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Lossing-Cann
Cezanne
4/19/16 Craft an essay about the TG plans experience, choosing a creative
Webster and engaging way to tell you story. How did you think globally,
English problem solve locally and act neighborly?

Water Pollution Solutions

Water pollution is a relatively well-known issue that exists all around us. Our
cars leak onto the road, which then washes into rivers. Animal waste runs off into
creeks causing nitrogen levels in bodies of water to skyrocket. The list of issues goes
on, all sharing the damage caused by the pollution of the land and water around us.
Because of these apparent issues that need to be addressed around us and around
the world, my group and I decided to build our project on water pollution to bring it
into the light.
There are close to a billion people on the planet today that do not have access
to clean water. Many of these people live in impoverished nations and often have to
walk miles to retrieve water each day. Along with this lack of access, 80% of the
earths wastewater goes untreated into the ocean. This is an equally large problem
because heavily polluted water leads to dead zones in the oceans, fish containing
large amounts of dangerous chemicals such as mercury, and large areas of garbage
that float on the surface of the ocean, untouched and often eaten by animals that
mistake the garbage for a food source.
In Austin we have similar issues to these. The aquifers absorb the runoff from
the land, which puts many of Austins wildlife in danger such as the famed Barton
creek salamander. Texas has some of the highest amounts of chemical pollution in
the country that goes into the creeks and rivers untreated and later absorbed by
plants and animals (such as humans) that come into contact with them. Although my
group could not immediately address the issue of chemical pollution by our take
action plan, we were able to remove trash from the sides of the creek, which helped
with the aesthetic appeal of the trail and removed some possible run off pollutants.
When surveyed about how much they know about water pollution, 42% of
the respondents claimed they were not well informed on water pollution. Since the
first part of our take action was on a small scale, we decided to add to it by teaching
a class of fourth graders about water pollutions effects on the environment and how
they could help clean up around their house and neighborhood. This provided and
engaging lesson for the students, and helped the community prevent more pollution
that could be prevented.
As we now come to the end of our project there is much that my group and I
have learned on the issues of water pollution as well as ways to solve it. Even
donating to a local organization or volunteering can help fight for the cause. Simple
acts such as cleaning up after your pets, cleaning up litter around your house, and
making sure your car is in check can drastically reduce the chances of pollution in
your area and save you from one more issue with the environment around you.