Crystal clear water, mountainous green terrain, and around a dozen culture-filled villages is what people generally imagine when thinking of Lake Atitlan. The documentary titled “Atitlan in Bloom” is a collective of stories from various people in the lake community which shows the diversity, hard work, culture, and beliefs of the people there. There are scenes focusing on women who work with old fashioned looms, natural healers, Mayan priests, bus mechanics, and passionate peasants. The first man the filmmakers spoke with in the video expresses that a person can only be as good as their roots. In that sense, the people of Lake Atitlan come from a strong history, giving them the “ability to adapt and flourish in a world that’s constantly changing”
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Even though cyanobacteria occurs naturally, the serious problem is directly caused by the pollutants of the surrounding towns because the substance “grows out of control when nourished by pollution” (Lake Atitlan 2015). The website lakeatitlanhealth.com has some tips for mitigating the pollution and reversing the effects of the cyanobacteria. It states that the lake communities need to prevent phosphor and nitrogen rich nutrients from entering the lake (Lake Atitlan 2015). In addition, Tule reeds and other wetland plants can mitigate the problem after being planted. While those are important to know, there are some more obvious ways of preventing further growth of the cyanobacteria. The Lake Atitlan towns need to stop pouring polluted water into the lake. Trash should be brought to the dump instead of washed into the water and pipes should not stream sewage into the lake. While it is a bit helpful that peasants are trying to clean the water by straining out the sludge with cloths and trucking away the pollution, it doesn’t stop the problem at the source. The best solution would be to rebuild the sewage treatment plant that was destroyed and possibly build more because putting on a Band-Aid doesn’t stop a wound from hurting. The community needs to also be cautious and mindful about where their
Even though cyanobacteria occurs naturally, the serious problem is directly caused by the pollutants of the surrounding towns because the substance “grows out of control when nourished by pollution” (Lake Atitlan 2015). The website lakeatitlanhealth.com has some tips for mitigating the pollution and reversing the effects of the cyanobacteria. It states that the lake communities need to prevent phosphor and nitrogen rich nutrients from entering the lake (Lake Atitlan 2015). In addition, Tule reeds and other wetland plants can mitigate the problem after being planted. While those are important to know, there are some more obvious ways of preventing further growth of the cyanobacteria. The Lake Atitlan towns need to stop pouring polluted water into the lake. Trash should be brought to the dump instead of washed into the water and pipes should not stream sewage into the lake. While it is a bit helpful that peasants are trying to clean the water by straining out the sludge with cloths and trucking away the pollution, it doesn’t stop the problem at the source. The best solution would be to rebuild the sewage treatment plant that was destroyed and possibly build more because putting on a Band-Aid doesn’t stop a wound from hurting. The community needs to also be cautious and mindful about where their