preview

The Pros And Cons Of Water Pollution

Decent Essays

In accordance with the ethics of Bentham in the line of utilitarianism, my moral argument against water pollution is thus:
1 Right actions are those that result in the most beneficial balance of good over bad consequences.
2 The Great Lakes water pollution’s bad consequences outweighs its good consequences.
3 Therefore, pollution is not a right action.
Water pollution is defined as “a change in the chemical, physical and biological health of a waterway due to human activity” (1). Over the past 50 years, pollution in the Great Lakes has been a rising concern. Pollution in the Great Lakes includes the disposal of sewage, heavy metals, invasive species, and pesticides that come from factory dumping, runoff of agriculture, nautical transportation, and air pollution. According to an article published by the US Department of Commerce, roughly 40 million people depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water, sport, power (electricity), and transportation (McCartney). The negative consequences of water pollution include, but are not limited to, the killing off of vital organisms, an increase in birth defects, infertility, malfunctioning nervous systems, and learning disabilities (McCartney).
The pros of water pollution in the Great Lakes can be boiled down to the single idea that we can continue living on the way we currently are. We get foods that are preserved well and in abundance because of pesticides used in agriculture, even though they don’t have to take into consideration

Get Access