Overview
Topics:
Soil-Plant Relations
Conventional Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture
Water Pollution
Learning Objectives:
8. Understand how we can work toward solving the water supply crisis.
9. Understand the major kinds of water pollutants and how they degrade water
quality.
10.Understand how we can work toward solving the crisis involving water
pollution.
Tasks:
The overview below will help you review the material covered in this unit.
In agriculture and horticulture, soil generally refers to the medium for plant
growth, typically material within the upper meter or two. Soil plays a key role
in plant growth. Beneficial aspects to plants include providing physical
support, heat, water, nutrients, and oxygen. Heat, light, and oxygen are also
obtained by the atmosphere, but the roots of many plants also require
oxygen.
The water crisis refers to a global situation where people in many areas lack
access to sufficient water or clean water or both. The current and future
water crisis requires multiple approaches to extending our fresh water supply
and moving towards sustainability. Some of the longstanding traditional
approaches include dams and aqueducts.
Reading Assignment
Read chapters 10 and 13 in the textbook and answer the 'End of Chapter Review Questions' in
each chapter.
Discussion Assignment
Your posts should cover the questions below in full, and be at least 300 words long. Then
reply to and peer-review at least three other posts by next Wednesday 11:59PM UoPeople
Time, and rate the posts and replies.
This week we are going to look at the topic of water quality vs. water quantity. Make sure your
post is in your OWN words. Dont copy from sources you use for information.
1. Please list two bits of information, statistics or facts that you found at some of
these links which interested and/or surprised you?
2. Explain, in your own words, what the difference is between water quality and
water quantity?
What is IWRM?
Every year, more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence,
including war. To me, this means more attention and energy should be paid to
clearing safe water, instead of evoking war and sending young people to die for
dirty political reason. Yes Im pointing the finger at the USA government.
By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water
scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water
stressed conditions. To me, this means some company will make a hefty profit by
selling clean water. The brainwash has started now, as Pepsi and Cocacola has
marketed their campaign for bottled water for years. It is only a matter of time that
those bottled water is more expensive than a Coke.
Here are 2 glasses of water. The first one is in full, but of dirty muddy water. The
second one is half-full, but of crystal clear water. Which do you choose?
The correct answer is: depending on your usage. If you need to use it for industrial
purpose, mix the water with other chemicals, then the first one is ideal as it is less
costly. If you need to use it for household purpose, drinking, then the second one is
perfect.
As a country living right next to the Pacific ocean, with over 3,500 km coastline,
Vietnam is facing the most dramatic issue in water quality currently. The problem
was caused by Fomosa, a Taiwanese factory, that dumped harmful waste into the
ocean. The picture is terrifying beyond words:
(Wiki, 2016) collected: On 6 May 2016, the amount of collected fish carcasses
surpassed 100 tons. the fishermen of this province had already lost $5.2 million; in
addition, the disaster also heavily impacted the tourism industry as nearly 30%
tourists canceled their planned tours to the affected provinces for the national
holiday season starting on 30 April.
1. Choose one of the main water systems you have learned about that is also in
your country (do you have a lake, river, coast, or coral reefs in your
country?).
o Coastal areas
o Deep sea/Oceans
o Coral reefs
2. Research that item in our Textbook, and look online to study the
environmental issues associated with it in your nation. Then list what you
consider to be the two (2) main environmental problems associated with it.
Please do not forget to list the references you used.
3. In what ways do these issues affect you and your family directly?
4. In your own words, please describe one way you think those problems could
perhaps be reduced or alleviated?
5. Please outline in your own words, one other new thing you learned this week
in the course. How does it apply to your life?
Living in a country with over 3,500 km coastline next to the Pacific ocean, I hold a
refreshing love for our deep sea/ocean water system. So do other 89,999,999
Vietnamese.
But in 2016, an evil corporation polluted it. Formosa, a Taiwanese factory, dumped
toxic waste into the ocean area of middle Vietnam. The contaminated ocean water
travelled from the middle to the south, killing over 100 tons of fish.
(Wiki, 2016) painted a horrifying picture: The fishermen of this province had
already lost $5.2 million; in addition, the disaster also heavily impacted the tourism
industry as nearly 30% tourists canceled their planned tours to the affected
provinces for the national holiday season starting on 30 April.
Currently, this point sources of pollution, Formosa, has not been officially addressed
by the government yet. And the ripple effect is uncountable. My family, has been
indirectly affected by it in terms of food security. Our daily meal miss the taste of
fish and fish products, especially fish sauce. Weekend is less fun when we can only
drive to the ocean, and stare in utter sorrow as the red waves come...
What can we do? Besides sharing the news about it on Facebook? Besides
protesting and then being oppressed by the local police? The future is dim. No
amount of effort to clean-up the sea has been introduced.
This week, the mercury poisoning case in Minamata, Japan is what exactly is
happening right now in Vietnam. What I learned in this week filled me, not with
optimism hope, but with a sad realistic view, that the water problem we have in this
generation will take the next generation to solve.
References
Wiki. (2016). 2016 Vietnam Marine Life Disaster. Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Vietnam_Marine_Life_Disaster