Hardin Paper – Sample Essay
The world’s water reservoirs are a commons in the world today that are suffering in both quality and ability to provide for humans, other living organisms, and other parts of the environment. The world’s water sources- oceans, lakes, and rivers- provide drinking water and a habitat for various marine plants and organisms. Clean water is necessary for people and organisms to grow, thrive, and survive. These same water sources that are necessary to survive are being severely polluted, and much of it comes from humans and their working technology. We are using these commons as a place to dump hazardous waste, sometimes intentionally. As a result, we are killing organisms and seriously reducing the amount of clean drinking water that is available.
The world is already having problems as a result of this water contamination. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and at least 5 million deaths each year are the result of waterborne disease. In the US alone, 40% of lakes and 46% of rivers are too polluted to fish, swim, or support life in. Half of all current threatened or endangered species depend on rivers and streams, and in the last century 123 freshwater species have become extinct.
Water is considered polluted when it is no longer acceptable to be used as it was originally intended. There are two different types of pollution: point source and nonpoint source. Point source pollution occurs when dangerous materials are discharged directly into water sources. The Exxon oil spills near Alaska and industrial buildings that pour waste into nearby rivers are examples of this. Non-point source pollution occurs when hazardous materials are indirectly deposited into water sources. This can happen through underground leakage or from rain runoff into nearby rivers. Point source

pollution can be more easily regulated, and it is currently being monitored using technology and new legislative acts, which promote pollution awareness. Non-point source pollution is much more difficult to control and prevent, and it is responsible for most of the water pollution currently in streams and lakes.
Technology and engineering play a major role in the growing presence of water contamination. Chemical water pollution occurs when industrial wastes find their way to water sources. This can be from intentional dumping; leaking pipes and storage tanks that allow the hazard to seep into the ground, rivers, and streams; large accidental spills; polluted air that precipitates into water pollution; or soil that spreads its contamination.
Almost all water contains at least some pollution from industrial chemicals and waste. In just the United States, the amount of hazardous waste injected directly into the ground is
34 billion liters per year, and although this injection is supposed to take place well below the location of groundwater, some of it is already contaminating groundwater sources below various states.
Technology has recently been able to create pesticides that protect farmer’s crops, roadsides, and homeowner’s lawns. However, these pesticides run off into streams and lakes, as well as drain into groundwater. This contaminates the fresh water. Some pesticides are even sprayed directly into water sources for pest control. In just the US
Midwest, the treatment of the pesticide Atrazine alone costs $400 million. In fact, homeowners are responsible for more pesticide-induced contamination than farmers.
Technology, however, is also playing a major role in understanding the problem.
Without technology and a means of chemical analysis, we would be unable to detect levels of pollution and determine what constitutes safe drinking water. We would be

unable to identify this safe drinking water, or regulate the quality of our tap water.
Without technology, we probably would not even be aware of the specific chemicals being ingested that make people sick, or what specifically happens that results in a release of those chemicals to our water sources. Technology is also educating the world about the water pollution problem. People are becoming aware of the current waste disposal method dangers and what the consequences will be if we chose to ignore the water problem. Because of technology, we can also regulate and control the existence of point source pollution. It allows us to understand and detect problems, and then finds ways to fix them. In developed countries, technology is being used to monitor the growth of algae in fisheries; when it reaches a certain level it creates a toxic and low-oxygen level environment. Once this occurs the fisheries are closed, and although there is a negative economic impact, human illness has been shown to decrease as a result of this regulation. Also, since it is impossible to search for every kind of bacteria contamination in water, tests are done to determine the presence of certain bacteria that are commonly indicate the presence of more dangerous bacteria. By taking actions and implementing regulatory measures such as this one, engineering is helping us to understand why our water is becoming dangerous, and how we can reverse this potentially lethal problem.
In order to mitigate the polluted water problem, there are many actions we could take. The US government has already implemented various clean water acts to set water quality standards for contaminants. In addition, there are environmental agencies being created in countries across the world, with over 70 existing in developing countries.
Implementation of laws insuring that industrial companies are striving for sustainable

development, as well as increased enforcement of clean water acts will help to significantly reduce point source pollution.
However, non-point source solution can be minimized as well. We could spend money to repair water treatment plants, and restore wetlands. Because nitrogen from sediment, fertilizer, wastes, pesticides, and growth hormones are a large source of runoff and groundwater pollution, improved farming techniques to minimize loose topsoil, reduced chemical treatment of farm plants, crops, and animals, and added liquid basins for runoff control would be very useful. An analysis of the necessity of fertilizer and additive use could be exercised before product usage. Instead of reducing the dangerous inorganic materials in water, we could look for technological ways to eliminate them.
We could educate ourselves more about our the organizations of our disposal systems so we do not deposit water into treatment plants or waste sites that are not properly equipped to handle it. A lower dependency on gasoline as a source of fuel would reduce pollution involving petroleum and oil, like drips, spills, runoff, leakage in storage tanks, and discharge from ships. We could find better ways to dispose of hazardous household materials, conserve trees and bushes to stop soil erosion, and keep as much yard waste out of gutters as possible. Increased awareness about the problem and education about ways to prevent pollution would help to control the amount of waste that gets deposited, especially in developing countries. Finally, the most effective and long-lasting method would be to reduce the human population. Each problem encountered would not be a crucial problem if it were not present in such large amounts.
If Garrett Hardin were forming a solution to the water pollution problem, he would first promote education of the issue. Individuals, through his perspective, thrive

on their ability to deny that what they are doing is harmful to them, even though the consequences to society as a whole are negative. By educating members of society about the harmful effects their pollution-generating acts make, growth of the problem can be checked, even if it is temporary. However, he would also look for a more permanent solution.
Hardin would give consideration to private property another means to alleviate the problem if there was a way to make cleansing wastes before releasing them cheaper than leaving them polluted for the owner. However, he felt, like most of his other issues, that the problem could not be solved by technology; the problem is caused by and the solution can be found in population control. Small numbers of people could behave in a manner even less responsibly than the current trend, and there would not be a dangerous water issue. The large amounts of water compared with the small amount of waste generated by a small population would not have a significant negative effect; the large population gives each person’s action more weight because the combined total of each is much greater.
I partially agree with Hardin. I believe population control will help to resolve the problem, but at this time, that can only be part of the solution in order for a real effect to take place. We cannot simply find a way to reduce the population and keep on living the way we have been. In addition, technology by itself is not the solution, but it is it is an important part, and will be very useful in finding ways to clean our contaminated water.
We must also make a lifestyle change. We need to care about our environment and the bleak future we’ll have if we choose not to change. We can educate people to stop pollution, use technology to reverse it, and reduce the growing number of pollution

contributors. No one change is enough to ameliorate the problem. An effort needs to be made in all areas.
There are some societal and personal ethics issues that must be addressed. Strict pollution control requirements must be enforced. This will require greater regulation of land and property owners. Property owners will not be allowed to introduce impurities into their land, which might be viewed as an infringement upon their natural right to handle their property as they wish. If the population does not hinder growth on its own, some legislation might have to be passed to ensure that it happens. This might be viewed by some as ethically immoral and will have to be approached delicately. As Hardin suggests, a plausible solution is not to forbid people having a certain number of children, but to coerce them to keep within a limit. Impose fines for failing to abide by the recommendation, and perks for cooperation. Once again, this might be seen as overstepping one’s right to regulate the free choice of society. However, considering the level of disruption that might occur if the population does not get under control, some surrender of personal freedoms might be justified.
The water pollution problem is getting more serious each year, and unless society is educated about the problems, they are given ways to help reverse the damage, and they act upon these ideas, we are all in a lot of trouble. Technology can help; we can help reduce the current problems, and engineer better methods of waste disposal and purification. However, without population control and pollution education and awareness, the world is going to have a serious shortage of clean water in the next few of decades.