Water

I liked the approach taken in the water presentation to focus on ocean water.  Usually when we talk about water and environmental ethics we assume the water we drink, however, the group did a great job on presenting us with the environmental problems in the larger bodies of water we often forget about.  In fact, our world is made up of 2.7% freshwater and 97.3% salt water.  The ocean is used by humans for many things including recreational activities, tourism, energy, oil, and food through the fishing industry.    One of the biggest threats to the ocean environment is overfishing.  The fishing industry provides millions of people with jobs directly or indirectly.  It also provides the main food source for thousands of people living near the coast.  However, the current fishing practices being used are not sustainable.  Major fish populations are in decline and entire ecosystems are being affected.  Commercial fishing companies need to find ways to practice more sustainable fishing or risk extinction of their income sources.  If one species of fish becomes extinct, the rest of the underwater ecosystem will be affected.  Small family owned fishing companies should be supported as they are more likely to practice sustainable efforts.  Some of the other biggest environmental problems that the group addressed include ocean acidification, hypoxic dead zones and the great pacific garbage patch.  If we don’t find solutions to these problems soon, they may become irreversible.  The ocean is just as important to our well-being as freshwater drinking sources are.  Finding more sustainable practices for our ocean use are vital to a healthy and balanced ecosystem.