In the past century, we have seen the world’s waterways diminish. From the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, which was so filthy that it caught fire in 1959, to the Citarum River in West Java, Indonesia, which has been an unfortunate casualty of rapid population growth in the area. Luckily, many of our waterways can still be saved and we’ve found three great examples of how environmental damage can be reversed and prevented.
1. The Floating Grass Billboard in the Philippines
The Pasig River in Manila is widely known for being a polluted wasteland. In 1990, it was declared biologically dead due to years of factory run off and sewage pollution. But in 2010, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission partnered up a variety of organizations to create the floating grass billboard. The grass used for the 88.5-foot billboard is called vetiver, which is known for its cleaning abilities. The grass not only traps debris floating in the river, but also has the ability to absorb various chemicals from the water. According to Shokubutsu Hana, a natural cosmetics company who is one of the partners for the project, the billboard can clean up to eight thousand gallons of water per day!
Check out the link below for more information about the floating billboard.
Source: http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/06/03/floating-grass-billboard-can-suck-pollution-out-filthy-rivers?cmpid=tp-ptnr-upworthy
2. Plant Your Own Rain Garden
Run-offs from areas around your home are major contributors to water pollution. Areas such as your lawn, driveway, or sidewalk are constantly exposed to chemicals, whether it’s a result of an oil leak in your car, or the fertilizer you use on your lawn. When it rains, these chemicals are spread and run-off into the sewers. The affects of these chemicals can be greatly lessened by planting your own rain garden. Rain gardens work by collecting polluted run-off and allowing it to slowly filter into the ground, rather than having it go straight into the sewers and directly into our waters. The soil in the garden also acts as a filter to assist in the cleansing process. When planting your rain garden, start with a base of various layers gravel, sand and soil for maximum filtration. Then add trees, shrubs and a variety of grasses to help purify the water. You will finish with your very own rain garden and the satisfaction of helping to save our environment!
For more information about planting your own rain garden, visit the link below.
Source: http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/grunoff.asp
3. Watch What Goes Down Your Drain
Something that many of us don’t consciously think about is what we let run down our household drains. I am guilty of rinsing off a paintbrush or two in my bathroom sink without giving it a second thought. But the chemicals that are in various paints, oils, and other similar items are very harmful to our water and shouldn’t be disposed of down the bathroom sink. So next time you think about rinsing out your paint can, make the decision to dispose of it in the trash. In doing so, you will be making a decision to help save our waters.
Below is a link of various household items that shouldn’t go down your drain.
Source: http://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/research-lab/hazardous-waste/sewer.html
There are many things that you can do that will assist in us having cleaner water for the future. Whether it’s picking up a wrapper in the stream by your house, or coming up with an inventive way to reverse the pollution present in your local river. The actions that you take now will have an extreme impact on our future. Join the fight to help save our world’s waterways today.