Water Shortage essays

Water Shortage essays Water shortage and degradation is a growing concern for many countries including the United States. Drinking water protection is a big responsibility that involves government, business and individuals. Everyone has an important role in trying to protect the supply of water. Water is a vital necessity that all people need in order to survive. Without water, people could only go a few days to a few months before having serious health problems or even death. One of the major concerns regarding water is if there will be enough water for the demand within the next 25 to 50 years. With the help of agencies, scientists and experts, we as people may see that there will be a shortage of water in the years to come. Today in the world the leading cause of the water shortage is the rising demand for water for the industries and agriculture (George, 1). On the earth today there is no more freshwater than there was 2,000 years ago. Then the population was 3% of what it is today (Knight, 1). In 31 countries around the world that contains near a half a billion people face water shortage with the most severe being in the Middle East and Africa. By the year 2025 it is estimated that another 17 countries will be added to that list. Some researchers believe that also be the year 2025, 35% or 2.8 billion people will face shortage. There are different reasons and causes of what continues to cause a shortage of water. Some of the water is being contaminated with pollutants. Agriculture is the biggest polluter in which the pollutants come from the fertilizers and pesticides used on the crops. The industries and municipal pollutions are also a factor. In some countries 90 to 95% of all domestic and 15% of all industrial waste goes into the water without any treatment (Knight, 1) Water shortage is also caused by the large amounts of water that is used in homes across the world. The United States uses mo ...

Recycling Old Paper to Make Beautiful Handmade Paper

Recycling Old Paper to Make Beautiful Handmade Paper You can make paper from recycled scraps of just about any paper  you can find. By adding decorative items, such as petals, you can create beautiful personalized stationary. This is a fun craft that teaches about recycling while making a useful handmade product. Types of Paper You Can Recycle You can use pretty much any type of paper product for this project, but steer clear of waxed cardboard.   Construction paperPrinter paperMagazinesToilet paperPaper towelsPaper bagsNewspapers (will produce a grayish paper)CardstockNon-waxed cardboardNapkins Decorations There are many materials you can add to the paper for a decorative effect. You may wish to add flower or vegetable seeds to the paper, which can be planted. Flower petalsSeedsFine leaves or grassFoilString or yarnDryer lintFood coloring (for dyeing your paper)Liquid starch (to make your paper less-absorbent so that you can write on it with ink) Build a Frame While you can pulp your paper and make a rough product just by pouring it out and allowing it to dry, you can also form your paper into a rectangular sheet if you use a frame. You can make a frame by duct-taping an old piece of window screen onto a small rectangular picture frame. You could also staple the screening onto the frame to make the mold. Another option is to bend a wire coat hanger into a shape and slip old pantyhose around it to act as a screen. Make Your Own Paper You are going to pulp the old paper together with water, spread it out, and allow it to dry. Its that simple! Tear the paper (feel free to mix different types) into small bits and put it into a blender.Fill the blender about 2/3 full with warm water.Pulse the blender until the pulp is smooth. If you are going to write on the paper, blend in 2 teaspoons of liquid starch.Set your mold in a shallow basin or pan. You can  use a cookie sheet or a sink. Pour the blended mixture into the mold. Sprinkle in your mix-ins (thread, flower petals, etc.). Shake the mold from side to side, keeping it in the liquid, to level out your paper pulp mixture.You have few different options to absorb the excess water. You could remove the mold from the liquid, let the paper dry in the mold, without absorbing the liquid. You can also flip the paper  paper out onto your countertop and use a sponge to wick away excess water or you could press a cookie sheet onto the paper to squeeze out the excess liquid.