The issues involved in water conservation are timely ones that seemed to have sprung up recently with our recent awareness in the last decade or so of the ozone layer depletion, global warming, and acid rain. Keywords in this awareness are sustainability (the concept of making sure water is available for future generations with the simple equation of withdrawal of fresh water not to exceed the natural replacement rate) energy conservation (managing water so that water pumping, delivery and waste water treatment do not consume an unreasonable amount of energy) and habitat conservation (an effort to minimize human water use to preserve fresh water habitats for local wildlife and waterfowl, as well as reducing the need to build new dams and other water diversionary structures).
However current these ideas and terms, water conservation has actually been a global concern for centuries and has been a primary issue in many cultures around the world. Throughout history, water availability has been a vital factor in the rise and fall of human cultures. Some of the earliest civilizations, such as the Mesopotamian peoples of the Fertile Crescent, an area which got its name because of its shape and location between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Without the water, civilizations would not have taken root and flourished there. Another example of the vital role water has played in our human history would be the ancient Egyptian people, whose entire existence depended on the Nile River and its seasonal flooding and receding. This great ancient civilization was able to achieve its great inventions and architectural accomplishments, the Pyramids, the Sphinx and other monuments, because of the secure and permanent lifestyle that the Nile River supported. The ancient Aztecs, who ingeniously built their entire city on man-made islands floating on Mexico's Lake Texcoco, also had the luxury of an almost unlimited water source which gave them the security to invent, build and create many things that the world had never seen before. Water is not only a means of sustaining human life, it is necessary for agriculture, the domesticating of animals, and even transportation. Whether living in ancient times or the 21st century, humans must learn to live within the limits of available natural resources. The supply of usable water is not unlimited. We must learn to reduce our excessive consumption.
Today there are many foundations that have been set up to help deal with the problem of our excessive consumption. One of the most prominent and long-standing is the Water Environment Federation (WEF.) This organization has been around since 1928, when it was originally called the Federation of Sewage Works Associations. It then became known as the Federation of Sewage and Industrial Wastes Associations in 1950 and the Water Pollution Control Federation in 1960. It became the Water Environment Federation in 1991 to reflect its expanding role of not only dealing with the pollution but sustaining and educating for the future. The Water Environment Federation is worldwide, with a global network that works towards goals of water conservation. One of the main goals is universal metering. This concept involves the individual metering of households across the world so that household consumption can be observed, compared, recorded and reduced. Universal metering of water in households varies greatly worldwide. In the United Kingdom, less than 30% of homes are metered. In Canada, only 57% of urban homes are metered. In the United States, where almost every private residence is metered, water use has gone down when individual households realized they were being held accountable and financially responsible for their water use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that metering alone can reduce water consumption by 20 to 40 percent. Another social solution would be putting pressure on individual farmers by monitoring their fresh water use. Crop irrigation accounts for 70% of the world's fresh water use. Conservation advocates are working around the world to put pressure on farmers to grow more water-efficient crops and adopt less wasteful irrigation techniques.
Global technological solutions that are being advanced by the Water Environment Federation and other agencies worldwide include water-saving technology for both the home and the agricultural sector. In the home, some devices that are becoming available in many countries include low-flow shower heads, low-flush toilets, faucet aerators (which break up the flow into finer droplets for better "wetting effectiveness"), wastewater reuse or recycling systems allowing reuse of "graywater" for flushing toilets or watering the garden, and recycling of wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant, along with many other household appliances that use less water, such as washing machines and dishwashers. For crop irrigation, new methods are being explored to prevent evaporation and runoff waste. An evaporation pan can be used to determine how much water is required to irrigate the land. Alternatives to flood irrigation, which is wasteful because some areas receive more than enough water just so that other areas receive enough, are being tested worldwide. One alternative is overhead irrigation which uses sprinklers, but in extremely dry areas some water may evaporate before reaching the ground. Drip irrigation is the most efficient because it delivers droplets of water directly to the roots of plants with very little waste, but it is the most expensive to put into place. Today, conservation efforts are exploring ways to maximize the efficiency of the current irrigation system rather than replacing it entirely which is proving to be too expensive for most farmers.
Water conservation is continually evolving, from its earliest history of cultivation in the Fertile Crescent to modern efforts made by international organizations to work towards sustainability. After all, it is in our best interest to maintain a global perspective on this issue- -we're all it this together!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Videos
Water scarcity is not only due to overuse. Sometimes it is the weather and change in climate that brings drought and a water shortage to an area. Global warming also has effects on water shortages. Humans greenhouse gases are trapped in the atmosphere and are causing our earth's temperature to rise. By the end of this century, it is expected that the temperature will rise 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. This climate change brings anticipation of drought, floods and storms.
These videos are of people in different parts of the world all needing the same thing, water.
These videos are of people in different parts of the world all needing the same thing, water.
What the world should be doing!
The earth is a self-contained biosphere unit. According to LennTech.com fresh water makes up only about 2.5% of the earths total water, and of that 2.5% the majority is locked up in glaciers and permafrost. Of the 2.5% of freshwater only 1% is drinkable (LennTech.com). With the recent population explosion the earth has been undergoing, water is “changing form”, and becoming less accessible for all people. Water is being lost to pollution, overuse, and disease. With a more controlled population, the stresses on water, and all of earth’s resources, would be greatly reduced. According to About.com, China’s one child policy has “been estimated to have reduced population growth in the country of 1.3 billion by as much as 300 million people over its first twenty years”. Although these are seemingly draconian measures, we live in a world where choices like these could mean the difference between survival of mankind, and extinction.
Aside from overpopulation, waste and unsatisfactory water management are the main reasons for our increasing water problems. Here is a breakdown of the world water distribution:
(BBC NEWS)
As you can see, agriculture dominates our world water usage. There is plenty room of improvement in irrigation, as well as other water conservation techniques.
Water is a right. We should all be sharing equally between social classes with all. In South Africa, they are privatizing water. Many are allowed 6,000 liters of water a month for free, paying for anything over. But privatization does not work for everyone. It doesn’t fit the lifestyles of most. 6,000 liters a month means 50 liters a day for an entire family. On average, a American uses 19 gallons of water daily. (www.mindfully.org/Sustainability/ Americans-Consume-24percent.htm). that equals to 602.61 gallons. Despite Americans being wasteful, it is unrealistic to give a South African family not enough water for all of them.( BBC NEWS
In developed, urban countries, water shortage mainly stems from inefficient agricultural laws. They use 85% of the world’s water and are shortfalls that need to be addressed by the governments of each nation. (Usa Today)
A California entrepreneur designs Spragg bags. He hopes that the White House will help mediate and negotiate floating fresh water to Palestinians and Israelis. This deal begins in Turkey by filling 20 to 30 Spragg bags with fresh water. Transportation is pennies to the gallon because the bags would float a few hundred miles to those who are in need.
Less than 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh. It is the essence of life. At any given time, half of the world’s hospitals are people who are effected by a water-borne disease. Pollution and global warming threaten this vital resource and with it becoming scarce, we are all fighting for our rights for water. (Christian Science Monitor)
An alternative to fresh water is desalinated water. The United States has be reprimanded for not investing more into research for water purification. So far there are more than 11,000 desalination plants in 120 countries around the world with Japan and Saudi Arabia spear heading. 60% of these are in the Middle East. Our global water problem is getting worse everyday. The world needs to unify its people by slowing population growth, controlling pollution and the supply and demand to the different countries. We all need to start conserving water. And above all, everyone needs to start caring about this issue and about others. Reduce waste, care more. Efficiency is key for moving into a secure future.
Aside from overpopulation, waste and unsatisfactory water management are the main reasons for our increasing water problems. Here is a breakdown of the world water distribution:
(BBC NEWS)
As you can see, agriculture dominates our world water usage. There is plenty room of improvement in irrigation, as well as other water conservation techniques.
Water is a right. We should all be sharing equally between social classes with all. In South Africa, they are privatizing water. Many are allowed 6,000 liters of water a month for free, paying for anything over. But privatization does not work for everyone. It doesn’t fit the lifestyles of most. 6,000 liters a month means 50 liters a day for an entire family. On average, a American uses 19 gallons of water daily. (www.mindfully.org/Sustainability/ Americans-Consume-24percent.htm). that equals to 602.61 gallons. Despite Americans being wasteful, it is unrealistic to give a South African family not enough water for all of them.( BBC NEWS
In developed, urban countries, water shortage mainly stems from inefficient agricultural laws. They use 85% of the world’s water and are shortfalls that need to be addressed by the governments of each nation. (Usa Today)
A California entrepreneur designs Spragg bags. He hopes that the White House will help mediate and negotiate floating fresh water to Palestinians and Israelis. This deal begins in Turkey by filling 20 to 30 Spragg bags with fresh water. Transportation is pennies to the gallon because the bags would float a few hundred miles to those who are in need.
Less than 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh. It is the essence of life. At any given time, half of the world’s hospitals are people who are effected by a water-borne disease. Pollution and global warming threaten this vital resource and with it becoming scarce, we are all fighting for our rights for water. (Christian Science Monitor)
An alternative to fresh water is desalinated water. The United States has be reprimanded for not investing more into research for water purification. So far there are more than 11,000 desalination plants in 120 countries around the world with Japan and Saudi Arabia spear heading. 60% of these are in the Middle East. Our global water problem is getting worse everyday. The world needs to unify its people by slowing population growth, controlling pollution and the supply and demand to the different countries. We all need to start conserving water. And above all, everyone needs to start caring about this issue and about others. Reduce waste, care more. Efficiency is key for moving into a secure future.
The World's Current Water Scarcity
The World’s Current Water Scarcity:
As the world approaches the 7 billion population mark, our problems are becoming equally sizeable and ominous. As populations grow, so does our need for water. Water is required for the mankind's huge industrial, agricultural, and individual demands. According to the World Bank, the world’s demand for water is doubling every 21 years. This is a general analysis, but some countries are suffering severe water problems; around 90% of the severe problems are in developing nations (Usa Today). You would assume that wealthier countries have realized the problem and become efficient in their water conservation techniques, yet according to BBC NEWS individuals in most wealthy countries use up to 10 times more water than those in poor ones, and consequently, they face dire consequences. In the US, drought is on the rise. In Atlanta, a bustling US city with over 3 million residents, there is only an estimated 3 months of water left (TruthOut.Org). Three months before 3 MILLION people will lack the most basic necessity of life, and have to deal with no showers, no clean sanitation, and nothing to drink. Three months before there is not enough water in the river to create steam for power plants; three months till there’s no electricity. Drought warnings have also been issued for Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. America, Arguably the most powerful country in the world, will be reduced to nothing without water.
With the current growth of population, there is no obvious and fair way that water will be distributed uniformly, and it seems like governments are moving towards privatization. Water is becoming a commodity, and the cost of living will consequently rise to the increasing demand in water, with the obvious and imminent decrease in supply. Estimates of this shortage in supply include:
* Severe water shortages affecting at least 400 million people today will affect 4 billion people by 2050. Southwestern states such as Arizona will face other severe freshwater shortages by 2025.
* Adequate sanitation facilities are lacking for 2.4 billion people, about 40% of humankind. (Usa Today).
Everyone’s saying it, and the ominous forecast will hold true, unless everyone contributes to solve the problem.
As the world approaches the 7 billion population mark, our problems are becoming equally sizeable and ominous. As populations grow, so does our need for water. Water is required for the mankind's huge industrial, agricultural, and individual demands. According to the World Bank, the world’s demand for water is doubling every 21 years. This is a general analysis, but some countries are suffering severe water problems; around 90% of the severe problems are in developing nations (Usa Today). You would assume that wealthier countries have realized the problem and become efficient in their water conservation techniques, yet according to BBC NEWS individuals in most wealthy countries use up to 10 times more water than those in poor ones, and consequently, they face dire consequences. In the US, drought is on the rise. In Atlanta, a bustling US city with over 3 million residents, there is only an estimated 3 months of water left (TruthOut.Org). Three months before 3 MILLION people will lack the most basic necessity of life, and have to deal with no showers, no clean sanitation, and nothing to drink. Three months before there is not enough water in the river to create steam for power plants; three months till there’s no electricity. Drought warnings have also been issued for Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. America, Arguably the most powerful country in the world, will be reduced to nothing without water.
With the current growth of population, there is no obvious and fair way that water will be distributed uniformly, and it seems like governments are moving towards privatization. Water is becoming a commodity, and the cost of living will consequently rise to the increasing demand in water, with the obvious and imminent decrease in supply. Estimates of this shortage in supply include:
* Severe water shortages affecting at least 400 million people today will affect 4 billion people by 2050. Southwestern states such as Arizona will face other severe freshwater shortages by 2025.
* Adequate sanitation facilities are lacking for 2.4 billion people, about 40% of humankind. (Usa Today).
Everyone’s saying it, and the ominous forecast will hold true, unless everyone contributes to solve the problem.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Captain Environment PSA: What Individuals Can Do!
Short Funny clip about simple things individuals can do to become more sustainable.
WORLD: GLOBAL WATER CRISIS
This Video was taken from Grey-water.com and is written and produced by Leonardo Dicaprio. It addresses the water conservation issue we have globally.
"We are at a crisis point, but we still have time to turn this around." Leo Dicaprio Water planet.
"We are at a crisis point, but we still have time to turn this around." Leo Dicaprio Water planet.
Friday, September 28, 2007
What WE can do: National
Tobie Reeuwijk
Right now, we the people need to do something. We aren’t doing anything to prepare for a possible water crisis. As individuals, most people don’t conserve water because it is a hassle. The fact that the price of water is low doesn’t deter individuals or corporations either. According to Benjamin Grumbles of the EPA “Water efficiency and full-cost pricing are the wave of the future...the more people understand the true value of water… the more people they’ll realize prices need to reflect that.” (US News and Business) That’s nice Mr. Grumbles, but the people do not control the price of water directly, (besides the fact we drain supply thereby in the future create a demand) the GOVERNMENT is responsible for that. The government needs to at least speculate to raise the price of water to a “full-cost” value.
Increasing water prices will not only force people to reconsider how much they waste each month, big corporations will be forced to find alternative solutions to their huge water consumptions. Mainly the bottled water industry (mentioned in the current situation), which is making ridiculous profits off the draining of our future.
In addition to reducing use, we need to find ways to prevent unnecessary waste. Just a week ago, I was driving down the road towards school, and there was a huge hole in the ground shooting out water at least 100 feet high. I stood there in awe; watching millions of gallons of fresh water skyrocket into, well, waste! I watched for about 5 minutes, tried to take a picture but failed, and there was absolutely no sign of response. I called 911 to report it, and they had not heard a thing about a water main break on Waialae Avenue… This ignorance towards the importance of fixing a water main break, or even replacing entire infrastructures to reduce water waste, needs to be addressed. Water main breaks should be just as important to the local “powers to be” of water management as a traffic accident is to a cop. Water is life, and letting it waste is draining the life of the future. Locally in Hawaii we hear about water main breaks frequently, and we definitely aren’t the only ones. Nationwide, The American Water Works Association estimates that there are 250,000 to 300,000 water main breaks per year, and this number continues to increase as our water infrastructure deteriorates. (US News and Business)
Wasting precious water isn’t the only consequence of a water main break either; it causes mass disruption to the surrounding area. Washington D.C had a serious break of a 36-inch main back in 2005. It affected almost all the restaurants in the area, and homes were flooded. It caused most of these restaurants to close, and no bathrooms in the area were functional either. The water flowed onto the sidewalks and onto the streets for most of the day because they were unable to turn off the water. Most hospitals were unable to accept patience due to the lack of water. Repairing the break could take several days and the break might have possibly shifted the land near the break. This showcase of widespread chaos shows how important water really is, and what could happen if we don’t conserve it. (The Washington Post)
Aside from poor attention and funding for our national water infrastructure, we have no coordinated policy to address our issues as well as international water issues. We need to establish a National Water commission to coordinate and tackle these problems. By establishing this commission, they should also regulate private usage and consumption of water. Large corporations, mainly bottled water are gaining more and more power in the water “business”. Putting the power into business is absolutely inappropriate in this situation, because business is all about MAKING MONEY! Making money by selling water means PUMPING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Large corporations couldn’t care less about how over excessive pumping affects the land, and how it detracts greatly from our supplies. Over pumping can cause larger problems like allowing pollutants into the aquifers. (Gainesville Sun)
In the end, our government needs to stop groveling to water lobbyists, and greed, and do something for the nation. The Government has the power to put a full price on water, and to take responsible control over our water supply, not business or the public. They also need to set aside more money for rebuilding our old water-main infrastructure, and to put more money into wastewater treatment. According to US News and Business, “Federal funding for clean drinking water and waste-water treatment, in fact, has declined 24 percent since 2001.” (US News and Business). We the people still can do something. We cannot rely on current government officials to determine our fate. As US citizens, we need be active in understanding issues such as an impending water crisis, and elect officials who will address these effectively. We have the power to vote, and the power to use day-to-day water conservation techniques to ensure a better future for our people.
Right now, we the people need to do something. We aren’t doing anything to prepare for a possible water crisis. As individuals, most people don’t conserve water because it is a hassle. The fact that the price of water is low doesn’t deter individuals or corporations either. According to Benjamin Grumbles of the EPA “Water efficiency and full-cost pricing are the wave of the future...the more people understand the true value of water… the more people they’ll realize prices need to reflect that.” (US News and Business) That’s nice Mr. Grumbles, but the people do not control the price of water directly, (besides the fact we drain supply thereby in the future create a demand) the GOVERNMENT is responsible for that. The government needs to at least speculate to raise the price of water to a “full-cost” value.
Increasing water prices will not only force people to reconsider how much they waste each month, big corporations will be forced to find alternative solutions to their huge water consumptions. Mainly the bottled water industry (mentioned in the current situation), which is making ridiculous profits off the draining of our future.
In addition to reducing use, we need to find ways to prevent unnecessary waste. Just a week ago, I was driving down the road towards school, and there was a huge hole in the ground shooting out water at least 100 feet high. I stood there in awe; watching millions of gallons of fresh water skyrocket into, well, waste! I watched for about 5 minutes, tried to take a picture but failed, and there was absolutely no sign of response. I called 911 to report it, and they had not heard a thing about a water main break on Waialae Avenue… This ignorance towards the importance of fixing a water main break, or even replacing entire infrastructures to reduce water waste, needs to be addressed. Water main breaks should be just as important to the local “powers to be” of water management as a traffic accident is to a cop. Water is life, and letting it waste is draining the life of the future. Locally in Hawaii we hear about water main breaks frequently, and we definitely aren’t the only ones. Nationwide, The American Water Works Association estimates that there are 250,000 to 300,000 water main breaks per year, and this number continues to increase as our water infrastructure deteriorates. (US News and Business)
Wasting precious water isn’t the only consequence of a water main break either; it causes mass disruption to the surrounding area. Washington D.C had a serious break of a 36-inch main back in 2005. It affected almost all the restaurants in the area, and homes were flooded. It caused most of these restaurants to close, and no bathrooms in the area were functional either. The water flowed onto the sidewalks and onto the streets for most of the day because they were unable to turn off the water. Most hospitals were unable to accept patience due to the lack of water. Repairing the break could take several days and the break might have possibly shifted the land near the break. This showcase of widespread chaos shows how important water really is, and what could happen if we don’t conserve it. (The Washington Post)
Aside from poor attention and funding for our national water infrastructure, we have no coordinated policy to address our issues as well as international water issues. We need to establish a National Water commission to coordinate and tackle these problems. By establishing this commission, they should also regulate private usage and consumption of water. Large corporations, mainly bottled water are gaining more and more power in the water “business”. Putting the power into business is absolutely inappropriate in this situation, because business is all about MAKING MONEY! Making money by selling water means PUMPING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Large corporations couldn’t care less about how over excessive pumping affects the land, and how it detracts greatly from our supplies. Over pumping can cause larger problems like allowing pollutants into the aquifers. (Gainesville Sun)
In the end, our government needs to stop groveling to water lobbyists, and greed, and do something for the nation. The Government has the power to put a full price on water, and to take responsible control over our water supply, not business or the public. They also need to set aside more money for rebuilding our old water-main infrastructure, and to put more money into wastewater treatment. According to US News and Business, “Federal funding for clean drinking water and waste-water treatment, in fact, has declined 24 percent since 2001.” (US News and Business). We the people still can do something. We cannot rely on current government officials to determine our fate. As US citizens, we need be active in understanding issues such as an impending water crisis, and elect officials who will address these effectively. We have the power to vote, and the power to use day-to-day water conservation techniques to ensure a better future for our people.
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