Water Pollution is the addition of harmful chemicals to natural water. Sources of water pollution in the United States include industrial waste, runoff from fields treated with chemical fertilizers, and run-off from areas that have been mined.(Dictionary.com).The issue of water pollution has a long history around the world. Water Pollution is one of the leading causes of death in Africa and some parts of Asia. For some, such as Africans and Americans, the issue of water pollution has a particular significance to those who are poverty-stricken.Recently the case of Flint, Michigan has drawn attention to the subject of water pollution. This strikes the question of “Is it possible that we are going to run out of water?” , The melancholic truth …show more content…
As water pollution standards mature, environmental impact assessment and pollution accountability will increase. Many stakeholders now assume they have the right to fresh, clean water, and as much of it as they want. Where the water begins to run out, violent confrontations can occur. In Klamath, Oregon—the site of a furious water controversy between farmers, various agencies of the federal and state government, and environmentalists—violence erupted in 2006 as Native American children were assaulted on their school bus by farmers angry at their loss of water. Although the Klamath tribe tried to avoid the controversy, they do have water rights by treaty and law. The farmers’ property rights lawsuit, claiming that they owned the water as a property right, was dismissed in a 57-page opinion in federal court. In 2007, Vice President Dick Cheney was investigated by a House committee to see if he had illegally intervened in this dispute and commanded federal agencies to let agribusiness get the water. The committee was unable to find conclusive proof that Cheney directly gave incriminating orders. In 2010, the governors of Oregon and California, the U.S. secretary of the interior, and leaders of Native American tribes signed an agreement in part establishing water-sharing rights between farmers and fishers.(Hamilton,
The Time article “A High-Plains Showdown Over the Dakota Access Pipeline” by Justin Worland talks about a controversy over a 1,200-mile pipeline stretching from North Dakota to Illinois. The pipeline is called the Dakota Access Pipeline project and is being built by the Energy Transfer Partners company. Some people are outraged by the pipeline because it contributes to man-made climate change. Others are mainly outraged because the Standing Rock Sioux tribe never agreed to the construction of the pipeline. The leaders of the tribe say that “Washington never considered their concerns, as required by the federal law” (Worland).
Initial federal permits, and partnership with affected tribes, were treated as a “check the box” exercise. Nowhere was there a careful analysis of how much the Missouri River crossing threatened water quality and tribal treaty rights. Nowhere was there a thoughtful public discussion of whether a new major oil pipeline should be placed in a river providing drinking water to 17 million people. And one had to pore over hundreds of pages of technical data to learn that the original route of the pipeline crossed the river just north of Bismarck, N.D. — a capital city that is nearly 90 percent white — and was moved to Standing Rock only when regulators expressed concern over the risk of a spill to the city’s water
As Native Americans are fearful that will lack clean water, they also fear additional problems. Their culture is disrespected and not taken accounted for. Many individuals protested to keep the pipeline project from finishing. Protesters been violated throughout expressing their freedom speech. In the article, “Here’s What’s Happening with the Dakota Access Pipeline Protest”, By Mahita Gajanan.
I’m sitting in my room in my house in Washington and all of a sudden I hear a knock on the door. It’s the government and they said that they will be digging up my backyard for an environmentally friendly piece of equipment. Sounds absurd, right? Well, this is what happening in the Dakotas to Native Americans.
On the shores of the Attawapiskat Lake, about 18 hours north west of Barrie, lies the band of the Neskantaga First Nations, where only a portion of the population remains. The other portion leave, because of the large amounts of poverty and the isolation. This First Nations Community has been under a water boil advisory for over 20 years. Their current water filtration system hasn’t worked since 1995, and even when it did work it removed sand and grit, but left in harmful chemicals. The government gives the Neskantaga people $250,000 annually, which goes towards running a water treatment system that continuously tests positive for harmful chemicals after being filtered.
When she read this quote she was reminded of the time she had to brave the cold winters in Abilene where the school had been closed for a long time but had to attend once the work had started to stockpile. In the end of our discussion we concluded that water is extremely important for everyone living in Texas as it provides us with life
The top priority of the Senators is clearly not the lives of the Navajo and the Hopi, but rather the “powerful mining and energy corporations” (Bencenti 1). What is more disturbing is that the corporations that Senators Kyl and McCain show interest to are one of the reasons why the water that the Navajo and Hopi tribes used to have access to is no longer readily available. According to Brian H. Hurd’s powerpoint “Who Owns Water? Water in the Southwest States,” a water right is the right to divert and use water beneficially. While it is hard to determine whether or not water is being used beneficially amongst the Southwest states, I would argue that the way the Senators claim to use the water that belongs to the Hopi and Navajo tribes is not beneficial.
The government’s mishaps don’t stop with casinos. The Sioux do not deserve for their water to be contaminated. Originally the government intended for the pipeline to pass through Bismarck, yet the risk of contamination in states capitol lead to relocation through reservations (Sidder). Unlike the BP oil spill that affected many animals, an oil spill of the North Dakota Access Pipeline would affect humans. We are to question are federal laws protecting indigenous land doing their justice?
As Kitson (2009) notes, "the hydropower projects, in many ways, represented a new form of colonization, as indigenous peoples were excluded from the decision-making process and bore the brunt of the social and environmental impacts of the dams" (p. 630). This lack of consultation and collaboration with Native American communities during the planning and approval of hydropower projects has been a significant challenge in mitigating their impacts. In fact, as Deloria and Lytle (2011) explain, "the United States government, which had a trust responsibility to protect tribal lands and resources, had approved the dam without consulting the tribal nations that would be most affected by it" (p.
The pipeline stretches about 1,100 miles and is about 90 percent complete. At the uncompleted part of the pipe, protestors have been persistent in voicing their opinions on the matter. The main subject of the protest is the land itself; the land is a little ways away from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Presented in a public meeting about the Dakota Access Pipeline, information about soil contamination specific to the area provides proof of destructive pipelines from the past. The land where the unfinished pipeline is part of their ancestor’s homeland and the construction of the pipeline is controversial not only because of the land’s history but also because of previous pipeline spills that caused contamination in the land and soil in May 2015.
This challenge was brought up again in the Edwards Aquifer v. Day case, showing a pattern in public opinion of property rights being violated. The resulting case decision is discussed as well. This source further develops the knowledge present by discussing the current Texas water and property laws; the discussion includes opinions from water conservation districts and facts about the history of certain law creations. A general sense of Texas law and its history is produced through reading this
In Chapter 4 of Uneven Ground, Wilkins discusses the United States v. Winans case which regarded tribal rights. It held that the Yakamas tribe had “reserved rights” to hunt and fish because the Winans brothers had been depleting the salmon in the river. Wilkins also writes how the tribes implemented their rights based on their original and indigenous sovereignty. Chief Justice Fuller recognized this and confirmed the tribe’s rights to hunt and fish because of tribal sovereignty (125). In a similar case, Winters v. United States (1908), a man had built a dam that restricted all water flow down the Milk River.
Intro: Water pollution has caused so many problems to our waterways that no one really knows how to help. Water pollution caused; dead zones, oil spills, garbage floating around, and unsafe drinking water. People disagree about water pollution because, people have found ways to improve and help out the problem that water pollution has caused around the world. Others believe that that water pollution has created situations and are in the process of figuring out solutions. Marine life habitats are getting destroyed, marine life is declining everyday, how and where the garbage is getting into the oceans, and the drinking water is becoming seriously unsafe to drink.
2% of earth’s fresh water is frozen in ice caps; and, only 1% of earth’s fresh water is available to consume. 2. Unfortunately for our planet, supplies of water are running dry at an alarming rate. The world’s population continues to soar; but, that rise in numbers has not been matched by an increase in supplies of fresh water. Let’s talk about what is going on around the world; I will mention to you just a few major cities, and show you how they are dealing with water shortage.
Water is the most important component found on the surface of the earth because it is source of life for living creatures. However, water pollution has become a global concern. Water pollution can have several forms from diverse sources. It is expected that there will be a lack of clean water in next few decades due to pollution. Nile river water in Egypt is the focus of attention of many studies due to many reasons.