Dumping and its Impact

Societies have gradually changed their environment to fit the needs and wants of their culture. They have changed their environment to produce goods and or services that will accumulate income. Many societies have undergone changes to urbanize their cities, so that they could increase their income per capita. Population growth has also cause a change in the environment, because it has increase production and consumption of natural resources. The increase of population lead many water bodies to become polluted, because people are using water for energy, agriculture and to dump their toxic waste into. The Industrial Revolution caused societies to believe it is alright for them to dump their toxic waste into the water. Factories were dumping huge amounts of toxic waste in to the waters, and caused the water to become contaminated with high levels of mercury. Dumping has lead the body of water to become undrinkable, unusable and unlivable for species.

An example of the destruction of a land due to industrialization is the Rhine. The Rhine's water was once so clean it accommodate salmon. The water was fresh and abundant. People were able to drink it with out the fear of becoming ill. But since the Industrial Revolution swept the nation, the Rhine become a prime area to industrialize. The German chemical industry threw its toxic waste in to the waters. They dumped harmful chemicals such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides. The Rhine was filled with high levels of mercury, zinc and other toxic chemicals. People became ill after eating fish or drinking water from the Rhine, because it was highly contaminated. Industrialization left the Rhine heavy with pollutants, salmon was rare, and the mayfish disappeared.

Companies want to gain income and will stop and nothing to have a higher net profit, even if it means destroying a land that was once fertile. They believe a body of water is their own personal waste bin, and they can throw their toxic waste into it. Throwing toxic waste into our water system is an easy way to get rid of toxic waste, but it carries out long term affects that affect everyone and everything. Although there are more enforce rules and regulations to control dumping, the condition of the contaminated water remains unchanged. Mankind must realize to preserve their natural surroundings before it is too late to change.

McNeil, J.R., 2000: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World: Something New Under the Sun. Norton & Company, Inc., New York

Anderberg Stefan (1998) Industrial Metabolism and the Linkages Between Economies, Ethics and the Environment. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VDY-3T8365G-10&_user=521825&_coverDate=02%2F03%2F1998&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000059578&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=521825&md5=10fd33aa663442ac3e948f2aff50bad9 from Business Source Complete