Paper 3

What is the best way to reduce water pollution?

Water pollution due to agriculture

The NRDC works to safeguard the earth and the natural systems on which all life depends.[1] They claim that 80% of the world’s wastewater is dumped largely untreated back into the environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans.[2] This widespread problem of water pollution is affecting our health care. Unsafe water will kill more people each year.[3] This issue of water pollution raises the question: What is the best way to reduce water pollution? Water pollution occurs when harmful substances contaminate the world’s water, degrading water quality. Toxic substances from farms and factories ensure the most pollution. Farming techniques are one of the reasons water pollution occurs more often. It is the world’s most significant cause of water pollution, claimed by Mrs. Denchak from NRDC.[4] Two other solutions which will be discussed by my groupmates are: cleaning the world’s waters, meaning water pollution will be reduced when the pollutants from untreated wastewater are removed[5] and implementing a Pigouvian tax, a governmental cost on activities that creates social harmful externalities.[6]

But why do farming techniques lead to water pollution? Farming techniques cause water pollution since farmers use fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms. Every time it rains, these methods wash nutrients and pathogens such as bacteria and viruses into our waterways, causing water pollution. That being said, in what ways can different farming techniques reduce the amount of water pollution throughout the world?

But first I will explain a comparison between past and present farming. Farmers had back then different techniques, and it was a natural process. Therefore, farming techniques had a different definition in the past than in the present. To start with the past situation. Farmers in the past didn’t use technologies to make advances in providing food. Animal smart mentions, that this way of farming did take more time, however, it didn’t lead to water pollution.[7] In comparison to the past are there only 2% who produce food for the world now, meaning farming must be done faster. Farmers make use of fertilizers, pesticides, nutrients, sedimentation, irrigation, plowing too often, overgrazing, etc.[8] These methods make sure that their yield grows faster and more efficiently. A con is that these techniques are the cause of water pollution.

There are several ways to solve water pollution, by conservation tillage, crop nutrient managements, conservation buffers, animal feeding operations,  non-polluting fertilizers. The one’s I’ll be looking into are fertilizers, sedimentation, grazing intensity and nutrient management. I chose these farming methods, since more research was found. However, I want to prove that there are enough ways to solve water pollution beside the ones I’ll be explaining. [9]

One method that farmers use are pesticides and fertilizers. They are used to kill the agricultural pest, which means, meaning water pollution will be reduced. However, by making use of these pesticides, water will be contaminated. These chemicals can enter and contaminate water through direct application, which leads to horrible effects. They can poison fish and wildlife and reduce pollute food sources. A solution is, to minimize contamination from pesticides and fertilizers, farmers should apply IPM, Integrated Pest Management. The bases of this technique specializes in specific soil, climate, pest history, and crop condition for particular fields. A survey that was   carried out by conducting semi-structured with the participants of IPM claims, that after an IPM training 5% of 1057 farmers in India started using IPM to reduce water pollution. [10]

Another farming technique that causes water pollution or, in this case, sedimentation, is washed off fields. When there is too much sediment, it can make the water cloudy, and there for reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches organisms. Rainwater carries soil particles and dumps them into nearby lakes or streams. Frequently are fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy metals attached to these soil particles, meaning when it rains, these toxic substances end up in the water, causing water pollution. Farmers should apply managements that controls the volume and flow rate of runoff water. This will keep the soil in place and therefore reducing soil transport. Efficient water uptake by crops can be achieved through demand-based irrigation scheduling that takes into account different crop’s water needs. Agricultural water use efficiency can be improved by minimizing soil transport soil evaporation losses relative and to plant transpiration in the field, which play key roles in the conservation and management of water, claimed by IAEA, the world’s centre for cooperation in nuclear field and seeks for safe technologies.[11]

Farmers often put an enormous amount of animals in a small area. These confined areas become significant sources of animal waste. This leads to runoffs that carry pathogens such as bacteria and viruses that contaminates the water. For the farmers, it is more efficient to put a significant amount of animals in a small area, however, a smaller area reduces the amount of sunglight enlarges the chances of animal waste, which leads to water pollution. Something farmers do as well as is overgrazing. Overgrazing exposes soil increases erosion and encourages invasion. [12] To reduce the impacts of grazing on water quality, farmers can adjust grazing intensity, keeping livestock out of sensitive area, and provide alternative water sources. In southwestern Virginia, improved animal performance is a common justification for improved watering systems for cattle. It was a several year experiment, but the farmers participating did find out that water managements and changing grazing areas reduces soil water pollution.[13]

There may also be other solutions, such as cleaning the world’s water. However, that doesn’t solve the problem, water pollution. Farmers will continue with their old farming techniques and still pollute the water. Eventually cleaning water is useless, because water will be contaminated again because farmers stay in their former habit. Furthermore, does the Pigouvian tax not solve the problem either. When there is a tax, to prevent people from using harmful substances, people may not use it anymore. But there are always some who keep on using their old products and still pollute the water. This isn’t the case when farming techniques are adjusted in such a way that farmers won’t pollute the water anymore. All methods are still practical to be used by farmers, and that won’t lead to water pollution, because the techniques are only slightly adjusted.

This will solve the problem of water pollution because changing farming techniques will prevent farmers from using harmful substances and polluting water again. Since farming techniques are the world’s most significant cause of water pollution, changing farming techniques. Since farmers are the world’s most significant cause of water pollution, changing farming techniques will reduce water pollution significantly as well. To minimize water pollution, the best solution is to adjust farming techniques and not by cleaning systems or by a Pigouvian tax. Thank you.

Bibliography

[1]“ “, ‘NRDC About us’. NRDC. Online. Available from: https://www.nrdc.org/about

[2] M. Denchack, ‘Water pollution: Everything you need to know.’, NRDC, (14 May, 2018). Online. Available from: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know#categories

[3] M. Denchack, ‘Water pollution: Everything you need to know.’, NRDC, (14 May, 2018). Online. Available from: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know#categories

[4] M. Denchack, ‘Water pollution: Everything you need to know.’, NRDC, (14 May, 2018). Online. Available from: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-ever  ything-you-need-know#categories

[5] “ “,‘How to improve water quality?, Solar Impulse Foundation. Online. Available from: https://solarimpulse.com/water-pollution-solutions

[6]K. Amadeo, ’ Pigouvian Taxes, Their Pros and Cons, and Examples’, The balance (25-06-2019). Online. Available:  https://www.thebalance.com/pigouvian-tax-definition-and-examples-4157479

[7] “ “, ’Comparing agriculture of the past with today’. Animal Smart. Online. Available: https://animalsmart.org/animals-and-the-environment/comparing-agriculture-of-the-past-with-today

[8] “ “, ’Comparing agriculture of the past with today’. Animal Smart. Online. Available: https://animalsmart.org/animals-and-the-environment/comparing-agriculture-of-the-past-with-today

[9] “ “, Watershed Academy Web. Online. Available: https://cfpub.epa.gov/watertrain/moduleFrame.cfm?parent_object_id=1362

[10] “ “, ‘Survey of Integrated Pest Mangament IPM’ (June 2017). Online. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318024612_Survey_of_Integrated_Pest_Management_IPM_Practice_in_Vegetable_Crops_of_Rupandehi_District_Western_Nepal

[11] “ “,’Agricultural water management’, IAEA. Online. Available: https://www.iaea.org/topics/agricultural-water-management

[12]F. MCDONALD, ‘EPA warns on water pollution, overgrazing’, Irish Times, (October 30th 1996) Online. Available: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/epa-warns-on-water-pollution-overgrazing-1.100715

[13] “ “, ‘Grazing Practices’, NC State University. Online. Available: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_046597.pdf

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