https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f en-us 2023-04-28 13:32:10 UTC 2023-05-04 02:06:32 UTC hello@padlet.com erderucher https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2571811381 In this day and age pollution is a heavily talked about topic among youth, but not many adults seem to know much, or care about it yet the consequences of our actions are, and will continue to be drastic if we do not do something about it. There is not one overarching contributor to our polluted waters, but instead many small ones. For example, Marine Dumping is just one of the many ways thousands of pounds of garbage and waste end up in our waters, specifically our oceans each year. Many items of trash such as plastic bags can take years to decompose completely, leaving them for an animal to either get stuck in, or mistake for food. I also know that oil spills cause lasting harm to our waters because they take so long to clean up as oil and water do not mix. This affects our drinking water and the animals many places like seaside towns and countries use as their main source of food. I think that it is important for people to know about water pollution because it is not just the issue of one person dumping trash in the ocean, nor is it the issue of just one country to solve, everyone contributes in one way or another and it is important to work together and solve it together as well. 

]]> 2023-04-28 13:37:03 UTC https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2571811381 erderucher https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2574495251 I got this first source from the school’s database for reliable sources and I would make the statement that Britannica is a very educational site. Britannica provides an educational and neutral overview of what water pollution is, the solutions to it, as well as causes, effects, and some basic facts. While it is said that water pollution is harmful to us and the environment, the article remains “central” or “unbiased” in its statements as it is stating facts about water pollution rather than making opinion-based commentary. ]]> 2023-05-02 02:38:06 UTC https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2574495251 erderucher https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2574526147 My second source talks less about water pollution as a whole but rather the effects and problems caused by it on wildlife. CNN goes on to give pictures of animals who are hurt or dying from oil spills and uses words like “heartbreaking” “devastate” and more emotionally charged words before stating that this makes these animals extremely harmful and unhealthy for us humans to eat. CNN did give facts about what happens to these animals and how they are affected by it but the words used were emotionally charged and while this piece isn't political, CNN is still a left leaning website, making this source biased. ]]> 2023-05-02 03:04:54 UTC https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2574526147 erderucher https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2574539379 My third source is the EPA, or, the Environmental Protection Agency. This is an agency that works to ensure all aspects of our environment are being taken care of properly, air, water, and more, and they have experts working with them who can describe what happens if we do not care for these things. This article has some interesting information about water pollution because most of what people see about it is how it affects our wildlife even though the problem is much bigger than that. The writer first starts off with the importance of drinking water, and then transitions into just how quickly it can be polluted or contaminated, then they segway into the effects on human health, listing various examples on what could happen if that water is consumed. The EPA is a government agency that’s purpose is to protect the environment and human health in some regard as well meaning they cannot be taking political stances on matters like these given the chance that misinformation could be spread. In this article the EPA listed both facts, examples, and didn’t use emotionally charged vocabulary while giving them, making this an unbiased source.  ]]> 2023-05-02 03:17:35 UTC https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2574539379 erderucher https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2575067367 After researching water pollution and its effects, I believe that it is imperative that people pay attention to this increasingly large problem. Our polluted rivers, oceans, lakes and so much more have bigger consequences than one may believe: these things don’t just affect the everyday animals people may not pay attention to, but it affects us as people as well. We should not be indifferent about water pollution because although it may not seem bad now, and people don’t feel the need to make sure their trash and recycling end up where they belong, one day our actions will catch up with us. In fact, they already are; there have been microplastics found in the human bloodstream, humans can get gastroenteritis just from swimming in polluted water, and animals such as loggerhead turtles, seals, and sperm whales are beginning to go extinct because of their poor environmental conditions. While everyday individuals cannot control oil spills, there are many small acts they can do that make a big difference in our waters such as blowing their fresh fertilizer onto the grass rather than leaving it on the sidewalk, take the time to find a trash can for those wrappers, don't pour motor oil down the drain, and place absorbents onto a spill you made rather than just hosing it into a storm drain. For larger companies who are causing major oil spills in the ocean, the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) can use consistently improving technology to clean it up. If a crew can get to the spill in just a few hours, they can stop the spread of oil significantly. These solutions are all easy things people can do and I believe that if everyone wants to live a promising and fulfilling future in a livable world, we all have to do our part, and we can no longer remain indifferent.]]> 2023-05-02 11:49:24 UTC https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2575067367 erderucher https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2577055886 2023-05-03 17:04:22 UTC https://padlet.com/erderucher/z6p6pq27hntn9x2f/wish/2577055886