Water pollution. We have all encountered and contributed to this crisis, whether we like it or not. Everyone is a part of water pollution. I remember swimming in the clear, turquoise waters of Florida, the sun beating down on my burning skin. I dunked my head under the salty ocean, only to find many stunning sea creatures; it was like nothing I had seen before. Fish of all different sizes and colors, dolphins playing and squealing, and coral housing vulnerable animals, lived their life as I observed for the very first time. As I came up for air, a deep sensation of joy filled my body, and I knew I would spend the rest of my vacation at the beach, swimming with the sea life below me. As I was swimming back to the shore, blissful and confident, something caught my eye. A ringed plastic item, that was probably used to hold sodas, lied at the bottom of the ocean. It could have been the plastic that had held my root beer earlier that day. This terrified me, as I thought of the worst things that could happen; a spectacular dolphin or flounder, just as I had seen, could get caught and suffer tremendously. In reality, this happens daily, but not only in Florida.

All over the world, sea creatures and humans are killed from water pollution. Water pollution can be caused by detergents, disinfectants, food processing wastes, insecticides, tree debris from logging operations, fertilizers, and other artificial items. Water pollution is not natural; it is caused by the human population. More than 14,000 people die everyday due to this problem, and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. 70% of our planet Earth is made up of water, so why don’t we savor it? I believe we still can.

Many pollutants in the water are due to industry, so if factories reduce the amount of waste that is released into the environment, then the amount of waste would be reduced in the water. Exhaust from transportation is also a form of releasing pollutants into the environment. By choosing hybrid and electric cars, or simply by carpooling with a friend, individuals can help decrease water pollution. Lastly, by farming organically, pesticides and other chemicals are not used. This way, people become healthier by eating organically, plus the water becomes healthier for life around it. To this day, I still wonder what happened to that plastic item I found while in the Atlantic Ocean, and which creatures’ deaths I could’ve prevented by picking it up.