We often hear the term industrial in the news and on our social media feeds, but what does it mean in terms of our drinking water?
Industrial refers to producing things we buy through large-scale manufacturing and commercial operations. Besides making goods, industrial can also refer to mining, construction, and even transportation. The critical factor is that these processes involve big machinery, computers that control that machinery, and specialized equipment and are done on a large scale.
The reason why industry is a significant source of contamination in our water is that industrial corporations are motivated by profit and constantly cut corners. Yes, we understand that industrial equipment needs to be cleaned. But does that dirty water need to end up in our rivers, streams, and lakes? Of course not! If these companies were committed to cleaning up their waste in a responsible manner, we wouldn’t have these industrial pollution problems. We might even be able to eat freshwater fish still!
Unfortunately, most industrial corporations care more about paying stockholders’ dividends than protecting the environment and keeping us safe. One of the most egregious examples of corporate irresponsibility is Monsanto which knowingly polluted our environment and drinking water with glyphosate for decades. Glyphosate is linked to cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Besides non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, glyphosate can disrupt our endocrine systems, a complex network of glands and organs that secrete hormones into our bloodstream. These hormones regulate our various bodily functions. Like in animals, this endocrine system disruption causes developmental and even reproductive problems!
That’s where corporate lobbyists come into play. Lobbying refers to the practice of individuals, organizations, or companies attempting to influence public policy and government decision-making by advocating for their interests or concerns to lawmakers, government officials, or other policymakers.
Lobbying can take many forms, including direct communication with policymakers, participation in public hearings or meetings, provision of information or research, grassroots organizing, and financial contributions to political campaigns or parties.
According to the Center for Responsible Politics in 2018:
Monsanto spent $5.5 million on lobbying. This included lobbying on biotechnology regulations, crop insurance, and pesticide regulation.
Syngenta spent $1.8 million on lobbying. This included lobbying on biotechnology regulations, crop insurance, and pesticide regulation.
BASF spent $4.7 million on lobbying activities on chemical regulation, energy policy, and trade policy.
Dow Chemical Company (including Dow AgroSciences) spent $10.7 million on lobbying on chemical regulation, energy policy, and trade policy.
In 2019, Nufarm spent $70,000 on lobbying on pesticide regulation and agricultural policy.
The bottom line is that, through lobbying, these companies are influencing our politicians and other policymakers, including those who work at the EPA, to keep glyphosate legal so they can continue to sell it and make billions in profits.
Did you know that the multistage filtration system in our water ionizers removes 99.99% of contaminants from drinking water? With industrial pollutants ravaging our drinking water, a water ionizer is essential for good health.
