Running Head: PERSUASIVE ESSAY 1

PERSUASIVE ESSAY 2

Should bottled water be banned?

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Introduction

The world has come far ahead when water, as a natural resource, could be used for drinking purposes directly from fresh sources. The seas and glaciers of the world have been subjected to travel, salt, contamination, and pollution to the extent that humans cannot use the water for domestic and drinking purposes. With territories marked, water resources being used for business purposes, the global climatic conditions have resulted in natural disasters that include dry spells and over-flooding. Overall, the water resources of the world have been subjected to imbalances and health concerns. This has given rise to the commercial selling of water in plastic bottles that claim to be safe for consumption.

Thesis statement: Not just plastic water bottles, but other sources of water contaminants should be banned to make water drinkable.

Water pollution

Water pollution is a term that includes all forms of pollutions, particles, ingredients, components, and various foreign ailments found in water that are available to the world. The water found in seas, lakes, glaciers, rivers, ponds, and wells is the source of water that has been available to the inhabitants of the earth since the beginning of time. Thus, the water resources have been manipulated to meet the requirements of humans, which has potentially harmed the sources. As the world grew, factories pollute the water with chemicals, waste, dumps, and toxic substances into the water. The world has not invested in dams and reservoirs to preserve the natural water gained from rains. Ships and traveling by seas have salted the seas.

Furthermore, oil spills, chemical spills, and the sinking of substances into seas and rivers have harmed life and water quality. Coal mining, gas extraction, and other processes harm the underground water sources. Through the process of irrigation, external chemicals are infused into the streams, such as pesticides. Humans also pollute water directly through lack of sanitation channels and directly throw polluting substances on beaches, seas, and rivers. Tourism is another activity that results in increased pollution in gulf and coastal areas. These activities have made the natural water unfit for human consumption and the marine life living in it and have harmed the quality of water.

Plastic bottles

The debate centered around banning plastic bottles has engaged scientists, governments, and policy makers for more than a decade. Each year plastic bans are imposed and lifted in various parts of the world. There are two sides to the topic. The first is that there is substantial evidence that plastic water bottles are a major source of culprit in increasing pollution. A ban on the selling of the bottles will decrease pollution levels to higher degrees. The second side of the topic that I find interesting is the plastic bottle waste varies in different parts of the world. The article mentions the plastic water bottle consumption of the US alone. At the same time, the other subcontinents do not have the same levels of water bottle consumptions. For example, in poorer regions such as India and Pakistan, the poverty rates are higher. People have lesser to spend on water bottles and prefer the traditional water resources that are detrimental to their health. Similarly, many poorer regions of the world that might be near coastal areas use the same water for domestic uses and drinking and are more prone to diseases because of their lack of affordability for bottled water.

But, the problem that I see is that there is no solution. If bottled water is to be banned from the world, then the solution is to provide better alternatives to people to shift onto them. This means that clean drinking water should be made accessible to all segments of the population. This means that the natural resources of water should be cleansed to be used by the populations. This would require, firstly, bans to be imposed on industries that pollute water streams. Secondly, this would require travel bans to be imposed for shipping. Thirdly, it would require investments to build water conservation plants, dams, and reservoirs for saving water.

Conclusion

The problem that I see is not the plastic bottles. The problem is that consumers do not have options for drinking clean water directly from the tap. Tap water has been found to have harmful substances, has resulted in health complications and death. Consumers do not spend millions on bottles because it is a trend, but they are not offered another reliable option. Till the governments cannot suggest a solution for clean drinking water, then plastic bottles should not be banned. However, with due advances in technology, the governments can direct technology experts’ attention to create sustainable water solutions to be installed in houses and commercial areas. Although, the world has come up with filters and processing techniques, they are difficult to afford and do not cater to the poor masses’ needs.

References
ProCon.org. (2018, 6 14). Should Bottled Water Be Banned? – Top 4 Pros and Cons. Retrieved from procon.org: https://www.procon.org/headlines/should-bottled-water-be-banned-top-4-pros-and-cons/