Alyssa Bradley
Ms. Sejkora
AP Language
December 16, 2011
Water and Its Effect on Population Growth
With the increasing population growth of the planet, water will soon become
scarce. As a society, responsibility lies on keeping the planet clean and healthy for future
generations. In the world today, water is essential to the booming population growth
occurring now and towards the distant future.
Seventy percent of Earth, the third largest planet in the solar system, is covered in
water. Out of seventy percent, only one percent of the world’s water is drinkable for
humans. About two percent of the water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers in the north and
south poles. The other ninety-seven percent is salt water and not fit for drinking.
Additionally, chemicals are scattered through our oceans, which harms the water and
surrounding life forms. The different bodies of water are vital to the human population
for many circumstances. The 6.6 billion souls need water in order to survive and gain
energy. Today, the population growth has increased at a steady pace, but the effect of this
colossal growth has overloaded cities worldwide. Water also helps support the
transportation system of boats from country to country. Air condition during the summer
and heating systems during the winter all use water. Industries, across the world, depend
on water to fuel the machines and equipment. The most important of all these necessities
is health. Humans need water to survive and cannot go three days without water. About
two-thirds of the human body is composed of water, so for the body to function regularly,
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water is crucial. Water develops and sustains the human population, but in effect, humans
will destroy the forests, the air, and finally, the ocean with population increase.
Resources, especially water, will become scarce in the future for the planet.
An average person drinks two quarts of water per day. Athletes drink about a
gallon a day to stay hydrated and fill of energy for competition. Some people drink more
water when they go hiking in the mountains and on local trails, but two quarts a day for
every 6.6 billion people is a huge amount of water. With the increase in the population,
more and more quarts will be needed to sustain the population. With only one percent of
the total water on earth that is drinkable for humans, the water will soon run out. Lakes
and river will become dry. The ocean, full of water, will be insignificant to the population
due to the salt in the water. Future generations will need to brainstorm ideas to generate
clean, purified water from the little resources they will have left.
Population growth and water go are key components for future generations. The
population feeds off the supply of water. Once the water supply runs out, the population
will slowly begin to decrease. Water is a key resource in sustaining the human population
and its health. For the population growth to increase, or become constant, water is a
valuable necessity. The responsibility of the public is to maintain and purify the water for
further uses, and to protect the waters from harmful chemicals. How the water is treated
now will deeply affect the future of the population growth.
For future generations to have a better resource of water, new changes need to be
made by the population. Companies that transport chemicals and other harmful object
need to take great care when loading, unloading, and transporting these items from
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different locations. Carelessness results in oil spills that not only affect the water, but
damage surrounding bodies of life. Additionally, researchers need to find ways to purify
water from sewage and possibly ocean water. This may be expensive, but the benefits
outweigh the consequences.
Positive impacts that I can make are to not waste water while brushing my teeth,
taking a shower, and washing my hands. Also, carefully disposing of chemicals around
my house is a key point. When drinking from water bottles, finishing all the water in the
bottle is a change I will make so I don’t waste water. These are the changes I’m willing to
make for my future children. Hopefully, others will do the same.