RCL blog

Planet earth is a tremendous, life-sustaining biosphere inhabited by mankind. It is seen from outer space as a beautiful blue ball of life; however, millions of people across the globe lack access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation. The United States, Canada, and other prolific economies take clean water for granted, while the citizens of Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria suffer daily. If a planet is nearly three-quarters covered in water, then why are these countries so water poor? Awareness needs to be raised in the United States to prevent Americans from continuing their water wasting habits.

According to National Geographic, about 880 million people don’t possess access to clean water. Dysentery and cholera spread from consumption of contaminated water, causing roughly 5,000 children to die each day, while trachoma alone has blinded six million people (National Geographic, np). According to UNICEF, “the combination of malnutrition, dirty water and poor sanitation sets off a vicious cycle from which many children never recover.” (Manuel Fontaine, np) Families living in poverty are affected the most by a lack of access to clean water, because many of these people become and stay sick, and are forced to travel miles in order to obtain water, which prevents them from making money and going to school.

Africa is a perfect example of a location in which the water crisis has had the biggest impact. In northern Nigeria, 3.8 million people are left with no access to clean water due to infrastructural damage, and in Southern Sudan, 5.1 million people suffer from the same problem due to dry climate (Linda Stcyr, np). In Somalia, the number of people that are predicted to lack clean water in the next month has gone from 3.3 million to 4.5 million (Linda Stcyr, np). Since the turn of the new year, there have been over 13,000 reported cases of acute water diarrhea and cholera, which is almost five times more than last year (Linda Stcyr, np).The combination of dry climate, drought, and tribal conflicts have damaged the infrastructure of many African countries, causing water sources to become contaminated and spread diseases.

The struggle for water has greatly increased demand and depleted the worlds source of groundwater. Sustaining a nations economy is reliant on water supply for farming, rising population, and energy. The demand for water is very high due to its requirement for manufacturing, obtaining oil and gas, farming high-demand crops, and housing development. Agriculture takes up about 70% of the worlds supply of freshwater, and industries use about 22% (Lenntech, np). The major cities of the world are another proponent of the universal water issue. According to a 2014 study by the Nature Conservancy, cities use 504 billion liters of water daily, causing a major overuse of watersheds, a common water supply (Nature Conservancy, np).

Though there are many ideas for possible solutions to the water crisis, it is unlikely that any of these will have any effect in the near future; however, one effective solution that can take immediate action is raising awareness. The average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per day (U.S. Department of Interior, np). The average swimming pool takes about 18,000 to 20,000 gallons of water to fill. While these statistics might seem irrelevant to Americans, they are quite obtrusive to a native of Mogadishu, Somalia or Abuja, Nigeria. Unfortunately it isn’t so easy to donate water to these countries, but something can be done morally. If the everyday American could cut back on how much water they use per day, and be more appreciative and thankful for their seemingly infinite access to clean water and proper sanitation, than the United States will have started a movement towards using less water, and raising awareness about those in Africa that are desperately struggling for water.

The overuse of this resource shouldn’t be considered unjust or unlawful in any way, but it can be a harmful issue when considering the water crisis in Africa. One way to reduce the amount of water the United States uses is to enact policies that put regulations on industries and agriculture, limiting them to how much water they can use. Higher costs on water and inputs that require water might cause industries and agricultural companies to use less water. In an economic sense, when costs are raised companies will aim to make profit by discovering new ways to produce just as much output while spending less on inputs. Corporations will always find ways to innovate if an input becomes more expensive. Many households also waste a significant amount of water each day, and though Americans have to pay water bills, it doesn’t seem to prevent them from continuing to waste water. Perhaps higher bills will reduce the amount of water that Americans use, and pave a path towards lower water use.

The economic goal is to use less water while being just as efficient. The first step is to develop a system of productive water use. Regulations must be placed on agriculture and industry, which combine to use more than 90% of earth’s water supply. A technique called drip irrigation can be implemented, which minimizes evaporation by allowing water to slowly drip to plant roots either from above or below the surface. Farmers also lack proper incentives to use water, so in order to reduce the amount of water that agriculture uses, farmers need to be motivated, whether its increasing costs or implementing new technology that will make them more money.

In order to raise awareness and incentivize American’s to use less water, the EPA and other environmental organizations must find a way to implement their message. The most successful way would be to post on social media, release television ads, and rent billboards. These platforms will reach out to each of the United States’ age groups, hopefully inspiring them to take action and help avoid worsening the ongoing water crisis. The problem with the United States is that most people aren’t concerned with what happens around the world, especially if the issue doesn’t effect them. For instance, Americans aren’t effected by the water shortages in Somalia, Sudan, or Nigeria because those countries lack any kind of relevance in the United States. If large, multi billion dollar television corporations, like NBC, aired emotional commercials portraying the struggles in those countries, then more Americans will be inspired to use less water.

The United States must reduce the amount of water that it uses because water is a limited resource, and if Americans aren’t cognizant, they will end up like the people in Nigeria, Somalia, or Sudan. Bogota, the capital city of Columbia, uses hydropower to provide 77% of Columbia’s electricity (GEF, np). The water needed for this task is extracted from the mountainous wetlands surrounding Bogota. The Global Environmental Facility has stepped in to preserve these wetlands by implementing the Special Climate Change Fund. The goal of this project is to reduce global warming effects, and sustain Bogota’s water source, which is predicted to become extremely scarce within the next 40 years (GEF, np). In order to avoid similar repercussions as Bogota, the United States has to make the necessary changes to reduce their exuberant use of water.

The Environmental Protection Agency has begun to help with the water crisis by implementing three projects: the Water Infrastructure Challenge, Building Sustainable Infrastructure, and Managing Sustainable Utilities. Each of these projects focus on sustainability of water infrastructure, water and energy efficiency, alternative technologies, pricing and finance, and asset management (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, np). Given the proper funding, man power, and allocation of time and resources, these projects will be able to significantly reduce the amount of water that the United States uses.
Water is the most important resource in the world, providing uses for drinking, irrigation, hygiene and cooking. The issue of waters sustainability is growing every day, considering clean water is a necessity of life. In a developed nation, such as the United States, clean water might be the most available product, but in third world countries and developing nations, clean water that is both available and safe to drink is an extreme problem. Americans need to take action and reduce the amount of water they use before they become one of the many countries struggling due to a lack of clean and safe drinking water.

 

Work Cited
“Sustainable Water Infrastructure.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Feb. 2018, www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure.

“Sustainable Earth: Water.” National Geographic, 7 Jan. 2014, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/water/.

“Water Crisis – Learn About The Global Water Crisis.”
Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/.

“Newsroom.” Global Environment Facility,
www.thegef.org/news/importance-water-sustainability.

“Water Treatment Solutions.” Lenntech Water Treatment & Purification, www.lenntech.com/water-food-agriculture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planet earth is a tremendous, life-sustaining biosphere inhabited by mankind. It is seen from outer space as a beautiful blue ball of life, however, millions of people across the globe lack access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation. The United States, Canada, and other prolific economies take clean water for granted, while the citizens of Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria suffer daily. If a planet is nearly three-quarters covered in water, then why are these countries so water poor? A proper solution to the world’s water crisis must be found so that countries, like those in Africa, can have daily access to water.
According to National Geographic, about 880 million people don’t possess access to clean water. Dysentery and cholera spread from consumption of contaminated water, causing roughly 5,000 children to die each day, while trachoma alone has blinded six million people. According to UNICEF, “the combination of malnutrition, dirty water and poor sanitation sets off a vicious cycle from which many children never recover.” (Manuel Fontaine, np) Families living in poverty are affected the most by a lack of access to clean water. Many of these people become and stay sick and are forced to travel miles in order to obtain water, which prevents them from making money and going to school.
Africa is a perfect example of a location in which the water crisis has had the biggest impact. In northern Nigeria, 3.8 million people are left with no access to clean water due to infrastructural damage, and in Southern Sudan, 5.1 million people suffer from the same problem due to dry climate. In Somalia, the number of people that will lack clean water in the next month has gone from 3.3 million to 4.5 million. Since the turn of the new year, there have been over 13,000 reported cases of acute water diarrhea and cholera, which is almost five times more than last year. The combination of dry climate and drought, and tribal conflicts have damaged many African countries infrastructure, initiating water sources to become contaminated and spread disease.
The struggle for water has greatly increased demand and depleted the worlds source of groundwater. Sustaining a nations economic growth is reliant on water supply for farming, rising population, and energy. The demand for water is very high due to its requirement for manufacturing, obtaining oil and gas, farming high-demand crops, and housing development. Agriculture takes up about 70% of the worlds supply of freshwater, and industries use about 22%. The major cities of the world are another proponent of the universal depleting water source issue. According to a 2014 study by the Nature Conservancy, cities use 504 billion liters of water daily, causing a major overuse of watersheds.
When considering possible solutions, the goal is to use water efficiently while using less of it. In the end, the water that is preserved can be sent to the citizens of Somalia, Sudan, and Nigeria. The first step is to develop a system of effective water use. Regulations must be placed on agriculture and industry, which combine to use more than 90% of earth’s water supply. Experts recommend a technique called drip irrigation to minimize evaporation. Drip irrigation works by allowing water to slowly drip to plant roots either from above or below the surface. Farmers also lack proper incentives to productively use water. In order to reduce the amount of water that agriculture uses, farmers need to be incentivized to use water more efficiently, whether its lowering costs or reducing job risk.
The Environmental Protection Agency has implemented three projects to save the world’s supply of water: the Water Infrastructure Challenge, Building Sustainable Infrastructure, and Managing Sustainable Utilities. The Water Infrastructure Challenge project focuses on policy on water infrastructure sustainability and infrastructure needs. The Building Sustainable Infrastructure project concentrates on water and energy efficiency, alternative technologies, and asset management. Lastly, the Maintaining Sustainable Utilities project centralizes on effective utility management, finance, and pricing and affordability.
These three projects are particularly important because they focus on issues that are prevalent in Somalia, Sudan, and Nigeria. Each of these countries exist in water crisis because of the damage to their infrastructure. By investing money, regulating prices, innovating technologies, building and managing new infrastructure, and maximizing utilities, the water crisis can be coveted, and even solved in more countries than just Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan. However, the EPA needs to put the time, money, and man power in to these projects in order for them to have any kind of effect.
One example of an organization taking action is the GEF’s project in Bogota, Columbia. This capital city uses hydropower to provide 77% of Columbia’s electricity. The water needed for this task is extracted from the mountainous wetlands surrounding Bogota. The GEF has stepped in to preserve these wetlands by implementing the Special Climate Change Fund. The goal of this project is to reduce global warming effects, and sustain Bogota’s water source, which is predicted to become extremely scarce within the next 40 years. If other organizations can step forward and initiate action, similar to the GEF, then many of the water-poor African countries will finally be uplifted from the water crisis they’re currently residing.
There is something else that can be done to resolve the water crisis, and everybody can take part. The average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per day. The average swimming pool takes about 18,000 to 20,000 gallons of water to fill. While these statistics might seem irrelevant to Americans, they are quite obtrusive to a native of Mogadishu, Somalia, or Abuja, Nigeria. Unfortunately it isn’t so easy to donate water to those in need, but something can be done morally. If the everyday American could cut back on how much water they use per day, and be more appreciative and thankful for their seemingly infinite access to clean water and proper sanitation, than the United States will have started a movement towards sustaining the world’s water supply and saving it for those who are in desperate need.
In order to incentivize American’s to use less water, the EPA and other environmental organizations must find a way to implement their message. The most successful way would be to post on social media, release television ads, and rent billboards. These platforms will reach out to each of the United States’ age groups, hopefully inspiring them to take action and help overt from worsening the ongoing water crisis.
The overuse of water shouldn’t be considered immoral or unlawful in any way, but it can be a harmful issue when considering the water crisis in Africa. Another way to save these countries is to enact policies that put regulations on industries and agriculture, limiting them to how much water they can use. Higher costs on water and inputs that use or require water might cause industries and agricultural companies to use less water. In an economic sense, these companies will aim to discover new ways to produce just as much output while spending less on inputs. Many households also waste a significant amount of water each day, and though Americans have to pay water bills, it doesn’t seem to prevent them from continuing to waste water. Perhaps higher water bills will reduce the amount of water that Americans use. Modern day economics has proven that incentives are the most powerful tool for accomplishing a goal, which in this case is reducing water usage.
Water is the most important resource in the world, providing uses for drinking, irrigation, hygiene and cooking. The issue of waters sustainability is growing every day. Not only is water the most important resource, but clean water is a necessity of life. In a developed nation, such as the United States, clean water might be the most available product, but in third world countries and developing nations, clean water that is both available and safe to drink is an extreme problem. Americans need to take action and reduce the amount of water they use, while government organizations need to step forward and allocate the necessary resources to improve the water crisis in Sudan, Somalia, and Nigeria, as well any other countries in dire need of water.

 

work cited

“Sustainable Water Infrastructure.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Feb. 2018, www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure.

“Sustainable Earth: Water.” National Geographic, 7 Jan. 2014, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/water/.

 

www.thegef.org/news/importance-water-sustainability.

 

“Water Crisis – Learn About The Global Water Crisis.” Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/.

 

My persuasive essay is centered around the sustainability of water and efficient solutions to use less water and give it to those who are in dire need. I think the specific topic is “an efficient solution to preserve the world’s clean water for those in need.” This topic interests me because I’ve always been guilty of dumping full cups of water down the drain, taking really long showers, and swimming in pools (which contains millions of gallons of water). I’ve always felt guilty about such things and feel that countries with a surplus of water, like the United States, need to find better ways to use water effectively, while using less.

My primary audience are those who live in luxury and take water for granted. My family, friends, and neighbors are all guilty of these, and we need to preserve water and use it in smarter, more productive ways. I will address the concerns of my essay by presenting my audience with statistics, such as how much water is consumed per day, month, and year by United States citizens, and statistics such as how many people suffer from a lack of clean drinking water and proper sanitation. These statistics will include children deaths per day and year, percentages of the world that lack clean water, and the specific diseases that dirty water administers.

I will structure my essay as a question of policy. First I’ll give the statistics I previously stated, then I’ll address the question of policy (industry and agriculture take up too much of the world’s water supply, etc.), and then I’ll list possible solutions and support which solution I think is best.

I need to persuade my audience that wealthy, first world countries, such as the United States, don’t think twice about their use of water. Countries such as India, Haiti, and most of the African continent are without daily clean drinking water. They lack proper means of sanitation and food preparation, which can lead to starvation, disease, and, in many cases, death. I believe that the statistics I will provide will provide most of the persuasive argument I need. The problem with our country is that we just don’t know or understand how poor the rest of the world is.

I’ve come across a few difficulties, but the biggest was narrowing my topic. I can’t write my essay on every country that lacks clean water, so I have to narrow my topic down to probably one country, and I’ve had trouble figuring out which country I should focus on. South Africa has been in recent news, everyone knows the obvious countries that lack clean water, and California has recently had issues with sanitary water. However, I think the best way to approach my essay is to concentrate on Africa, because that includes most of the world’s countries that lack clean water, including Chad, Ghana, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

At the end, I intend to include a “call to action” such that my fellow classmates use water more preciously, be thankful for the luxury they have that is water, and consider helping the water-poor I discuss in my essay.

I wasn’t able to find that many articles stating that water shortage isn’t a problem, because most reasonable human beings are well aware of the global crisis for clean water. Countries like South Africa and India, and most third-world countries endure daily struggles to find clean water, whether its to care for diseases, prepare foods, or just survive.

I read an article called, “We’re (not) running out of water– a better way to measure water scarcity,” and the main point of it was to establish between water shortage and water stress. It read, “a desert isn’t water stressed if no one is using the water; its just an arid place.” (Kate Brouman, np) The author is trying to sat that a dry region, such as the Sahara Desert, isn’t suffering from water shortage because it is water stressed, but she never gave a clear definition of what it means to be stressed. Regions such as the Sahara Desert used to be quite fertile several thousand years ago, however farming used up all of the available water, thus creating the dry land that the Sahara is today.

I also believe that the issue of water scarcity shouldn’t be focused around region and environment, but more on mankind’s demand for water. Most articles concentrate their attention on regions that are extremely hot and dry, and though location is a large reason for water shortage, there’s nothing we can do about it. We should be looking for ways to get water to people in these reasons instead of restating the problem. For instance, an article on World Resource Institute read, “We’re changing the climate, making dry areas drier and making precipitation more variable and extreme” (Leah Schleifer, np) Throughout this article, Schleifer only states reasons for the problem instead of ways to fix the problem, which is counterproductive.

I looked up several ways to fix the water crisis, and I found one article particularly interesting. The list of ideas to solve the global water shortage were well constructed and have the potential to work, but I read a comment that called this list a, “laundry list of hopes,” (David Zetland, np) and that there must be a way to put each of these ideas into action without making them compete in the market. I never really looked at the water issue from a market perspective. If you propose innovation and new technologies to cure the water shortage then the technologies would compete on an open market, which could backfire.

This article had two solutions in its list that I didn’t understand or agree with: population and climate control. I understand that the idea of these would be beneficial to the environment but the article didn’t explain how these ideas would be put into action. How are you going to control our rapidly growing population? How are you going to put controls on the climate? I think I might expand on these in my persuasive essay, and use them as possible solutions.

Work Cited

www.circleofblue.org/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-crisis/.

www.wri.org/blog/2017/08/7-reasons-were-facing-global-water-crisis.

https://theconversation.com/were-not-running-out-of-water-a-better-way-to-measure-water-scarcity-58699

Humanity will not survive if mankind cannot find an efficient way to preserve the world’s scarce supply of water.

 

The issue of waters sustainability is growing every day. Not only is water the most important resource on the planet, but clean water is a necessity of life. The world’s largest economies use water for industrial, agricultural or personal purposes, as if its supply is infinite. The belief that clean water will always exist is farce, and such a belief will destroy the inhabitants of planet Earth.

This issue is a question of policy: the overuse of water isn’t immoral or unlawful in any way, but it is a harmful issue, nonetheless. The only way to save the planet is to enact policies that put regulations on industries, limiting them to how much water they can use. Many households also waste a significant amount of water each day. Although Americans have to pay water bills, perhaps stricter costs for water might help restrict people in how much water they use per day.
The only case for a question of value would be that overusing and wasting water in a dominant economy, such as the United States, is wrong on a universal level considering millions of people lack the pleasure of a surplus of clean water.

The reason this issue is so important is because water is the most important element to sustain life, and it is overused more than any other resource. Water isn’t only used for drinking, but also for sanitation and preparation of food. 844 million people are living without access to safe drinking water, and 2.3 billion people are living without proper sanitation (https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/). Agriculture takes up about 70% of the worlds water, and industries consume about 22% (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/water/). 5,000 children die each day from unsafe drinking water or poor sanitation which both produce extremely deadly diseases for residents in a third-world country (https://www.thegef.org/news/importance-water-sustainability).

Mankind needs to think of ways to regulate the world’s economies in how much water they use, and provide the millions of people without safe water and proper sanitation the clean water they need to survive. The EPA has implemented projects around the globe that are working to solve this water crisis, such as the Water Infrastructure Challenge, Building Sustainable Infrastructure, and Managing Sustainable Utilities. Proper management and finance will greatly improve much of the world’s infrastructure and pave the way for providing clean water to those in need. (https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure)

Some of the research questions I used was, “how much of the world lacks clean water”, ”how much water does agriculture and industry use,” and, ”what are current projects and possible solutions to fix the water crisis?”

I’m so interested in this particular issue because of its urgency and relevance. Many people living in prolific nations don’t think about water as an issue because they have such easy access. However, these people are badly mistaken because water sustainability is one of the worlds most troubling issues, and I am interested in discovering new solutions to fix this crisis

 

Work Cited

“Sustainable Water Infrastructure.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 9 Feb. 2018, www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure.

“Sustainable Earth: Water.” National Geographic, 7 Jan. 2014, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/water/.

 

www.thegef.org/news/importance-water-sustainability.

 

“Water Crisis – Learn About The Global Water Crisis.” Water.org, water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/.

Today, I attended the deliberation, “A Greek Tragedy: Should Greek Life Live On?”. The group featured ten very enthusiastic students seeking to uncover a solution to the ongoing issues with Penn State Greek Life. I thought that the group performed very well, they were active in discussion with the entire audience, and they had enough information prepared to allow the audience to make a stance on their preferred solution. This group advocated for three different approaches to solve the stated problem. The first option was to keep Greek Life in its current status. The second option is to exterminate Greek Life entirely, and the third option is to keep Greek Life but make it much more strict.

I’m heavily in favor of the first option. There are plenty of restrictions that are currently in place on Penn State Greek Life, and I believe that these restrictions are enough to contain the rugged “party culture” that fraternities encourage. For instance, each student must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and fourteen credits in order to rush. Fraternities are limited to ten socials per semester, and each social can only serve beer and wine. Many fraternities that break rules are either suspended from all Greek Life activity or they are restricted from serving any alcohol at socials. Amongst the many rules, fraternities are very limited in what they can do, which is a much different case in comparison to Penn State social life one year ago. For these reasons I believe that Greek Life should be left alone.

I completely disagree with the second option that Greek Life should be abolished. Greek Life, though fraternities condone a seemingly unhealthy lifestyle, provide more good than bad. Over $10 million was raised at THON and most of those donations were received with the help of fraternities and sororities. If Greek Life is removed then Penn State will have to find some other way to generate such extensive funding for THON, which would be nearly impossible without the help of the Greek community. Fraternities and sororities also take part in a tremendous amount of community service. Each fraternity house has required GPAs for its members and a house GPA that each member works very hard to maintain. Contrary to public opinion, frats actually possess high standards when it comes to grades.

Many people believe that the source of everything bad that happens at Penn State, whether sexual assaults, underage citations, or hospitalizations, is fraternities. The fact is that whether frats are here or not the party culture will continue to be prolific; college students will always find ways to drink. When a student dies, it’s almost always a pledge going through his initiation night, which only proves that hazing is the problem. I’m also a firm believer in punishing the frats that are guilty instead of the Greek community as a whole. However, I think that Penn State is better off with the strict regulations that are in place. For these reasons I also disagree with the third option, just because there are enough regulations in place as it is. The next step wouldn’t be to add more rules, but it would be to remove frats.

Overall I enjoyed being at the deliberation and I feel confident that we made some ground on a possible solution. It’s not easy to lead a discussion on such a volatile topic, especially when most of the people in the room are pro-Greek Life.

I was able to find two articles that could help me write the team overview summary. In an article by the New York Times, I read that Penn State has threatened to exterminated Greek Life as a whole, resulting from the tragic death of young Tim Piazza last February. Piazza was a pledge, working hard to do well in school and make it through the pledge process of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. On the night of his would be induction into the fraternity, Piazza drank too much, endured several falls that gave him severe internal injuries, and eventually died in the hospital early the next morning. The Beta house was immediately expelled from Greek life, and several members were given numerous charges that threatened lengthy jail time. These charges included manslaughter, negligence, and obstruction of justice. The police were able to recover deleted text messages from the fraternity brothers involved in Piazza’s hellish night, and video tapes were obtained to provide evidence of what happened.

President Barron placed Penn State Greek life on a moratorium for serving alcohol after several fraternities broke most alcohol regulations during a parents weekend. During this weekend, fraternities held open parties where just about anybody could attend and have access to alcohol, and hosted the fraternity members’ parents, providing them with alcohol. After this incident, President Barron wrote that there would be “heavy conversation” about the future of Greek life at Penn State University Park.

Something interesting that I read was that President Barron became upset over an email that he read. The email was written by a Penn State Intrafraternity Council member, and it read that fraternity members should keep their alcohol on the upstairs levels, where university social checkers did not have access. To the pleasure of some and dismay of others, Greek life is still prominent at Penn State University Park, and should remain constant as long as nothing serious happens in the near future

Another interesting article that I read was one by the Chicago Tribune. This article was very shocking to read as a Penn State student. A sophomore female described her experiences at the Penn State Kappa Delta Rho fraternity house. Her main point was, “don’t go upstairs,” hinting at the inevitable sexual activity that would take place. She described the parties as being filled with alcohol and fraternity members looking for female mates. The KDR house was kicked off in 2015 for a huge hazing scandal and a Facebook page filled with naked photos of women whom the fraternity had taken advantage.

Each of these articles are going to be very helpful for me in writing the summary for team overview. I can use the examples give in each article to make and support key points regarding Penn State party culture. I don’t think that the entire Greek Life system should be punished for the irresponsibility of a few chapters, but I do believe that regulations should be put in place to restrict the fraternity system to negative and harmful behavior towards women, members, and pledges.

Water is the most important resource in the world, providing uses for drinking, irrigation, hygiene and cooking. The issue of waters sustainability is growing every day. Not only is water the most important resource, but clean water is a necessity of life. In a developed nation, such as the United States, clean water might be the most available product, but in third world countries and developing nations, clean water that is both available and safe to drink is an extreme problem.
According to National Geographic, about 880 million people don’t possess access to clean water. Dysentery and cholera spread from consumption of contaminated water, causing roughly 5,000 children to die each day, while trachoma alone has blinded six million people. Families living in poverty are affected the most by a lack of access to clean water. Many of these people become and stay sick and are forced to travel miles in order to obtain water, which prevents them from making money and going to school.
This struggle for water has greatly increased demand and depleted the worlds source of groundwater. Agriculture takes up about 70% of the worlds supply of freshwater, and industries use about 22%. Sandra Postel, head of the Global Water Policy Project, says that, “we’re going deeper into debt on our groundwater use, and that has very significant impacts for global water security. The rate of groundwater depletion has doubled since 1960.” Postel’s statement sums up the water issue perfectly.

The major cities of the world are another proponent of the universal depleting water source issue. According to a 2014 study by the Nature Conservancy, cities use 504 billion liters of water daily, causing a major overuse of watersheds. Bogota, Columbia is home to about 7 million people whose lives rely on the neighboring mountain wetlands for water. The GEF has stepped in to preserve these wetlands by implementing the Special Climate Change Fund in order to reduce global warming effects, and sustain Bogota’s water source.

A great amount of the earth’s water supply comes from rivers and floodplains. These ecosystems provide mankind with our main source of water, which humans will permanently have demand for. Postel says, “when we take from rivers, floodplains, and watersheds, those ecosystems bear the brunt of water scarcity and begin to be degraded or disappear. And that also creates a cost to us not just to nature, because we also depend upon those ecosystems.” Her statement paves the way for future water sustainability solutions.

When considering possible solutions, the most helpful scenario would be to be more productive when using water. The first step is to develop a system of effective water use. Regulations must be placed on the agriculture industry, which uses almost three-quarters of earth’s water supply. Postel recommends “drip irrigation,” and “growing crops that are more suitable to the local climate.” She also says that farmers lack proper incentives to productively use water. When provided with the proper incentives, farmers will act on them.

According to National Geographic, the United National General Assembly finds that clean and safe drinking water, along with sanitation is a basic human right and “essential for the full employment of life and all human rights.” The Environmental Protection Agency has implemented three projects: the Water Infrastructure Challenge, Building Sustainable Infrastructure, and Managing Sustainable Utilities. The Water Infrastructure Challenge project focuses on policy on water infrastructure sustainability and infrastructure needs. The Building Sustainable Infrastructure project concentrates on water and energy efficiency, alternative technologies, and asset management. Lastly, the Maintaining Sustainable Utilities project centralizes on effective utility management, finance, and pricing and affordability. Each of these three projects are good examples of what it takes to save the earth’s clean water source.

I found these articles so captivating because I believe that water that is both safe and clean is a necessary human right, and one that should be available to everyone. Before reading this National Geographic publication I was not aware that 5,000 children die each day from consuming contaminated water, which is all the more reason we need to come up with solutions to both use earth’s water supply more efficiently, and to provide everyone their right to have clean and safe drinking water. Every human being on earth deserves clean water to drink.

 

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-water-infrastructure

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/water/

https://www.thegef.org/news/importance-water-sustainability

I’m a young 7th grade boy just arriving to my first class of the day in homeroom 7B. It’s about 7:58 AM, sometime in mid-October. As I sit down in my chair and adjust myself to my desk, I realize that I’d forgotten to due a homework assignment in my vocabulary book. I was struck by that sudden feeling as if your heart dropped and your insides flipped upside down. I never miss a homework assignment, or so I thought. While pondering the consequences that I would face, not in my grade, but from my mother it suddenly hit me: copy the answers from somebody else, or in other words, cheat. At the time I believed my actions to be harmless because I was doing them for what I thought were the right intentions. However, I would soon regret my decision.
“Hey Caroline,” I whispered to the short brunette girl assigned to the seat next to me.
“What!” she shouted back; she wasn’t the kindest of girls.
“Let me see your vocabulary book. I forgot to do the homework,” I begged her.
“Well… alright,” she retorted reluctantly. She proceeded to take out her vocabulary book and place it on my desk. The stealthy child that I believed I was, I slowly moved her book from my desk onto my chair so that I could discreetly complete my overdue assignment. About thirty seconds go by and the principles voice sounds from the intercom, commencing morning announcements. However, this did not stop me as I pushed on, desperately trying to continue my mission. I was writing faster, thinking clearer, seeing the world from every level. Surely I would complete my assignment without being detected.
I like to think that life has its ways of evening the score; it does so in many ways, shapes and forms, and I learned this on that mid-October day. During announcements, everyone is supposed to stand, halt all movements, and listen intently. Everyone was following these instructions except for me, but I figured that I was so nonchalant that I wouldn’t be recognized. Well, out of the corner of my eye I saw a humanoid figure moving towards me, increasing its pace by the step, and I began to see Caroline’s head shift in the direction of the figure. Seconds later, a hand marked by a diamond ring on the third finger snatched my book. As my eyes begin to look up and my heart accelerates, I find the disgusted face of Mrs. Blackert. My mind races, pondering all of the consequences I would face, but there was one particular punishment that I feared the most: the rage of my mother. I beg my teacher to have a heart, but even her favorite student couldn’t be pardoned from the petty crime of cheating. I don’t know what went slower, the minute hand on the clock that day or watching Mrs. Blackert’s hand write my detention.
The moment that I feared for eight hours finally arrived when I looked into my mothers eyes through her car window across the parking lot. I try to open the door as slowly as I could, but it wouldn’t save me from the berating I was about to face. She didn’t say anything for quite a while, but watched me as I stared out into the parking lot. Finally, she opens her mouth and says, “Don’t do it again.” I wait a couple of seconds for a follow up scolding, but none came. I can’t believe it. My mother didn’t even raise her voice, let alone yell at me and I deserved every ounce of her rage; a turn of events I’ll hold with me forever. She knew I was afraid, and that I regretted my decision, and for those reasons she decided not to yell at me.
A mother’s kindness can provide the most essential life lessons, and if there’s one thing I’ll never do again, its cheat. This I believe, that a mothers love is the most important educator for a child. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I haven’t cheated since that day seven years ago.

 

I’m a young 7th grade boy just arriving to my first class of the day in homeroom 7B. It’s about 7:58 AM, sometime in mid-October. As I sit down in my chair and adjust myself to my desk, I realize that I’d forgotten to due a homework assignment in my vocabulary book. I was struck by that sudden feeling as if your heart dropped and your insides flipped upside down. I never miss a homework assignment, or so I thought. While pondering the consequences that I would face, not in my grade, but from my mother it suddenly hit me: copy the answers from somebody else. In other words, cheat. At the time I believed my actions to be harmless because I was doing them for what I thought were the right intentions. However, I would soon regret my decision.
“Hey Caroline,” I whispered to the girl assigned to the seat next to me.
“What!” she shouted back; she wasn’t the kindest of girls.
“Let me see your vocabulary book. I forgot to do the homework,” I begged her.
“Well… alright,” she retorted reluctantly. She proceeded to take out her vocabulary book and place it on my desk. The stealthy child that I believed I was, I slowly moved her book from my desk onto my chair so that I could discreetly complete my overdue assignment. About thirty seconds go by and the principles voice sounds from the intercom, commencing morning announcements. However, this did not stop me as I pushed on, desperately trying to continue on my mission. I was writing faster, thinking clearer, seeing the world from every level. Surely I would complete my assignment without being detected.
I like to think that life has its ways of evening the score; it does so in many ways, shapes and forms, and I learned this on that mid-October day. During announcements, everyone is supposed to stand, halt all movements, and listen intently. Everyone was following these instructions except for me, but I figured that I was so nonchalant that I wouldn’t be recognized. Well, out of the corner of my eye I saw a humanoid figure moving towards me, and I began to see Caroline’s head shift in the direction of the figure. Seconds later, a hand marked by a diamond ring on the third finger snatched my book. As my eyes begin to look up and my heart accelerates, I found the disgusted face of Mrs. Blackert. My mind races, pondering all of the consequences I would face, but there was one particular punishment that I feared the most: the rage of my mother. I beg my teacher to have a heart, but even her favorite student couldn’t be pardoned from the petty crime of cheating. I don’t know what went slower, the minute hand on the clock that day or watching Mrs. Blackert’s hand write my detention.
The moment that I feared for eight hours finally arrived when I looked into my mothers eyes through the car window. I try to open the door as slowly as I could, but it wouldn’t save me from the berating I was about to receive. She didn’t say anything for quite a while, but watched me as I stared out into the school parking lot. Finally, she opens her mouth and says, “Don’t do it again.” I wait a couple of seconds for a follow upon scolding, but none came. I can’t believe it. My mother didn’t even raise her voice, let alone yell at me and I deserved every ounce of her rage; a turn of events I’ll hold with me forever. A mother’s kindness can provide the most essential life lessons, and if there’s one thing I’ll never do again, its cheat. Seven years to the day and I still haven’t cheated. Thank you, mom.