Environmental Pollution

Clean Water & Sanitation

Water is essential for survival and development of agriculture. It is under attack from both natural and man-made pollution. As the world’s population continues to grow so does its adverse affects on natural resources. Human activities such as illegal dumping, oil spills, and human fecal matter have expanded the water crisis. Water covers over 70% of the world, yet everyday less and less of it becomes available for use.

Water contamination is not only a third world issue, but also affects developed countries such as The United States. About 13 million people living in developed countries do not have access to clean water. Pollution of water not only affects humans, but also has the capability to destroy entire ecosystems. It’s been 2 years since Flint, Michigan found lead in its water, and it still does.

The best way to stop contamination of water is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Some countries have enacted laws to protect bodies of water but these laws are hard to enforce. A major obstacle in water sanitation is introducing and delivering filtration systems to underdeveloped countries for use.

• $130 billion dollars will be used to reduce the various affects of pollution. This will specifically fund national and global programs aimed at improving air quality and environmental protection. This will include the Coalition for Clean Air, Worldewatch Institute, and the EPA.
• $210 billion will be used to further research and development of renewable energy. The MIT Energy Institute, Trina Solar Ltd. , and various other programs will receive funding. Also funds will be used to make renewable energy more accessible and affordable.
• $100 billion will be divided amongst UNICEF and WHO. These programs will work with renewable energy to build and distribute filtration systems to underdeveloped countries. $60 billion will be used to fund education of safe water practices and installation of more toilets and better sewage systems worldwide, especially in countries where open defecation is an major issue.

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Abstract

What is Pollution?

Issue 1: Renewal Energy

Issue 2: Clean water drinking

Objectives

Proposal

Allocation of funds

Summary

Summary Translation

References

PSA video

Summary

Objectives

As years go by many of us are aware Earth is slowly dying, and one of those major reasons being is us as humans are slowly killing it. From fossil fuels, to running vehicles and water contamination, our environment has slowly become an infestation of toxic pollution. However, with renewal energy and clean water sanitation our goal is to reduce the pollution that is affecting our environment. Our plan is to provide research grants to the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) that's is already working towards putting a plan into action; the MITEI will work with Trina Solar Limited, an international alternative energy company whose main focus is on residential and industrial solar power. The company specializes in solar energy, and ABB Ltd finds renewable solutions for transportation and industrial plants that will reduce pollution in our air and water.Our next step is to invest in the organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF. UNICEF, is currently improving access to safe, clean and affordable drinking water, which with our help we will invest in more affordable solar powered water purifiers to provide for them. Our group has 500 billion dollars to invest in a way that will find a solution to reducing pollution. However, our goal is not only to reduce pollution but to help those in need that have been affected and those who are trying to help develop ways to help our environment become a better world we call Earth.

• Recognize the harm pollution can cause to the ecosystem
• Recognize what are the causes of pollution
• Reduce pollutant emissions through renewable resources
• Recognize the lack of drinkable water poses a threat to

public and environmental health

• Improve access to clean and drinkable water
• Promote waste and clean management
• Improve research and development of renewable energy
• Fund education and knowledge within the world
• Fund in various organizations to eliminate pollution

Abstract

Pollution

A proposal to address global environmental and humanitarian concerns

Melissa Elvir

Leonard Kamau

Garrett Larimer

Reyna Mandujano

Jasmin Oliva

ENGL 1301

Dr. Burton

Pollution is a problem that has followed mankind for centuries. It was around the time of the Industrial Revolution that we started to realize the deleterious effects that civilization can have on the environment. However, we live in a time where humans have developed technology to the point where we are able to solve a great many of the challenges of pollution. Water and air pollution caused by manufacturing and improper waste management can lead to health problems and even death. Humanity has the ability and technology to overcome these issues, but it costs money and effort to do so. Our group has been allocated 500 billion dollars to find solutions to the problem of pollution. Our mission is not just to reduce pollution, but to help those who have already been affected and reverse the effects.

Translation of Summary (Resumen)

En el transcurso de los años muchos de nosotros somos conscientes de que la Tierra está muriendo lentamente, y uno de los principales motivos es que nosotros, como seres humanos, estámos matandola lentamente. A partir de combustibles fósiles, a la ejecución de los vehículos y la contaminación del agua, el medio ambiente se ha convertido poco a poco en una infestación de contaminación tóxica. Sin embargo, con la renovación de energía limpia y el saneamiento del agua nuestra meta es reducir la contaminación que afectan a nuestro medio ambiente. Nuestro plan es proporcionar becas de investigación en el MIT Energia Initiciante (MITEI) que ya está trabajando para poner un plan en acción; el MITEI trabajará con Trina Solar Limited, una compañía de energía alternativa internacional cuyo foco principal está en la energía solar residencial e industrial. La empresa se especializa en la energía solar, y ABB Ltd quien busca soluciones renovables para el transporte y las plantas industriales que reduzcan la contaminación de nuestro aire y agua. Nuestro próximo paso es invertir en organizaciones como la Organización Mundial de la Salud y UNICEF.

UNICEF, actualmente está mejorando el acceso al seguro, limpio y asequible de agua potable, que con nuestra ayuda nos permitirá invertir en más asequible purificadores de agua de energía solar para proveer para ellos. Nuestro grupo dispone de 500 millones de dólares para invertir en una forma que permita encontrar una solución a la reducción de la contaminación. Nuestro grupo dispone de 500 millones de dólares para invertir en una forma que permita encontrar una solución a la reducción de la contaminación. Sin embargo, nuestro objetivo no es sólo reducir la contaminación, sino también para ayudar a las personas necesitadas que han sido afectados y aquellos que están tratando de ayudar a desarrollar maneras para ayudar a nuestro medio ambiente a convertirse en un mejor mundo que llamamos Tierra.

Allocation of Funds

The Facts

• In a study conducted by the EPA, it found that 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life.
• According to UNICEF, 5000 people die every day as a result of drinking unclean water.
• A study conducted in 2015 found that, the garbage dumped in the ocean every year is roughly around 19 billion pounds. Plastic is the major constituent.
• A joint commission by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) states that every 90 seconds a child dies from a diesease related to water.
• UNICEF and WHO also state that "663 million people are still without access to clean drinking water, despite the Millennium Development Goal target for clean water being met in 2010."
• According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, "at least 1.8 billion people world-wide are estimated to drink water that is faecally contaminated."
• According to the World Health Organization, "Every $1 , invested in water and sanitation provides a $4 economic return."

Ways to STOP pollution

The Plan

Pollution

How we can reduce pollution

Stop smoking

Drive electric or hybrid cars.

Keep your car in good running condition to avoid emissions.

Choose to walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible

Recycle paper, plastics, aluminum cans and other materials to reduce garbage in landfills.

Water pollution is an epidemic that affects us all.

Decades of legislation and humanitarian efforts have made some progress. However, there are still millions of people who do not have access to clean water. As technology and science makes advancements we will need creative ideas to help lessen the water crisis. To allow more access to clean water money should be used to clean up and filter already contaminated sources, especially those in developing countries. Organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF have efforts underway to assist those most affected by water pollution. Currently UNICEF, is improving access to safe and affordable drinking water. Also, they are in countries such as India and Nigeria to teach sanitation to reduce the amount of fecal matter in water. Funds should also be invested into more affordable solar powered water purifiers. The technology would be extremely helpful for people who live in rural areas. This would give people the ability to filter already contaminated water.

Human’s cause pollution in many ways. The nine recognized types of pollution in the modern world are Air pollution, Water pollution, Land pollution, Noise pollution, Radioactive pollution, Thermal pollution, Light pollution, Visual pollution and Personal pollution

Video PSA

Renewable Energy

The Problem

The Plan

The burning of fossil fuels to power industries and vehicles is a major cause of pollution. Power stations that generate electrical energy using fossil fuels releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the environment.

As our global population increases, the demand for power also increases causing additional pollution. In addition to air pollution, water is polluted through the use of toxic chemicals that are then discharged as a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, which is dumped into water sources such as lakes, rivers and streams and can also affect underground water supplies.

Clearly we need to find an alternative to using fossil fuels to generate electricity since it adversely affects air and water quality. Renewable energy can help reduce human impact on the environment. The main problem is how expensive it is to research and the initial cost of the materials. However, the supply is theoretically unending and there are no harmful byproducts or emissions.

The Facts

Our plan to reduce pollution caused by fossil fuels will take several steps. First we need to fund the research and development of renewable energy then we need to implement these plans. To reduce costs, we will be using existing infrastructure to implement this plan. Research grants will be provided to The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), which is already working to evaluate new and emerging technologies for energy creation and transmission. To put our plan into action, MITEI will work with leading global leading in green energy: Trina Solar Limited is an international alternative energy company whose focus is on residential and industrial solar power, Vestas Wind Systems develops wind turbines, First Solar, Inc. specializes in solar energy, and ABB Ltd finds renewable solutions for transportation and industrial plants. In summary, renewable energy is costly to research and build, but with our grant MIT Energy Initiative and the subsidies to leading alternative energy companies, we will reduce pollution in our air and water.

• The Union of Concerned Scientists explains the problem with fossil fuels, “All energy sources have some impact on our environment. Fossil fuels — coal, oil, and natural gas — do substantially more harm than renewable energy sources by most measures, including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions.”
• Just Energy, a leading provider of electricity and green energy states, “Smog is high in established metropolitan areas across North America, and is growing rapidly in countries such as India and China. High concentrations of greenhouse gases are linked to air and water pollution, as well as climate change which contribute to flooding, habitat destruction, ecosystem disruption, the spread of infectious diseases, and fresh water shortages.”
• Lazar Rozenblat, who works in advanced power supply and electronics design summed it up best, “While raw forms of energy are both free and practically infinite, the equipment and materials needed to collect, process, and transport the energy to the users are neither one. Currently, the RE costs are generally higher than that of fossil-based and nuclear energy. In addition to this, unlike well-established conventional designs, the advancement in different RE technologies still requires substantial investments.”
• Concerning feasibility, The Economist says, “compared with traditional power stations, renewable generators are cheap to run but costly to build, which makes them particularly vulnerable to changes in the cost of capital.”
• The Union of Concerned Scientists confirms that using renewable energy will significantly reduce pollution, “Wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems generate electricity with no associated air pollution emissions. While geothermal and biomass energy systems emit some air pollutants, total air emissions are generally much lower than those of coal- and natural gas-fired power plants.”

References

"Drinking-water." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, Nov. 2016. Web. 08 Mar. 2017. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs391/en/>.

"Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies." Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017. <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts#.WMDPIzvyuM8>

"For Your Home." Pollution & Green Energy. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.<https://www.justenergy.com/green-energy/pollution-green-energy/>

Girard, Greg. "Freshwater 101: Pollution." Freshwater 101: Pollution. National Geographic, 08 Mar. 2017. Web. 08 Mar. 2017. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/pollution/>.

Jackson, Michael, and Janet Jackson. History. past, present, and future. Epic, 1995. Youtube. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.<

Johnston, Kevin. "The World's Top 4 Alternative Energy Companies." Investopedia. N.p., 09 Mar. 2017. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.<http://www.investopedia.com/investing/top-alternative-energy-companies/>

Rinkesh. "51 Facts About Pollution." Conserve Energy Future. N.p., 24 Dec. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-pollution-facts.php>.

Rozenblat, Lazar. "YOUR GUIDE TO RENEWABLE ENERGY." Renewable Energy Sources: Cost Comparison. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.<http://www.renewable-energysources.com/>

Senthilingam, Meera. "Polluted Environments Kill 1.7 Million Children Each Year, WHO Says." CNN. Cable News Network, 5 Mar. 2017. Web. 10 Mar. 2017. <http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/05/health/pollution-child-deaths-who/>.

"Utility of the Future." MIT Energy Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.<http://energy.mit.edu/research/utility-future-study/>

"Water Quality." UN-Water: Statistics Detail. United Nations, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <http://www.unwater.org/statistics/statistics-detail/en/c/260727/>.

"Water." UNICEF. UNICEF, 05 Apr. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017. <https://www.unicef.org/wash/3942_4456.html>.

Wikstrom, Jon. "6 Solutions to the Water Shortage Crisis." Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit. N.p., 24 June 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2017. <http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/06/innovative-solutions-water-shortage-crisis/>.

"Why is renewable energy so expensive?" The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 05 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.<http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/01/economist-explains-0>

Environmental Pollution

Unit 4