Causes and Effects Essay

Nhu Tran
Causes or Effects Essay
25 September 2012
POLLUTION IN VIETNAM

Nowadays, the environment has been contaminated. Pollution is a big problem in any country. The environmental pollution is alarming in Vietnam. “Vietnam is ranked 79th -- the lower part in the middle group. But on specific detailed criteria, Vietnam displayed even worse performance, including air quality with effects on human health, water, and environmental burden of disease” (Tuoi Tre). The causes of pollution are many, but the three main ones are lack of education concerning environmental protection; concern with making a profits therefore, they disregard the consequences and, there are no laws strong enough to prevent any company or person who pollutes the environment . The biggest cause of pollution is human consciousness not to protect the environment especially among young people. Many people think that what they do is too small; they are not really harming the environment. Some others believe that environmental protection is the responsibility of the state and the government. In developed countries, people are educated about protecting the environment and the ideas of living green and clean. In contrast, some countries such as Vietnam, people still throw garbage in the streets and other public areas. Moreover, most people who pollute believe that the environment has been polluted before, therefore, no matter what they do to try to protect it will be of no significance, and the environmental pollution will not affect much. For example, people usually eat ice cream or a candy, then they throw the stick and paper on the ground. They drink a can of soda or a bottle of water then they throw stuff on the spot close to a trash can. Even when eating gum, they stick it under the bench and just go away. In some restaurants, sidewalk sales people dump all excess food down the drain causing drains blocked. Another cause of pollution are the big companies that do not take any responsibility to protect the environment. There was a hot news about Vedan seasoning factory discharging their industrial waste in into the Thi Vai River. After decades of dropping waste into the river, the river has become a dead river “villagers living along the banks of the Thi Vai river in the Mekong Delta knew full well that the waterway was dead. They had complained for years that industrial waste discharged into the Thi Vai had poisoned their wells, killed all the fish and was making them sick” (Overland). A third reason for the pollution problem in Vietnam is the laws are inefficient in protecting the environment. Many businesses have violated environmental protection laws. “Untreated wastewater from industrial parks (IPs) in Can Tho City has severely polluted rivers and canals, especially the Hau River, but no effective solution has been applied so far. Local reports say there is no way of saying when the IPs will finish building the mandated consolidated wastewater treatment systems, leaving residents to suffer the pollution without respite” (SustainAsia). Thus, the Vietnamese need to increase their people’s awareness of the effects of pollution on their health and environment. Although the government works with the mass media to get the message out to the people, they are unable to feed the information to most of the population. Since they do not have strict sanctions for individuals or companies who violate the laws, the problem of pollution will not go away. They must start fining people who litter on the street as an example of not taking care of their environment. Vietnam lacks policies and strict environmental protection and, the strong attraction of investment for development should be easy to get into the "trap" therefore, many "dirty" industries have been built. For example, the steel industry wastes a lot of resources such as land, water, energy, and eliminate hazardous substances into the environment. Pollution is a serious problem in the world generally, and Vietnam is a prime example. Vietnam is a developing country. The problem of environmental pollution is an urgent problem. It is necessary to implement some solutions to overcome the consequences of environmental pollution. Vietnam has to create a healthy living environment for its people. The environmental situation in Vietnam is serious but can be saved if every citizen joins hands to protect the environment and avoid pollution. The future for a green Vietnam, where the streets and rivers are clean will benefit the future generations of Vietnam.

WORK CITATION
SustainAsia, ed. "Industrial parks pollute rivers, canals in Can Tho, Vietnam." sustainasia.wordpress.com. WordPress.com, 29 July 2011.Web. 26 Sept. 2012.
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Tuoi Tre, ed. "Vietnam air pollution among the worst in the world." tuoitrenews.vn. Tuoi Tre Newspaper, 2 May 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. .

Overland, Martha Ann. "Vietnam Cracks Down on Polluters."www.time.com. CNN, 17 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 Sept. 2012. .