Cleaning up a river is one of the toughest tasks I have ever engaged in, particularly because I perceived cleaning up a moving water body as an impossible task. Additionally, the fact that we did not have heavy machinery like most government cleaning projects have was challenging since all processes required a hands-on approach to achieve the desired goals. However, the experience was memorable and worth the effort because I had a revelation about the need to create more awareness against environmental pollution. Biological organisms living in rivers, lakes, and oceans are often the victims of human pollution because garbage and toxins harm their existence by making living conditions in their habitat intolerable. Therefore, the following report explains what I saw in the river that was not a part of the natural bio-system.
Upon arrival at the site we were supposed to clean, I saw several items, including a piece of ornament, some food, a suitcase, cans, and plastic bags. These items were scattered all over the place, with some of them floating away, while others were held by the sides of the river and on stones that were in the shallow ends of the river. I also identified some cigarette buds, but they were in smaller quantities compared to the plastics and cans we collected at the site. The number of cans and plastics in the river was alarming, suggesting that the appropriate disposal of plastics is an issue that requires increased attention. However, one of the most striking trash items I saw by the river is an old and worn-out couch because of its size and complexity.
Although finding a couch disposed of in the streets is relatively easy, finding one by the side of a river is unusual because this means that someone deliberately discarded it, hoping that it would move away with the water. Unfortunately, throwing away large items like couches into rivers or dams is destructive because it introduces a mix of several materials into the water, which can make it unsafe for the animals living in it and human beings. Moreover, a couch can harm animals in the water because of its size and weight. Therefore, the couch by the river caught my attention because it is bound to be washed into the river by rain or pushed in by individuals who do not care about the environment.
Initially, I was not motivated to participate in the activity because of the complexity of the task. However, I was surprised by how people get rid of trash and garbage from their homes by throwing them away into the environment. Although most individuals can swear that they have never thrown anything into the river, most of the items we throw away on the streets and even at the parks find their way into drainage systems and the river. Therefore, upon realizing the filth that thrived in the river, I saw the need for more similar programs because dealing with the issue in bits will help people notice their shortcomings and encourage individual change towards sustaining the environment.
The community plays a major role in environmental pollution because of inappropriate disposal practices and their continuous use of non-recyclable materials. Therefore, creating awareness is one of the changes that can be made to encourage more individuals to adhere to environmental conservation practices for better outcomes (Tickner et al., 2020). Moreover, it is crucial to liaise with authorities involved in cleaning up waste in the environment since they can provide the resources to make the process easier.
The issue of environmental pollution poses several challenges because it is beyond the control of individuals in society. The proprietors of environmental atrocities and adverse outcomes exist higher in the chain. In other words, manufacturing companies that produce these items are aware that they can harm the environment. Moreover, they do not provide solutions to recycle, recollect, or re-use these items, forcing people to dispose of them after use. Additionally, the municipal government is negligent because it does not have a strategy to get rid of the garbage.
Nevertheless, creating awareness will not offer a definite solution because individuals may quickly forget about their obligations and return to their harmful behaviors. Therefore, the most reliable solution to ensure sustainable environmental conservation is obligating everyone to play their part by using strict regulations and policies to curb environmental degradation (Tickner et al., 2020). On that account, all organizations involved in producing environmentally degrading materials should be halted from business or forced to adopt other environmentally-friendly solutions to packaging.
The reason why it is difficult for people to change their habits is the decreased attention given to environmental conservation. Over the past two years, people have been dealing with aggravated issues due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, more people should be exposed to the harm that they are contributing to when they neglect the environment. The experience of cleaning the river served this purpose, making it a crucial lesson. Therefore, people should be encouraged to engage in similar community programs to help them acknowledge their mistakes and adopt better disposal practices.
Reference
Tickner, D., Opperman, J. J., Abell, R., Acreman, M., Arthington, A. H., Bunn, S. E.,… & Young, L. (2020). Bending the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss: an emergency recovery plan. BioScience, 70(4), 330-342.