Pollution is an environmental/societal issue which, in itself, causes others harm if ignored. Many countries that let pollution run rampant have issues with clean air.  Pollutants in the air are obviously not healthy for people that inhale those pollutants, but they will still be distributed due to various decisions. Some of which are linked to respiratory diseases. Pollution is not limited to just the air but also the sea, space, and land. The effects will usually result in the loss of species, increased danger to satellites, and deterioration of soil.

Open Web Source

“The violent protests in Iraq, explained” is written by Jennifer Williams and published by Vox. Pollution has run rampant in Iraq, particularly in cities such as Basra. Basra was historically an oil rich city however this meant it has been exploited for its resources and neglected. This is apparent when locals have become fed up with the many issues that plague the city one of which has sickened thousands of locals. Local waterways near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have been plagued with a myriad of problems. The residents that have been using this water describes it as too salty and polluted for even washing clothes. There is video evidence that their water is a hazard not only to the people living there but also the environment. The residents have proceeded to make their dissatisfaction clear by setting fire to officials’ buildings. They can no longer live under these conditions such as polluted water.

Jennifer Williams describes Basra, a city in Iraq, suffering from pollution despite the country’s wealth from oil.  Ms. Williams was a senior researcher at the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. She has also written many credible articles on topics in the Middle East. The purpose is to inform readers of issues with pollution in Basra. “Official Iraqi government statistics put the chemical contamination of Basra’s water at 100 percent, and the bacteria pollution at 50 percent.” An official statement from the local government of Basra claims the water is contaminated and is widespread throughout the city. Locals describe the water as “… cloudy, brownish, yellow water flowing out that is too salty and polluted to be used for washing clothes.” Waste mismanagement has caused less available drinking water and the cleansing of clothes to be halted. The audience of this article is meant to be the Iraqi government and Polluters. Ms. Williams wrote “… Basra and the rest of southern Iraq have historically been ignored and underdeveloped by the government.” shows clearly violent protests occurred due to the government’s neglection. Ms. Williams makes the effects and issues known in this article so that the government can act before other cities begin to be affected. In the last topic of the article civil unrest is critical in the violent protests occurring in Basra. The unrests are a result of being neglected and extorted for oil money. This neglection of contamination in the rivers has made their water unsafe, the people had enough and revolted. Fresh and clean water has turned into water that is now unsafe for human consumption and even unsuitable for personal hygiene. The genre is a human-interest story. According to the definition, this article is a human-interest story because it presents the issues the people of Basra face and brings it to make the reader feel sympathy. The reader has no choice but to become aware of the issues present in Basra. Videos of cloudy water included from primary sources within the article make the viewer/reader sympathetic to the conditions citizens are facing. The author’s stance is mostly objective. Although the bias of corruption in Basra’s local government is seen when politicians are mentioned. Ms. Williams does not explicitly take a side to support instead she informs the audience about the causes of civil unrest.

Magazine Article

“What Happens if Trump Rolls Back Environmental Protections? These Are the Health Consequences; Rollbacks in air-quality regulations will cause a rise in heart disease, dementia, dementia and many other ills” is written by Nicole Wetsman and published by Newsweek. In 1955 the Air Pollution Control Act has decreased air pollution and reduced health related issues. However, Trump has plans to do the opposite and instead increase air pollution and increase health risks in order to save some jobs. The safety of the public is now at risk as studies have shown health risks accompanied by more air pollution is dangerous. With high levels of pollution, the elderly are more likely to have Alzheimer’s and dementia. Diabetes has also become more common from particles such as PM2.5 which causes disruption to insulin regulation. Children are also at risk for health issues related to air pollution. The faster breathing rate in children causes them to intake more pollutants.

Nicole Wetsman is objective in her breakdown of what Trump’s rollback of environmental protections would cause. Ms. Wetsman has a master’s degree from the science, health, and environmental reporting program at NYU. The purpose is to inform the audience of Trump’s plan and the effects his plan will cause. In “For example, revised rules for coal-burning power plants, announced on August 21, could cause an additional 1,400 deaths per year from increased PM2.5 emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency” gives estimations from a national agency dedicated to the protection of the environment and its people. The importance of these details is informed to the audience. The audience is the elderly, young adults, and children of the United States. The effects of rollbacks by Trump effect those age groups according to Ms. Wetsman. In “How quickly will these effects show up in the population” shows she is aware of the diverse group of people that will be affected by rollbacks. This group is the audience because that is who she mentions in the article should be concerned. The genre is a magazine article. Although it is similar to an open webs source article, the publisher releases a magazine/journal weekly in which this article is from. The author’s stance is passionate. Ms. Wetsman keeps asking questions throughout the article to keep the reader engaged and questioning their president. In “What would the health consequences be?” the answer is obvious but she asks the question to get readers thinking.

News Article

“COURT UPHOLDS NATIONAL SAFEGUARD FOR COAL ASH: NATION’S NO. 2 TOXIC POLLUTION THREAT” is written by an unknown author and published by States News Service. Communities living near coal dumps no longer feel protected and have gone to the U.S. Court of Appeals. The court has sided with the idea that ash pits are a hazard to the public due to their unlined or inadequately lined pits. A significant amount of pits are leaking toxic waste into water sources such as rivers and streams. As a result of the court’s decision these communities will now have cleaner and safer water. The spread of these chemicals into the soil, air, and water would have been irreversible if action was not taken. Toxic waste included harmful toxins, arsenic, lead, mercury, and chromium. All of which are linked to health issues for the public.

The States News Service is passionate in the article about the Court of Appeals’ decision on coal ash regulation. The purpose is to inform the people who live near coal ash dumps. The language used in “Today’s court decision is a pivotal victory for our health, our environment, and our communities,” shows the author may live near a coal ash dump with their use of “our”. The genre is a political news article. The title is an obvious headliner which is common for the front page of news articles and is common practice. The author put it in all caps to attract the attention of the reader. Another element of a news article is recency which is present in this article’s publishing date of August 21, 2018. The article is also political because it mentions the EPA and their regulation of pollution under Trump’s revisions. The author’s stance is biased and opinionated. In “Federal protections are critical, because the dumps are ticking time bombs.” that is clearly an opinion he shares to the reader which cannot be taken as a fact. Throughout the article, the author stresses the importance of the decision to force regulation from the EPA.

Scholarly Source

“Estimating heavy metal concentrations in suburban soils with reflectance spectroscopy” by Hang Chenge, Ruili Shen, Yiyun Chen, Qijin Wan, Tiezhu Shi, and Junjie Wang is published by Geoderma. Soil contamination has become rampant and dangerous. To the point where samples must be taken out and tested regularly to monitor for heavy metals. Tests and samples were done in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Some metals were more concentrated than others such as Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn). The samples varied on a case by case basis, however, the other samples would still have a concentration of these metals. VNIR spectroscopy used in tandem with the PSLR model helped them reach these results in their laboratory. In conclusion, the strategy of investigation on metals was a fast way to monitor heavy pollution in soil.

The study of metals in soil is done in China for this source. The authors or this scholarly source are comprised of a research group that studied a new strategy to detect metals in soil at a faster rate than before. Their purpose is to inform the reader of metals found in soil and a rapid monitoring method. “In summary, VNIR spectroscopy combined with the PSLR model is an alternative method for the rapid monitoring of some heavy metal pollution in suburban soils.” shows their purpose for testing and researching their method. They want to find a rapid way to monitor the soil’s concentration of metals. The audience is other researchers and people living in the suburbs of China. The previous quote mentioned the purpose was for rapid monitoring of soil so other researchers can use that strategy for their own purposes. The soil is also taken from a suburb in China so it can be concluded the researchers are trying to find a rapid monitoring method for them. The genre is a research study. A research study is a study of nature and the soil mentioned is this article is a part of nature. Therefore, it is a research study on soil and concluded with a rapid way to monitor the soil’s concentration of metals. The authors are proven researchers from Huazhong University. The stance is objective. The researchers do not mention anything else through the study except for the research they did. The authors give no opinions throughout the study. They are also critical in giving their results to contribute towards “a serious environmental issue worldwide”. They came to the conclusion that VNIR spectroscopy combined with PSLR model is a rapid way to monitor soil as well that it could be transferred to other areas of study.

Reflection

In the human-interest story by Ms. Williams, it shows the effects of what can happen when pollution and rampant. In the magazine article by Ms. Wetsman and the political news article pollution in America is concerning and the effects seen in Basra may come here if we do not take action. The research study made a breakthrough in their finding of a rapid monitoring method for the concentration of metals in the soil and it can be applied worldwide to reducing pollution in America. Their method found could be used in other fields of study such as water monitoring which could help the people of Basra maintain their water supply. Pollution is widespread and is not native to any country it is a global issue.

 

Works Cited

Williams, Jennifer. “The Violent Protests in Iraq, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 8 Sept. 2018, www.vox.com/world/2018/9/7/17831526/iraq-protests-basra-burning-government-buildings-iran-consulate-water.

Wetsman, Nicole. “What Happens if Trump Rolls Back Environmental Protections? These Are the Health Consequences; Rollbacks in air-quality regulations will cause a rise in heart disease, dementia and many other ills.” Newsweek, 14 Sept. 2018. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A553251686/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=c9c97771. Accessed 24 Sept. 2018.

“COURT UPHOLDS NATIONAL SAFEGUARD FOR COAL ASH: NATION’S NO. 2 TOXIC POLLUTION THREAT.” States News Service, 21 Aug. 2018. Infotrac Newsstand, http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A551117707/STND?u=cuny_ccny&sid=STND&xid=ae10611a. Accessed 24 Sept. 2018.

Cheng, Hang, et al. “Estimating heavy metal concentrations in suburban soils with reflectance spectroscopy.” Geoderma, vol. 336, 2019, p. 59. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A554001904/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=8dd9bdbf. Accessed 24 Sept. 2018.