sábado, 1 de septiembre de 2007

Comment after watching the film “Erin Brockovich”

The pollution of water can still be regarded as one of the most controversial issues among environmentalists. For the past decades, water pollution has been paid closer attention to. So high was the interest in water poisoning that even films have appeared. Erin Brockovich is one of them. Based on true facts, this movie captures the consequences of water contamination in Hinkley, California. Water pollution encourages scientists to consider the key causes and plausible effects on men’s lives.

On the one hand, many causes can be mentioned. Some of these reasons are fertilizers used in agriculture, toxic waste and pollutants emitted by power stations and by industries. These factories discharge poisonous effluents and chemicals on rivers, lakes and streams. Take the case of the PG and E industry which uses hexavalent chromium as industrial cleaner in its machinery and containers. These last ones did not have an adequate protection. Hence, the chemical substances filter through the different layers of the soil, contaminating underground water and making it unfit for human consumption.

Furthermore, Hinkley residents have fallen sick and some of them have gone terminally ill. This is due to the fact that most Hinkley residents rely on this water for drinking, swimming and bathing. In this way, Hinkley’s inhabitants have contracted incurable cancerigenous illnesses which are passed on genetically. Besides damage to human’s health, water contamination may also affect the whole environment, including animals and plants. The arable lands turn into contaminated sandy soils. Consequently, domestic agricultural production falls and a shortage of food supply follows. Food sources also involves a decrease in number of farm animals since they are the first ones to feel the environmental impact. Farm animals like people have gone sick and then they die.

All in all, it must be said that water pollution is a current environmental topic nowadays. The relevance of this subject is based mostly upon the damage on man’s health. A very-well-illustrated fact that shocked the public opinion is the remarkable true story of PG and E Company which ruined Hinkley residents’ lives, from environmental problems to human’s health.




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