"So what?" some of you will say, "Why is this so important? Why should we know about this and try to stop it?". Well here are some of the biggest effects.
One of the biggest effects on YOUR life will be the cost change. When the amount of freshwater declines, demands for it will increase. As the demands increase so will the price of the freshwater. Supply and Demand. As more of the freshwater is polluted the more effort it will take to clean it and make it consumable, which people will charge you more money for. "What about the salt water? Can't we use that?" We can distilize salt water, but at a great price. The government has not yet found a way of distiling salt water at a low cost. Our constant abuse of our freshwater could have major effects on the life you live.
Dead Coral Reef |
Pollution of the oceans and other water sources could also have major effects on natural life on Earth. When the oceans are our constant waste bin the living creatures that live there will die. Coral Reefs, that were once home to millions of sea creature will be turned to grey stone. The animals will be forced to leave or die, and even if they do leave, they have already had exposer and may still die. Even if the animals survive, the cost can be serious. Already fish have been known to have mutated due to pollution in their natural habitat.
| Mutated Fish - Two mouths |
Not only sea creatures are physically harmed by water pollution. For many people clean water is not accessible or affordable. They must drink, cook with and wash in the polluted water supplies. This exposer can cause illnesses such as Cholera and Gonoreea as well as many more severe kinds of waterborn diseases.
Pollution of freshwater (drinking water) is a problem for about half of the world's population. Each year there are about 250 million cases of water-related diseases, with roughly 5 to 10 million deaths.
| African Water Supply - Does this look clean to you? |
Just think, if freshwater was no longer availible to us. . . How many species would die out, including humans. What kind of world would this Earth be?
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