Gaza+Toxic+Water


 * Gaza Now Has A Toxic “Biosphere of War” That No One Can Escape **

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 * 1)  **Article:** The article was published on the Live Science News on May 6th, 2018. Link: []
 * 1) ** Summary: ** The article describes the current toxic water situation in Gaza, terming it the “biosphere of war.” Because of the ongoing war in Palestine, the repeated Israeli bombings, and the overall wartime environment the region is unable to treat its water to safe levels. Sewage, toxic heavy metals, pesticides, and salt infiltrate the aquifers and the supply of drinking water, and leave the people without potable water. The little freshwater sources available require immense amounts of energy to treat and transport, and consistent desalination, which Israel practices, is simply unsustainable for Palestine. However, not only is the water entirely degraded, but the situation is exacerbated by the overprescription of antibiotics for the repeated injuries and attacks that individuals face, resulting in drug-resistant bacteria infecting citizens.“Less regular access to clean water means [|infections will spread faster], bacteria will be stronger, more antibiotics will be prescribed – and the victims will be ever-more weakened.” All in all, the environmental conditions in the Gaza strip are unlivable, and will continue to be until a solution is found.
 * 1) ** Relevance to APES: ** The course’s stated objective is “ to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required [...] to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.” Given this objective, provided by College Board, it is inherent that students must be able to recognize the effect of human conflict on the global scale and develop solutions for the resulting environmental issues. The stated matter is a clear example of an issue that began as solely human but devolved into one that has degraded the environment. Finally, its relevance to APES is particularly significant now, directly after the class unit in water treatment and toxicity. These issues together give rise to the relevance of APES even in religious conflict, and to the hope that citizens can take part in the greater vision of clean and peaceful world.
 * 1) ** My Perspective: ** Towards the end of the article, the author takes the stance that Palestinians would have a healthier biosphere “if the dehumanising ideology behind the conflict was confronted.” However, I don’t believe the situation is that easily remediable. The conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis is centuries long, and will take much more than a statement to end. Both in the short and long term, it is likely that the war will continue, so a less idealistic solution for the water contamination must be found. Even if the war were to come to an unlikely conclusion, like that between North and South Korea, the reality is that the environmental degradation will take far more to mitigate than what either nation has. This is a much more complex and long-lived issue, and the article seems to oversimplify the solution.
 * 1) ** Law: ** The following environmental laws relate to the issue at hand, as they detail the restrictions that must adhered to in such circumstances. However, it must be noted that all but the first stated law are germane only to issues within the US, so they cannot be utilized for the situation in Gaza. Ideally, a working government in Palestine would one day use all of these laws.

//International Environmental Protection Act of 1983 // - This Act authorizes the President to assist countries in protecting and maintaining wildlife habitat and provides an active role in conservation by the Agency for International Development. It further provides that AID shall use the World Conservation Strategy as an overall guide for actions to conserve biological diversity. Funds are explicitly denied for actions that significantly degrade national parks or similar protected areas, or introduce exotic plants or animals into such areas. //Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974// - Requires the EPA to establish national drinking water standards, called maximum contaminant levels, for any pollutants that may have adverse effects on human health. //Water Resources Development Act of 1986// - Authorizes and modifies projects for navigation, flood control, environmental restoration, recreation, hurricane and storm damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, shore protection, aquifer storage and recovery, and navigation mitigation. //Clean Water Act of 1977// - The goals included making all U.S. surface waters safe for fishing and swimming by 1983 and to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters. The revision requires states to develop and execute plans to control non-point pollution, and establish a federal wetlands protection program.



Photo of sewage water dumped directly into Mediterranean Sea from Gaza.