When water sources start to catch flames, things are definitely going wrong. I remember talking to my father one day concerning the environmental degradation around our place and the particular harm it would cause to a nearby river. He then told be the tale of burning Cuyahoga River in Cleveland that caught flames due to intense pollution in the region. At first, I could not imagine such a thing taken place; hence, I was shocked to find out that it was actually true. After learning about the burning water source, I immediately felt anger and frustration on imagining that such an occurrence could take place in our area or even any other part of the world where people do not preserve water sources. This essay constructs verbal images that can assist in understanding the burning river in Cleveland.
Cuyahoga’s flaming image served as a measure that drew the attention of environmental officials and leaders to work towards a cleaner and safer surrounding. The water source was a symbolic representation of the verbal language to formulate and relate a message. Verbal images assist in developing an understanding regarding a situation. Further evaluation of the burning river in Cleveland reveals that the name of the water source, Cuyahoga, means crooked (Grant, par. 3). The name arose due to its bent shaped, but based on the unethical practices of pollution that prevailed in the region, the word crooked can be utilized to mean illegal, twisted, or dishonest. Children were warned not to go to play or swim in Cuyahoga River due to the algae blooms, dead and drying fish that floated in the water (Grant, par. 7). The rumors had spread throughout the region amongst parents who became protective over their kids. However, the gossip, in this case, was true since the level of pollution in the region was finally exposed.
Work Cited
Grant, Julia. How a Burning River Helped Create the Clean Water Act, 2015. Web. <http://archive.alleghenyfront.org/story/how-burning-river-helped-create-clean-water- act.html>
