014. Flint, Michigan, a city earning fourth place on “America’s Most Dangerous Cities” by Forbes.com, is facing trouble distributing clean water to residents, something many Americans take for granted. After a cost-cutting switch from water sources, residents have been bombarded with various health and financial damages.

Did you know that the Flint water crisis affects over thousands of people. The Flint water crisis has been going on since April of 2014. The EPA should have intervened in the Flint water crisis much earlier.