There is no better way to protect the public health than to maintain the quality of America’s groundwater. Human bodies are made up of over 70% water, so we require clean water daily to stay healthy. What’s more, we use groundwater in all sorts of daily activities like taking showers, washing dishes, and washing cars. The accumulative effect of constant consumption of chemicals, even in small amounts, can be devastating for our health.
Mining Concerns
The industry is a major polluter on land, in the air, and in the ground. Mining is a major activity, mainly for minerals found within the Earth. However, the disruption caused by mining means that the integrity of the natural groundwater system becomes compromised. Unfortunately, the economic incentives of removing as much valuable material from the Earth as possible at the least cost (often meaning unsafe mining practices that damage the environment) are the norm both in America and abroad. Companies often get away with small fines when they are caught polluting, which does not encourage them to clean up their act.
Poisons Used on Plants
Did you know that napalm and Roundup were invented and marketed by the same company? Chemical pesticides are nasty products that wreak havoc on the environment. The recent epidemic of dying bees, for example, is tentatively linked to the widespread use of pesticides on plants. This is why people are moving away from pesticides and are looking for alternatives to real grass. In fact, artificial grass advertises this as a major benefit.
Pharmaceutical Drugs
All those drugs that get flushed down the toilet and down the drain ultimately end up in the water supply, and so far, there is no effective way to remove all of them at water treatment facilities. This means that tap water often contains trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, and the trend is continuing. These products include antibiotics, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and other powerful medicinal compounds that can have profound negative physiological effects.
You may have heard about the recent water crisis in Flint, Michigan, involving unsafe amounts of lead in the water, but this is only scratching the surface of the extent to which our water supply is poisoned. The devastation of our water supply is nothing short of a national emergency. The key to cleaning it up is to first spread awareness of just how polluted our groundwater has become, and who is responsible. You can protect your health by investing in a water purification system, but unfortunately, these do not remove all the pollutants. The only permanent solution is to stop the source of ever-increasing pollution in our groundwater.
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