Water Abuse: Americans’ Lack of Awareness and Responsibility
Water is a vital to all human life, but people don’t know how they should limit their use of it, how their actions affect the purity of it, or how restricted water actually is. They do not know how to take care of water, or their environment. They need to realize that water should not be carelessly used for leisure. Also, recognize that they pollute their own water supply with chemicals and trash, and they do not seem to understand that there is a limited supply of water. Americans do not comprehend the actual meaning of water abuse, and how it applies to them.
The abuse of water is going to revolve around how much American over use and waste it. People aren’t concerned or aware of the scarcity of water because they don’t see how it affects them directly. According to Karen Bouwer, in her essay “Women and Water”, the average “…use in the United States is 176 gallons per person per day. ” (Bouwer 319) More than half of that percentage only includes bathing and flushing the toilet. While on the contrary, African nations “…average 10 gallons” per person per day if they are lucky. Americans probably would not be able to function without being able to use water whenever they may please.
Although this may seem like something that can be fixed, the water pollution human’s cause put even more restrictions on water. Most people are aware that their trash ends up in the middle of the ocean, while some others are clueless. Some may not see how where “the trash man” drops their trash is of importance. But the reality is that most of the things that people put into their trash cans never decompose, or can take over 10 years to do so. The one thing that all Americans use everyday at some point of the day never decomposes is plastic.
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Over fifteen percent of all plastic made, ends up in the ocean. A majority of that fifteen percent ends up on the ocean floor. (Reuse It) For example, in San Antonio, “…park personnel haul off more than 600,000 pounds of trash” (Harte 164) Plastic can over power the United States ocean water, which is one thing that puts limitations on water. Human’s thinks that water is somewhat endless because of what they learned in school, the water cycle. With the key terms condensation, evaporation, and precipitation Americans get the idea that water is always going to be in rotation.
In reality, Americans are right water is in rotation, but all of that water is not usable. Yes, the water that humans drink and shower with does partially come from ground water, but people don’t understand how much water they actually have to use. Barely one percent of the water in the entire world is actually fresh and usable. That one percent is the only water that is clean enough to be considered usable by all Americans, which seems almost impossible to comprehend. Humans constantly use water and let it run without thinking. How would Americans react if they didn’t have access to clean water anymore?
They need to realize we do have an unlimited access. Americans should be aware that they are privileged to have virtually unlimited access to water. But most Americans seem to take advantage of this source, which ultimately affects everyone in the long run. Humans do not know how to limit their use of water because they’ve never had to so. These water abusers must be informed of their actions so that things can change. People need to start put limitations on how much they use water and make sure its 100% necessary to have it running.
As well as, more American need to start recycling; the plastic doesn’t only affect humans, but marine animals also. Americans have to realize that the water that we currently have is all that we have. Work Cited “Water Facts. ” The Water Information Program. 5 September 2012. Online Bouwer, Karen. “Women and Water. ” The Water and Culture Reader. Southlake: Fountainhead,2011. 319-322. Print “Use and Toss Plastic Bottle Facts”. ReUseIt. 6 September 2012. Online Harte, Alexis. “San Antonio: A City Guided By Its River. ” The Water and Culture Reader. Southlake: Fountainhead, 2011. 161-163. Print
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Water Abuse: Americans’ Lack of Awareness and Responsibility. (2018, May 10). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/water-abuse/
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