The Earth is running out of water.....or is it? We learn in school and in the media, we absorb that so many factors are playing into a declining supply of water, at least potable water for drinking and necessary human functions like bathing. No thanks, I don't want to take a bath in lead water. Funny story, that's what's theorized to have contributed to the downfall of Rome because they used lead pipes in those massive aqueducts that still stand in places like France and Spain. It looks like people didn't learn their history because we saw lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan. Thousands of residents in Flint were exposed to lead in drinking water in 2014 (or at least discovered in 2014). Scientific studies proved lead contaminations and it wasn't until about two years later in 2016 when a federal state of emergency was declared. First of all, I don't even know why you would have lead pipes in the first place or use them at all, even if they were covered and treated with other metals and stuff. You had one job.
Apparently, third-grade reading levels have dropped from 70% statewide to 44% in 2015. That's frightening. Detroit, which is basically dead now, has thousands of kids who were also poisoned by lead from new homes and blight abatement. In Detroit, reading proficiency dropped to 9.9% in three years from 11.7%. Now, with law firms having taken gold with those lawsuits, the real action is still slow. We still need to wait two more years before all of the pipes in the city are replaced. Two more years of bottled water (which may contain harmful plastics... that's another story) and running water that is unusable. Oh boy.
So much for Pure Michigan >>>
Things have happened though. Recently, Nick Lyon, head of Michigan's health department, was charged with involuntary manslaughter due to Flint's water crisis. The damage, however, is too late. There are numerous NGO's and non-profits who are working to solve the crisis, and there is more action being taken like additional restorations and repairs. Now the lead levels have fallen below the federal level of 15 ppb.
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a16638618/flint-water-crisis-not-over/
http://flintwaterstudy.org/
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/flint-water-crisis
at least michigan has water unlike north korea
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