Strain On Earth's Most Vital Resources

Among all of the resources in the world, there is one that we do not often consider to be diminishing. The masses take this resource, water, for granted. When the average person takes a single look at a world map, they see multiple blue oceans covering the Earth. But, although we are surrounded by water, our clean water reserves dwindle rapidly. In her article, “Water Works”, Cynthia Barnett attempts to bring this issue to greater light and offers her own solutions. While I agree with many of Barnett’s points, she fails to look at the arguments of her detractors to the detriment of her already flawed case.

Did you know many upper respiratory diseases such as asthma and others diseases like cataracts and skin cancer are aggravated by air pollution. The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) states that “the following air pollutants are common triggers of asthma, ground level ozone, sulfur dioxide, fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxide.” Air pollution is the presence in or introduction into the air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects.

First, Gross argues that if we stopped wasting resources, it would contribute significantly to sustainability for the US alone. For Instance, in response to a water crisis, California used 31 percent less water than it did back in July of 2013. He says this “shows that great leaps in conservation are possible with comparatively little upfront investment” (Gross). The fact stands that water is plentiful and extremely cheap, but also a valuable resource. Similarly, Gross urges us to keep the same

Collectively the United States is ranked as the greatest consumers of water worldwide; a startling fact for a country that cannot support its own unrivaled demands (Barlow, 2007). The United States is now crucially dependent on nonrenewable groundwater for a staggering 50% of its daily water usage (Barlow, 2007). In addition to such formidable numbers, citizens of the United States use and waste up 80-100 gallons or 454 liters of water per day (Perlman, 2009). The United States simply doesn’t possess enough fresh water or renewable sources of water to keep up with its gross demands. Nearly 40% of U.S waters are deemed unsafe for recreational activities such as fishing and even swimming

Water is a fundamental resource necessary for all life on Earth. Humanity would be extinct without it. People think there is an unlimited supply of water, however there is not. The overuse of water is a problem that needs to be stopped. Society needs to learn to live in a more sustainable way. If humanity continues to overuse Earth’s natural resources the way it does today, the Earth will run dry. To prevent the depletion of water, people need to be aware of their impact on the environment and live sustainably. By controlling the population, limiting fossil fuel usage, and stopping greed, the depletion of water can be prevented.

Water is a basic requirement for all life, yet water resources are facing more and more demands from, and competition among, users. President Kennedy has expressed the crisis of water in the above said lines so beautifully. According to World Water Council “While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth - coupled with industrialization and urbanization - will result in an increasing

Everyone in the New York metropolitan area breathes air that fails to meet the health standards, and citizens suffer serious health impact from breathing that dirty air. The relationship between air pollution and health affects everyone. Air pollution is constantly affecting people and putting them at sick, even though the degree of pollution is not at its highest. The public health significance of smoke, dust, gas, pollen, and microorganisms in the air are with a range of adverse health effects. These diseases spread and cause new disease to originate. Exposure to common urban air link to a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, asthma exacerbation, reduced lung function and premature death.

The Clean Air Act enforces several programs that protect public health by regulating emission of hazardous air pollutants. These programs focus on many factors designed to improve public health and the environment. One focus includes the reduction of outdoor air pollutants that are responsible for causing acid rain, haze, smog, and other issues. Another requires the progressive elimination of production and use of chemicals proven responsible for depletion of the stratospheric ozone. The CAA also aims to reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants that are suspected or known to cause detrimental health effects, including asthma and cancer. The most serious health risks are associated with two of the six common pollutants: particles and ozone. The efforts of the CAA have led to drastic improvements in the levels of these two pollutants. Between 1980 and 2012, the EPA found that national concentrations of ozone improved by 25%. Particle concentrations began being measured in 2000, and it was found that between 2000 and 2012, fine particle concentrations improved 37% and coarse particle concentrations improved 27% (2015). Due to these improvements, Americans inhale lower amounts of dangerous pollutants, which led to the prevention of 205,000 premature deaths solely in the year 1990 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Environmental issues have been a big problem since the 70’s, we were warned that if we continued to treat the planet as we already were, and there would be consequences not only on the planet but humans as well. Human beings are continuously destroying the planet and in the process wasting water; yet demanding that we have fresh water for everyone. “By 2050, the global population will demand roughly 80 percent more energy and 55 percent more water than today” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adnan-z-amin/the-intersection-of-water_b_8031834.html.) Water covers about 75 percent of the earth and this gets divided into ponds, lakes and rivers. If humans were to lose water as a resource that would have a huge effect on a great many things. We would

America is a nation where resources are often time taken for granted. For instance, water. Water is often time taken for granted because it is viewed as an unlimited resource. Water is a natural resource that decreases daily. This decrease is caused by carelessness, which may cause it to become very scarce shortly. Whether Americans are aware or not, water is wasted in most of our daily activities. There are several ways America wastes water.

Each day a surface as large as a tennis court is exposed to a volume of air and contaminants that would fill a swimming pool1. While the human body has amazing capabilities to filter these contaminants many however are able to transverse these barriers and deposit within the lungs. The mere accumulation of particulates can impair breathing, cause injury, infiltrate the body’s circulation, or alter cellular function2. Thus in the end can exacerbate current pulmonary conditions such as lung disease or give rise to a number of pulmonary aliments2.

Asthma is a global health concern that is increasing in epidemic proportions. Since 1980, asthma has increased in prevalence by more than 75%, and children appear to be disproportionately affected1. Allergic asthma is an IgE-mediated disorder characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation, infiltration of immune cells (especially eosinophils), airway hyper-responsiveness and mucus overproduction. Common symptoms of allergic asthma include coughing, wheezing, and dypsnea. Allergic asthma has been linked to genetic and environmental factors, and its prevalence is increased in areas of high air pollution. Epidemiological studies have shown increased

Why should we care about water consumption? From 1991 to 1999, residential water use in Canada increased by 21%. Today, Canadian rank as the world’s second highest per capita water use, with an average use of 329 litres of water per person per day. However, only … liters are really “needed” for proper living. Even scarier is that the water crisis is the #1 global risk based on impact to society (as a measure of devastation), as announced by the World Economic Forum in January 2015.

When referring to Arizona’s water Kris Mayes, chairwoman of the state’s utility regulatory panel once said, “How do you say just how valuable water is in an arid state like Arizona?” she said. “It’s like the credit-card commercial-it’s priceless” (McKinnon). She was right, because in a dry state like Arizona, water is pretty important. To say water is ‘pretty important’ for the world is an understatement. We use water to function. And when we think of water we think of saving it. Keep the faucets from dripping or turn off the water while brushing your teeth. There are numerous tips for water conservation, but people don’t often think of the damage that is already done. Damages like ‘dead zones’. Dead zones in the ocean have been around for

In today’s society, the idea of a limited resource is not a foreign concept. Most people understand that eventually humans will use up many of these resources, such as fossil fuels, and they will cease to exist. However, very rarely does a conversation about limited resources get started over the water. While water itself is not a limited resource, clean drinkable water is becoming scarcer as people continue to use excess water. The documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” highlights how precious water is to survival and just how much miss use of water occurs in the United States alone. Even though the United States has gone down the wrong path with its water consumption methods, it may not be too late to recover. With the proper systems and education in place, the chances of delaying a water crisis increase exponentially.