Pollution and Water Quality
According to the United Nations, declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow, industrial and agricultural activities expand, and climate change threatens to cause major alterations to the hydrological cycle. Resources available in this sub-theme include manuals describing water quality testing and treatment, reports and assessments of water quality from around the world, methods of maintaining water quality and managing pollution, and other resources that support enabling environments for effective water quality control.
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Pollution and Water Quality Resources
The complicated history of environmental racism
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July 22, 2021Many people understand the environment as a force of nature that cannot favor or disfavor different populations. However, similar to all things on Earth, the environment is subject to human influences. Unfortunately, these influences often tend to lower their hands to the worsts of our society...Read more
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United StatesOp-ed: Water Pollution in Iowa Is Environmental Injustice
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July 22, 2021Environmental injustice and systemic racism affect communities throughout the United States, but many communities in rural states face additional challenges. The farming activities prevalent in many rural areas can inflict serious damage on water resources, but the damage does not involve all...Read more
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United StatesWhen Environmental Racism, a Public Health Crisis, and an Educational Emergency Collide
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July 22, 2021Flint, Michigan, is ground zero for the four major crises that have afflicted the nation over the past year. In Flint, a health crisis collided with an economic downturn, systemic racism, and a burgeoning environmental crisis years before the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2014, an emergency manager...Read more
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United StatesIndianapolis: When Lead and Racism Are Both in the Water
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July 22, 2021Many policymakers and activists have heard about the environmental injustice and water disasters in places like Flint, Michigan, but Indianapolis, Indiana, is a lesser-known epicenter for environmental racism. Indianapolis’ history of heavy industry and manufacturing not only put lead directly into...Read more
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United StatesBroken pipes. Complex funding applications. The water challenges facing California’s disadvantaged communities.
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July 22, 2021California might have the fifth largest economy in the world, but many people in the state’s disadvantaged communities feel like they are living in a third world country because they don’t have safe, clean and affordable drinking water. A lack of financial resources, institutional knowledge, and...Read more
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United StatesWater Pollution: Everything You Need to Know
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July 22, 2021Natural Resources Defense Council
This widespread problem of water pollution is jeopardizing human health. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined. Meanwhile, drinkable water sources are finite: Less than 1 percent of the earth’s freshwater is actually accessible for human use...Read more
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GlobalHow Industrial Agriculture Affects Our Water
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July 22, 2021Industrial agriculture is one of the leading causes of water pollution in the United States. Studies have found that 46 percent of the nation’s rivers and streams are in “poor biological condition,” and 21 percent of lakes are “hypereutrophic” (meaning that high levels of nutrients are degrading...Read more
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United StatesThe origins of environmental justice—and why it’s finally getting the attention it deserves
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July 22, 2021The environmental justice movement advocates for a correction to the racist and classist systems that channel environmentally harmful activities into marginalized communities. Although it has recently gained momentum, the environmental justice movement has existed for nearly 40 years. Many Black...Read more
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United StatesDon't see what you're looking for? You can search USWP member sites, request a resource, or contact the USWP.