Dear Future President:

Water Pollution is a serious environmental hazard in the United States and needs to be stopped before it causes irreparable damage. Stated the National Geographic article “Water Pollution: Find Out What's in the Water,” there is currently 4.8- 12.7 million tons of plastic in our oceans. Litter is constantly drifting into the ocean and being mistaken for food by animals. More than one million seabirds and mammals are killed annually due to the ingestion of plastic, says the article “5 Ways Pollution is Killing Animals.” Turtles are also getting tangled in plastic soda rings, stated Takepart's article “Deformed Turtle Reveals Sickening Dangers of Plastic Pollution,” which causes their bodies to contort into unhealthy shapes.

Pollution not only affects animals but many other properties as well. The Great Barrier Reef was pronounced dead with sixty percent of its coral bleached white. Within the United States, there are numerous locations where coral reef ecosystems are highly impacted by watershed alteration, runoff, and coastal development. Care2 stated how chemical runoff from farms has caused 400 dead zones around the world from leakage into nearby streams, waterways, and groundwater. National Geographic stated that forty percent of America's rivers and forty-six percent of America's lakes are too polluted for fishing and swimming. Untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into the United State's water annually. For example, cruise ships dump unfiltered waste into the ocean causing problems for the surrounding wildlife.

Some people may believe that this is a waste of time and resources, but if we do not do something to help the marine environment soon, there may not be one in the future. This may seem as if it were impossible to fix, but something must be done to help control water pollution. People and animals are counting on you to find a solution for this devastating issue. There should be higher consequences and more strict rules regarding the disposal of anything into the ocean. For example, boaters should be fined a greater amount or possibly jail time for discarding unwanted material into the ocean. Also, cruise ships should no longer be allowed to dump unfiltered waste into open waters.

Respectfully yours,

Karli Hebert

Work Cited

Care2 “5 Ways Water Pollution is Killing Animals” Abigail Geer. April 3, 2014, http://www.care2.com/causes/5-ways-water-pollution-is-killing-animals.html

National Geographic “Water Pollution: Find Out What's in the Water” Greg Girard. September 23, 2015, http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/pollution/

National Geographic. Pristine Seas “Marine Pollution” Ed Kashi. May 19, 2011, http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/explore/pristine-seas/critical-issues-marine-pollution/

Takepart “Deformed Turtle Reveals Sickening Dangers of Plastic Pollution” Mae West.July 8, 2015, http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/07/08/turtle-hourglass-figure