Education.
The Statue of Liberty circa 1931 by Carolyn Sotka. The first aerial color photograph ever shot.
Our primary goals of the Education section are to help inform the public of critical water pollution issues and arm Americans with knowledge in order to have a better understanding how all of us play a role in protecting our water sources.
WATER POLLUTION AND SOURCES
Water pollution is defined as the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater.
Many anthropogenic pollutants contaminate water bodies. These pollutants can come from: Point Source – Contamination that originates from a single source specific; Nonpoint Source – Contamination derived from diffuse sources; Transboundary – Contaminated water from one country spilling into the waters of another; Air Pollution – Air pollution can make its way into our lakes, streams, rivers and oceans.
(Point source water pollution. Photo Credit: National Park Service / Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore)
TYPES OF WATER POLLUTION
There are countless types of water pollutants. The most common include agricultural runoffs, sewage and wastewater, oil spills, coal ash, fracking, radioactive substances, hazardous chemicals, plastics.
In the US, agricultural pollution is the top contaminate to our rivers and streams, the second-biggest for wetlands, and the third for lakes. Every time it rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock wash nutrients and pathogens—such bacteria and viruses—into our waterways. When pollutants make their way into water supply, polluted water is a threat to human, animal and plant health.
(Midwest Farm Flooding. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
I am Water.
PROTECT ME.
Having Fun at the Beach. (Photo Credit: Seokwon Kim)
RESEARCH AND STUDIES
Together with local governments, all level of educational institutions, NGOs, public and private institutions come together for human health and the environment.
Water pollution is a serious issue. All living organisms on Earth need water to survive. Through research, analysis and studies by leading experts, we become more aware, better informed, and able to bring radical solutions to environmental problems. We are very grateful to all scientists and researchers for their continued focus on water pollution. We have a large database of past and current research and studies, which have not been posted to date. We are continuously adding. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us.
Yosemite Falls, California (Photo Credit: Michael Baker)
HEALTH EFFECTS
The harsh reality – Water pollution kills! No one is immune to the health effects of contaminates. Every year, unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people. Globally, dirty water causes the death of a human being every 10 seconds.
Here is the Global Counter.
According to a study published in The Lancet, overall pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease and death in the world today, responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths. 1.8 million deaths were caused by the pollution of water sources in 2015.
Chemical pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides and nitrate fertilizers can trigger various health issues, such as cancer, suppressed immune systems, neurological damage, hormone disruption, skin rashes and respiratory infections among other illnesses and diseases. There are numerous ongoing battles happening in the United States where water pollution has devastated the health of communities resulting in life threatening diseases and deaths.
(Photo Credit: Trevor Gerzen)
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Knowledge is power. Get involved. Speak out. Report. You can help to protect water for all Americans.
We most certainly agree with NRDC as a very necessary action. They state, “One of the most effective ways to stand up for our waters is to speak out in support of the Clean Water Rule, which clarifies the Clean Water Act’s scope and protects the drinking water of one in three Americans.”
The founder of Voda learned a hard lesson. Corporate polluters and lobbyists have a strong grip and influence on state, local and federal statues, policies and regulation. There are states with Statues of Repose, which highly protects an environmental polluter. In addition, the Trump administration continues to dismantle countless regulations that protect our water, environment and health. Furthermore, some states still have partisan election of judges. Critics of partisan judicial elections argue that the growing amount of fundraising in election campaigns gives special interest groups a foothold to manipulate the judiciary to their liking.
In order to induce change, you must be willing to make a stand. Positive change is not easily accomplished especially if you are tying to stop a polluter alone. This is one of the core reasons why Voda was founded. From the experience of taking on a multi-billion dollar energy company, we know the trials and tribulations. It takes a team and Voda is here to help. Please reach out to us.