Toxic Waste Management

As a society, we have a healthy and unhealthy relationship with toxic waste material. Let me explain a little bit more if this sounds confusing. We use a toxic substance to help fight cancer for patients in hospitals while it also being used for electrical power. To power towns and cities across the world. But in our society, we are having a shift in consciousness about the future of our planet. About climate change, raising carbon emission and having or finding solutions to fixing it for future generations. But one area in this new green age movement that we are forgetting the conservation about is toxic waste material. Toxic material and substances aren’t going away anytime soon since our population increase, the amount of toxic waste must of increase too. But on the plus side, we need to take a moment to honor the people that work alongside dealing with toxic material and substances on daily bases trying their hardest to keep our cities and towns safe from these substances and materials. While on the other side trying to make awareness to survivors and victims to toxic waste material that been plaguing their lives for many years. Even with the best efforts available, some of our toxic waste is getting out of hand. In recent years and months, we had to come face to face with it more than usual. Either there is little funding, research in this area, or even voices to talk about this. Sooner or later, we have to have a discussion about it on a global scale. We should be praising countries and people trying to get rid of the idea of keep using toxic waste in our daily lives, but also seeking other healthier alternatives. Let’s first begin the conversation about nuclear waste, which barely has a voice.

Governments around the world have been using nuclear power for a couple of decades now. We have to wonder how much nuclear waste we have stockpile today. And wondering whether or not we are running out of places or spaces to put nuclear waste. I don’t know if you heard that Japan just recently dump thousands and thousands of gallons of nuclear waste into the ocean. There is no telling how much of this toxic material will have an impact in the ocean's ecosystem and other ecosystems around it. Not only that but we are stilling feeling effects of other leaked nuclear plants and storage areas from Chernobyl from the Ukraine. The US is also feeling the effects of nuclear plant meltdowns and waste management in different locations around the world too. Now Iran is going to follow the same path. We really need to start talking about major impacts that will affect future generations after us and still deal with these issues today. I just recently learned that sunflowers are playing a major role of cleaning up toxic metals from the environments, but whether or not it’s a long term or short term solution, it’s still something. Maybe one day sunflowers might become the international symbols of toxic waste solutions. But as a society, we still need find solutions of permanently getting rid of nuclear waste instead of trying to cover it up.

Another area of concern for toxic waste is heavy metals and chemicals in our water supplies; whether you're in a developed or developing country, we are still dealing with these issues today. Even though sunflowers help remove heavy metals on land, what about the water? Clean water and access to clean water have been huge issues around the world for years. The main concern is keeping that water clean and stop the the spread of contaminating more areas. With the huge issues of plastic waste around the world to chemical runoff from mines, factories and even streets drugs, many have to wonder how much damage has been caused already? How much it’s affecting us and the environment now? Do we have time to reverse the effects and stop the effects from continuing? There are still a lot of questions to be answered, but it’s better to know about it and have discussions of finding solutions to solve these issues, rather than worrying about it later down the road.

Thanks for reading!