2015 WORLD WATER DAY

The health code God gave the nation of Israel through Moses was actually centuries ahead of its time, it was written at the time when there was no knowledge of bacteria or viruses such as we have today.

It was writing when physicians in supposedly advance nations such as Egypt actually use unsanitary things like human excrement in their treatment.

God saw human waste as something unclean, something to be buried away.

This protected the water supply and shielded the Israelites from fly bone diseases and diseases such as salmonella, shigellosis, typhoid and dysentery. This same law required Israelites to bath themselves and that people with contagious disease be quarantined.

Before I proceed I would love to drink a glass of clean fresh water because believe me clean fresh water is life.

2015 world water day

As we all know and for those that don’t know that March 22nd is world water day- this is a day to appreciate the water that comes out of our taps, flows through our streams and also to get knowledgeable about world water issues.

It is becoming difficult to erase a standard environmental hygiene over getting good quality water this is because this two are interwoven, if I was to quickly do a recap with 2014 Ebola outbreak, we would realize that we all learnt something from this deadly virus. This virus made everyone environmental conscious, educating people on how to go about daily hygiene of life. And we could also all see that water played a great role in reducing the spread of this deadly virus, by constantly rinsing of hands with soap and regular bathing. If I was to say, what would humans do without water?

For my 2015 world water day write up, I would discourse on e-waste and how it intends to be a future fresh water problem if not properly controlled.

According to Wikipedia describing electronic waste or e-waste as used electronics which are designed for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling or disposal are considered as e-waste. And can also be defined as discarded computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets and refrigerators.

It was recorded that the world threw away 41.5m tones of electrical equipment and it is expected to rise to 93.5m tones by the year 2016, and the range of products ending up as electronic and electrical waste is virtually unlimited . If you are reading this you must be using an electronic device, making you one of the luckiest people in the world to afford an electronic device. As a result of the ever increasing need for smarter, smaller and faster technology, electrical and electronic waste is now one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world.

The big question is how does e-west tends to be a fresh water problem? As I presently answer by saying that most consumers don’t know the gravity of most electronic equipment they use before it tuning out to be a waste product, because when batteries, thermostats, electronics, oil and other potentially hazardous wastes are improperly disposed of, they can harm public health and the environment. Batteries and e-waste such as computers, printers and cell phones contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. When most of this wastes are been thrown away in the trash, they mostly end up in landfills, and most of the toxic compounds found in the waste leaches into the soil and water, polluting lakes and streams and making them unfit for drinking, swimming , fishing and supporting wildlife. The health risk ranges from kidney disease and brain damage to genetic mutations.

How sad it must have sound, Most of the develop countries e-waste end up in 3rd world country as a result of technological advancement and to an alarming population that cannot afford to buy new equipment, making Africa and other 3rd word countries bare the waste burden of most develop countries. But fortunately, there is always a solution. 3rd world countries must constantly educate them self on e-waste disposal, educating on how to separate e-waste from solid waste, regular analyzing of well water and also creating responsible recycling unit, because if something is not done on time, e-waste will most likely suffocate the existence of fresh water in affected areas.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not claiming to be a Moses, Nostradamus, soothsayer or a voodoo priest. I am just a human being that believes in the existence of mankind and believes in leaving a better earth for our children and unborn children.

Wishing you all the best of 2015 world water day!               

Reference

1. Holy Bible
2. Introduction to the e-waste problem- www.sa.ewastealliance.co.za/
3. E-waste problem overview- www.electronicstakeback.com/resources/problem-overview
4. The conversation- www.theconversation.com/europes-electronic-waste-has-becomes-africas-burdeen-17123
5. Smarter-business-www.nrdc.org/enterprise/greeningadvisor/wm-disposal.asp
   
   
   
   

            Olubode Afolabi .A

Twitter: @afoo99