Pollution and the End of the World

In my previous article Yes Virginia There Is a Future IOnly 2.8% of the Earth's water is available for human
noted there were four basic concerns or 'dooms'consumption. The average American uses between
related to our potential future: food, pollution, population,140 to 160 gallons of water every day of the week.
and energy. In that article I presented possible solutionsNot a pretty picture is it? Yet, there is hope. Today,
to the world's food crisis. With nearly 7 billion peopleright now, we have the technology to clean up the
living on this earth, pollution has become a challenge.pollutants in our water and air. The California
Seventy percent of our planet's surface is water:Department of Public health has reported that the
Streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Unfortunately manycleanest water in the state is the outfall from the
of these have become polluted.sewage plant of Los Angeles County. At Lake Tahoe
The largest garbage dump in the world is not on land.much of the water is reclaimed.
Do you know where it is? The Pacific Ocean. TheFiltering systems have been added to manufacturing
patch of garbage stretches from the coast ofplants, to automobiles and trucks to lessen the air
California to Japan and it's estimated to be twice thepollutants. Clean energy is available. So why haven't
size of the state of Texas. In some areas of thewe cleaned up the pollution? The answer may be
Pacific Ocean, this dump is estimated to be 90%below.
plastic and 90 feet deep.