Water Pollution Essay Example for Free

Water Pollution Essay Clean water is extremely essential for a healthy living. It is lifes most important basic necessity while dirty water is one of the deadliest killers. UN has estimated that 10 people die every minute from contaminated water. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of all sickness and disease in developing countries is due to unsafe water. As water pollution is one of the most widespread problems and it has deadly effects, I chose this topic. Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e. g. lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. The project includes the Global perspective, National perspective, possible scenarios and my personal views about this issue. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Water pollution today happens all over the world. Many major cities and countries form a part of it. The top five polluting countries are China, USA, Russia, India and Japan. The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns. Some 6,000 children die every day from disease associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene equivalent to 20 aircrafts crashing every day. According to UN statistics every day 2 million tons of human wastes are disposed of in water bodies. In developing countries, 70% of industrial wastes are dumped untreated into waters where they pollute the usable water supply. The sources of water pollution throughout the world are, Â · Fertilizers: Synthetic fertilizers can easily leech into lakes or rivers with the help of rainwater or excessive watering leading to water pollution. Fertilizers being drained into the rivers or lakes cause enrichment in nutrients and give rise to growth of algae. Projected increases in fertilizer use for food production and inn waste water effluents over the next 30 years suggest there will be 15% global increase in nitrogen flow into rivers. Â · Chemical industries: They release harmful chemicals into river and water bodies. Today these wastes need to be treated before releasing but not much attention is paid to this and so, waste is released into water without treating. Sewage contains a high amount of pathogens and when it reacts with water causing oxygen to be removed. So removal of oxygen from water life becomes impossible in water. Â · Oil Spills: Africa has highest amount of polluted water, South Africa to be specific is most polluted country. The government has taken control over the pollution by putting measures and treating wastes before disposals. Africa being a developing continent, cannot afford the cost of treating all the waste and in some industries they dispose the waste directly in water bodies. People there don’t focus on harvesting the rainwater like in China or India. In Europe, the most polluted coasts are of Lithuania and Estonia, 70% of all surface water is polluted due to industrial activities. Poland has high rate of water pollution which causes shortage of water for industrial use. Baltic Sea is considered to be most polluted in the world. In Asia most polluted waters are to be found in China. 70% of China’s water is heavily polluted. This is due to untreated sewages and industrial influence. About two million people suffer from serious disease caused by unsafe water. It is well known fact that US tap water is safest in the world, generally safe from microbes and chemicals. However, this is true for some states only, while some states are still getting contaminated water. Many Americans still drink tap water without even knowing it. Congress in America passed The Water Act in 1974 that could set national limits on certain contaminants in tap water. In 2009 the EPA warned that threats to drinking water have increased. Australia has a low rate of water pollution which is declining in near future. Many water projects are going in Australia and people are enthusiastically helping to solve the problem of unsafe drinking water. Main source of pollution at Sydney’s beach is affluent discharge from north head, Bodi and Malabar waste water treatment plants. Natural small creeks and drainage lines have been replaced with networks of canals and pipes. Waste water treatment plants collect waste water and remove solids and then treat waste water before realizing it into the environment. Starting the treatment of water today can help us save large numbers of lives. Thus, it forms a major crisis in the world. Time has come to solve it. NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE- I am an Indian, to be more specific from the state of Gujarat and a city named Rajkot. I’m very privileged to live in a country which is water adequate. It is adequate which means it is enough for need, but unfortunately not enough for greed. Its a fact the water will be the world’s most serious issue in the coming years. Someone rightly said that the third world war will be over water, considering India Fights have already started on small scale over water. At present the following states of India are involved in legal battles over the following rivers. For example the states Kerala, Tamil nadu, Pondicherry and Karnataka are fighting over the river Kaveri and Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are fighting over river Krishna. India is amongst the top water polluters in the world. Since several decades, industrial wastes like chemicals, oils and other poisonous things are discharged into the rivers in large quantities. In India, rivers have a great religious importance and they are considered holy. People travel miles to bathe in these rivers. Due to these pollutions, the water which was considered ‘Amrita’ (Immortal Drink) has now certainly become poison. Till some extent bathing in the river does cause water pollution but there are other several religious rituals like ‘Visarjan’ and flowing of Asthiya. Not just the religious customs but even the sewage is drained into these rivers. People even wash their clothes in the river. It has been found that expired medicines and used injections are thrown into the rivers. Out of the 1400 km of the river Yamuna, 600 km from Panipat to Etawa has been officially declared to be dead (this means this stretch of the river has 0% dissolved oxyg en meaning that neither can water support any type of life nor is it suitable for any kind of use). Experts have found out through surveys that the level of coliform (harmful bacteria) in water to be a dangerous 50 in 100ml in drinking water. For bathing water, it is an approximate of 500 per 100ml. More than 500 means that the water is not even fit for bathing and it has been found that Delhi’s level of coliform is between 9,000,000 and 10,000,000. This is the condition of the capital city; it can be assumed that in other parts of the country the conditions are worse. Even though the Indian government has introduced many acts outlawing water pollution it is unable to enforce it strongly and people are still dumping wastes into water. Industrial wastes are also dumped into the ground by injecting them deep inside, this pollutes the underground freshwater. In India water pollution in itself is a major issue, but it is also impacting on the health of the people. The industrially polluted water is treated by ordinary techniques, which still are not able to filter out the heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. This water is used in agricultural practices, and the produced crops for example the fruits and vegetables contain these poisonous substances in small quantities which can cause health problems like: Lead: affects the IQ level of kids. Mercury: affects people’s brains. It also affects pregnant women and maybe passed on to their children through blood and breast feeding. This may also lead to mutation. I all personally face a lot many problems due to water pollution. As I live in Rajkot, a city which lies within the watershed expansion of Aji riverbasin and it is a network of 19 natural drainage courses, loally known as ‘Voklas’. Unfortunately these voklas are being used for sewage disposals resulting in pollution of Aji –river in downsream of Aji dam, which collects the water from Aji and Nyari river, therefore both the dams are fully polluted. An analysis of different water bodies in downstream of Aji dam indicates the most of water bodies within city limit are contaminated. Pollution of underground water due to electro-plating industries and sari-printing industries is also observed. POSSIBLE SCENARIOS : Today, water has become a major world issue. It affects the world, it means it affects each of us human beings. The concentration of water pollution is expected to increase in future, as with the growing trend today, water has become a major world issue. It affects the world; it means it affects each of us human beings. The concentration of water pollution is expected to increase in future, as there is going to advancement in industries, agriculture and may other contributing factors of water pollution. The problems are going to multiply in the future. Starting from the effects on the mankind, 75% of the world’s human population will have fresh water shortages, some of a very serious nature.. This will include Western developed countries. (Already in 2008, 1/3rd of humanity was struggling daily for fresh water for drinking, cooking and washing). Presently the health is already affected badly, if all the water gets polluted the scenario will worsen. Water is a major issue but it can be even more problematic in the future as the quality of the water is deteriorating. Of fresh water that is available for use, a high degree of pollution of all types is likely (organic, chemical and energetic). If this continues to happen than many problems can occur like diseases spread due to bad quality of water will increase and medical facility will need to be provided. If bad water reaches farms than whole of the produce will be ruined and people will fall sick and economic problems will be faced by the farmers and the vegetable market will have chances of collapsing. Clean water will not be available for drinking, the level of pollution will have risen so much that it would be very expensive to get and only a few people will be able to afford it. Again due to this the people falling ill will increase. And filtering water may become expensive as the water would be more polluted than before and so coast of processing and filtering of water will increase by a large number. Salination of the coastal regions form rising seas, with salt seeping into ground waters, again it will add to government’s costs and so people will have to pay more for drinking water than today. Collapse of artesian supplies from overuse and insufficient run back underground, the ground water is therefore depleting. If states today are fighting for water today people might fight for water and small issue about water may start a fight that might be difficult to stop. If not acted now the future of water is going to be very bad. [Word count- 1856] BIBLIOGRAPHY: WEB http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph/env_wat_fre_pol-environment-water-freshwater-pollutionb_printable=1v=1022 http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/07-26/water-pollution-facts-article.htm USA http://home.deds.nl/~jamedia/The_last_drop/Water_Pollution.html- WATER POLLUTION (overall) http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/07-26/water-pollution-facts-article.htm -science WATER POLLUTION http://www.unwater.org/statistics_pollu.html UNITED NATIONS (statistics) http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/en/- HEALTH AND WATER POLLUTON http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/en/-HEALTH AND WATER POLLUTION http://www.satyamevjayate.in/issue12/indiasays/- NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE (INDIA) http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/water-pollution- INDIA water issues http://www.livestrong.com/article/268337-future-effects-of-pollution/#ixzzz24e64z8mw- Future scenario

Essay --

1. Why is it important to be able to test theories according to Popper (Falsification thesis)? Please explain your answers. According to Popper, it is important because every real test of a theory should be an attempt to falsify it, or prove it to be incorrect, because if it is not proven wrong, it becomes not scientific. A good theory is one that can indeed be disproven, or â€Å"testability is falsifiability.† 2. What is positivism and why is it important in advancing knowledge according to Comte? Positivism is the studying and recording of social life based on observations. Positivism is important in advancing knowledge due to the idea that this newly observed and obtained information can be used to reform society. 3. According to Comte what is the difference between social statistics and social dynamics? According to Comte, ‘social statistics’ focus on how order is maintained within a society, while ‘social dynamics’ focus on how a society changes over time. 4. What are the laws of three stages and how does he explain civilizational development? First Stage: ‘Theological’ or ‘fictitious’ stage. Second Stage: ‘Metaphysical’ stage. Third Stage: ‘Scientific’ or ‘positive’ stage. Comte explains that these stages evolve and develop from one another beginning from the belief from gods, to many gods and priests, then to the rejection of deities in favor of scientific thinking and rationality. These stages are needed for humanity to properly evolve. 5. In the documentary on Voodoo in Benin, what civilizational stage would August Comte define the society of Benin; in its citizen’s approach and understanding of the impact of Voodoo on everyday life? Why? In the documentary, the society of Benin would fall into the ‘theological’ stage. ... ...ion to quality of life in the modern world? Please explain. People can forget their personal lives and solely exist to work and make money rather than enjoying a life beyond that of the bureaucracy. A bureaucracy will focus only on a set of goals that must be met in order to maintain a value driven society. This rationalization can create an almost robotic-like society that truly forgets about the simple pleasures in life, which are also important in maintaining a cohesive and happy community. 20. What was the main argument in Weber's Protestant Ethic? The main argument is that the foundation of capitalism came about from the principles of Calvinism. The Calvinists believed in predetermination and that God would provide substantial money if you were deemed to have it in this life. They also were hard working, saved their money, and even reinvested their capital.

Philosophy Does God Exist

God: Does He Exist? Philosophy is a subject that can take many twists and turns before it finds an answer to a general question (Wippel, Wolter 335). God is real to many, but not real to others. Some believe that there is sufficient evidence such as the earth. The earth is the perfect size, if the earth and the atmosphere were any smaller, life on earth would be impossible.Then again, because of this idea some believe that the earth was created by a big explosion called the big bang theory which created our planet: because of this we will examine Aquinas on the existence of God while Kant will explore God’s non existence to the extent of being mortal. St. Thomas Aquinas has written several important works over time. There were four works: The Disputed Questions on the Power of God, Exposition of Dionysius on the Divine Names and Disputed Questions on Spiritual Creatures (Medieval Philosophy).Most of Aquinas's works have been written to try to prove the existence of God. Aquina s always has been a firm believer that everything has to have a creator and the only possible solution would be something called God. It is with this idea that Aquinas's Third Way was written. Aquinas says that if everything were mortal, then nothing could exist at present. This can be translated to mean that if all mortal things have to stop existing then there can't be anything which exists today (Medieval Philosophy).Aquinas believes that it takes a living presence to help create other living things in order for them to live also. This means that there must have been something which existed through eternity to help create many living things which exist today. Aquinas believes that something created life throughout time in order for things to be living today. He says this thing must have existed from the beginning and that it must still exist now (Medieval Philosophy). His belief is that living things and non-living things have lived through eternity with the help of a higher, mor e powerful presence, such as God.He also says that if it that were true that nothing existed at one time, then it would be impossible for anything to begin to exist again, which means that nothing could exist now, which is obviously false (Medieval Philosophy). We see that usual bodies work in the direction of some goal, and do not do so by chance. Most natural things lack knowledge. â€Å"But as an arrow reaches its target because it is directed by an archer, what lacks intelligence achieves goals by being directed by something intelligent†.Therefore some intelligent being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end; and this being we call God. â€Å"It is impossible for anyone to logically believe that things such as rocks, trees, and water can exist without there being a creator† (Medieval Philosophy). It is for this reason that Aquinas believes that God was the only thing that existed then, so therefore he must have been the one who created everythi ng. This theory does prove that something had to exist from the beginning.The Causal Principle is the thought that every contingent being has a cause of its being and that it lies at the heart of the argument. Kant always contends that the cosmological argument, in identifying the necessary being relies on the ontological argument, which in turn is suspect. (Existence of God) According to Kant, survival is not a predicate, a asset that a thing can either have or lack. (Existence of God) When people declare that God exists they are not saying that there is a God and he possesses the land of existence.If that were the case, then when people state that God does not exist they would be saying that there is a God and he lacks the property of life. â€Å"They would be both affirming and denying God’s existence in the same breath† (Existence of God). Rather, suggests Kant, to say that something exists is to say that the idea of that thing is exemplified in humanity. Existence , then, is not a substance of an object possessing material goods, life, but of a thought equivalent to something in the world. â€Å"To see this more clearly, suppose that we give a complete description of an object, of its size, its weight, its color, etc†. Existence of God) If we then attach that the item exists, then in asserting that it exists we put in nothing to the impression of the thing. â€Å"The article is the same whether it exists or not; it is the identical size, the similar weight, the matching color, etc† (Existence of God). The fact that the thing exists, that notion is exemplified in humanity, but does not alter anything about the theory. To assert that the article exists is to say something about the human race, that it contains something that matches that thought; it is not to say anything concerning the thing itself.If Kant is right in his outlook that life is not an asset of matter, then it is impractical to evaluate a God that exists to a God th at does not. On Kant’s observation a God that exists and a God that does not exist are not the same. â€Å"A God that exists is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, etc† (Existence of God). â€Å"A God that does not exist is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, etc† (Existence of God). Both are the same. Aquinas’s theory is more realistic to me. Everything was created for a reason and has to be here for a reason.First, Aquinas believes that something created life throughout time in order for things to be living today. He says this thing must have existed from the beginning and that it must still exist now. His belief is that living things and non-living things have lived through eternity with the help of a higher, more powerful presence, such as God. Second, as Aquinas has previously mentioned it is impossible for anyone to logically believe that things such as rocks, trees, and water can exist without there being a creator.This is why I feel that God was the only thing that existed then, so therefore he must have been the one who created everything. He also says that if that were true that nothing existed at one time, then it would be impossible for anything to begin to exist again, which means that nothing could exist now, which is obviously false. Lastly, Aquinas said â€Å"that if everything were mortal, then nothing could exist at present, because what is nonexistent begins to be only through something which already exists†.This can be translated to mean that if all mortal things have to stop existing then there can’t be anything which exists today. This means to me that God has been living through time to help create other creatures. Aquinas believed that it takes living presence to help create other living things in order for them to live. This means that there must have been something which existed through eternity to help create many living things which exist today. People will forever be arguing around their dinner tables about the existence of God.Many take comfort in the belief that there is one Creator who still exists in the universe, a perfect being who watches out for His ‘imperfect' children (Wippel, Wolter). However, the dispute that God exists because he was the ‘First Cause' of everything is too unsophisticated for the refined intelligence to accept (Wippel, Wolter). It may be religiously reassuring to believe in the existence of a higher authority, but there is no indisputable proof to suggest that God was ‘the cause' of everything, hence proving His existence. As we approach the new millennium, disbelief prevails and continues to sway extreme (Wippel, Wolter).Works Cited Nicholas of Cusa, 335-38. John F. Wippel, Allan B. Wolter, ed. New York: The Free Press, 1969. Aquinas, St. Thomas. â€Å"Does God Exist? † In Medieval Philosophy: From St. Augustine to St. Thomas â€Å"Objections to the Ontological Argument. † Existence of God. Web. 11 Nov. 2 010. . Dictionary. com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary. com. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. .

Humanities - The Heart of Liberal Education Essay examples

I justify the humanities by sketching four views of knowledge in which the idea of an academy or an integration of disciplines might be understood. I assume that every system of higher education inevitably appeals to concepts of knowledge. Such concepts cannot be isolated from political and civic dimensions of life as well as from personal cultivation and character. Nonetheless, older views based on these aspects are open to serious criticism. The four views considered are Aristotelian-Thomistic, Cartesian-positivist, Kantian, and traditionalist (in a liberal and hermeneutic sense). The paper describes key elements in each of these views and notes several objections, with a marked preference for Kantian and traditionalist views. Kant†¦show more content†¦Consider, then, four ways of conceiving and organizing an educational curriculum, or rather concepts of knowledge brought to focus by philosophers—by no means the only ones, but clearly distinct and decisive in the hi story of pedagogy in the West since Plato. These are abbreviations, each meant to stand for a general idea, without too much emphasis on historical reference or detail. (1) An Aristotelian-Thomistic view of disciplinary divisions and the order between them. Aristotle canonized the idea of knowledge as divided into disciplines, each with its appropriate matter and method, and ordered into a hierarchical (ascending) whole. However contemptuous it is of the canon (so called), the modern academy owes its existence to Aristotle. His division of the sciences presupposes a teleological order of nature, a single rational order discoverable from the nature of things by human reason and grounded in manifest purpose, i.e. a cosmos. Probably the core of this ideal is the absolute centrality it places on philosophy as the queen of the sciences and upon theology and metaphysics as first philosophy, knowledge of the highest being and of being as such or of the first principles, causes, and elements of things. It is essentially based upon a philosophical view of the world, in a classical sense adaptable to Christianity. Despite is metaphysical investment in first p hilosophy, a striking element of it isShow MoreRelatedA Critical and Rhetorical Analysis of William Cronons Only Connect.1712 Words   |  7 PagesA Liberal Education? Not According to Cronon. A Critical and Rhetorical Analysis of Cronons Only Connect. While the term liberal education is heard from the most prestigious university to an inner city community college, the phrase itself has a hazy definition at best. 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