Voices

Take care of our water

VERNON — We should all take only the water we need, and no one should destroy it. Most importantly, we should all take care of our water.

Everyone should own the water. No one should own more than someone else, because everyone - people, plant, or animal - needs it.

For example, the Palestinians built a water supply, and Israelis bulldozed it over and it got polluted. In Flint, Michigan, the manager of the water switched the water source just to save money. Pollution damaged the water system, and now a lot of lead is in the water.

In North Dakota, the Sioux tribe should own the land, but the government took it away and now a company wants to build a pipeline that many fear will destroy people's water supply.

The second reason we all need to take care of our water: a lot of health violations in the world. Camilla Corradin, an advocate for Palestinian water rights, writes that Israel allows Palestinians in the West Bank 73 liters per person per day, while they get 240 liters to 300 liters per person. That's a very bad health violation.

In Michigan, when they switched the water, tons and tons of lead got in there, and it cost a lot of people their lives. In Standing Rock, if the pipeline is built and leaks, many could die.

The third reason we all need to take care of our water is because of water's impact on the environment. If the pipeline is built and the oil spills in Standing Rock, it is going to affect plants and animals, because they use the water, too. When the Israelis blow up the Palestinians' water supplies, they are ruining their water. If animals get close to dirty water, it can cost them their lives, too.

Try your best to help the environment. We should start eating less meat; it will help with global warming. Please try to help the environment and to make good choices.

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