Monday, July 16, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Quality Standards - In Regards to Sagoff's Article and Discussion
After reading Mark Sagoff's article "At the Shrine of Our Lady Fatima, or Why Political Questions are Not All Economic," many topics were brought up in our group discussion. I found this discussion very interesting and wish to share some of the points that were made about water depletion in this blog.
The quality standards of water in the U.S. are fairly high. We all basically have access to clean water and most of us use quite a bit of it for household purposes. However, cleanliness and pollution are topics that are relevant to water all over the world. Even though the U.S. might have clean water for the majority of its citizens, there are many countries that only have access to polluted water. Not only are the terms "cleanliness" and "pollution" relevant to water and water depletion, but the idea of water regulations are as well.
Yes, there may be some water regulations in the United States such as how much water households are allowed to use on their lawns - these laws are usually set in place in towns with droughts or water shortages in general - or laws about the pollution of water. However, there are still only very few regulations on water in the U.S. Bolivia on the other hand has water regulations that were put into place after the water wars of 2000 and 2006. These regulations were put into place because the conditions and privatizations became very extreme in Bolivia and the people knew something needed to be done. Water regulations and shortages have not yet been deemed as an extreme issue in the United States unfortunately, so our water regulations still remain fairly nonexistent.
If water regulations were put into place, I believe everyone can agree, that we all would benefit from higher quality standards of water. Although the water available in the U.S. is already of good quality, third world countries would see a dramatic change in their quality of water if regulations were put into place. Now, this of course would be in a perfect world. Because as we also questioned in class, is such a high quality of water around the world worth the amount of financial and personal sacrifices that more developed nations would be sure to have to make to achieve this? This dilemma relates to many others that our world is experiencing, such as the issue of world hunger, shelter, education, healthcare, etc. And the problem is the same throughout, people do not want to give up their quality of living to improve that of others. This idea that our whole world should be equal by some of us lowering our standard of living has been discussed throughout many of the articles taught in class. However, one thing that has proven to help issues such as these, is donations. If we cannot force people to make sacrifices for others' quality of life, then we must rely on people to donate of their own free will for the cause.
Regulations on the use and quality of water should be put in place all around the world because it would help us preserve the water we have on this earth. Even though this seems like the solution, it will be very difficult to create these regulations and have people agree with them unless they see the severity of the issue. In the meantime, people have been trying to come up with ideas other than regulations that will help us avoid water depletion. One of these ideas is converting saltwater to freshwater by a process known as desalinization. Although this could be an additional solution, the cost to do this is also expensive, and in the end everything boils down to how much we are willing to spend to avoid a crisis that we may not even see coming.
The quality standards of water in the U.S. are fairly high. We all basically have access to clean water and most of us use quite a bit of it for household purposes. However, cleanliness and pollution are topics that are relevant to water all over the world. Even though the U.S. might have clean water for the majority of its citizens, there are many countries that only have access to polluted water. Not only are the terms "cleanliness" and "pollution" relevant to water and water depletion, but the idea of water regulations are as well.
Yes, there may be some water regulations in the United States such as how much water households are allowed to use on their lawns - these laws are usually set in place in towns with droughts or water shortages in general - or laws about the pollution of water. However, there are still only very few regulations on water in the U.S. Bolivia on the other hand has water regulations that were put into place after the water wars of 2000 and 2006. These regulations were put into place because the conditions and privatizations became very extreme in Bolivia and the people knew something needed to be done. Water regulations and shortages have not yet been deemed as an extreme issue in the United States unfortunately, so our water regulations still remain fairly nonexistent.
If water regulations were put into place, I believe everyone can agree, that we all would benefit from higher quality standards of water. Although the water available in the U.S. is already of good quality, third world countries would see a dramatic change in their quality of water if regulations were put into place. Now, this of course would be in a perfect world. Because as we also questioned in class, is such a high quality of water around the world worth the amount of financial and personal sacrifices that more developed nations would be sure to have to make to achieve this? This dilemma relates to many others that our world is experiencing, such as the issue of world hunger, shelter, education, healthcare, etc. And the problem is the same throughout, people do not want to give up their quality of living to improve that of others. This idea that our whole world should be equal by some of us lowering our standard of living has been discussed throughout many of the articles taught in class. However, one thing that has proven to help issues such as these, is donations. If we cannot force people to make sacrifices for others' quality of life, then we must rely on people to donate of their own free will for the cause.
Regulations on the use and quality of water should be put in place all around the world because it would help us preserve the water we have on this earth. Even though this seems like the solution, it will be very difficult to create these regulations and have people agree with them unless they see the severity of the issue. In the meantime, people have been trying to come up with ideas other than regulations that will help us avoid water depletion. One of these ideas is converting saltwater to freshwater by a process known as desalinization. Although this could be an additional solution, the cost to do this is also expensive, and in the end everything boils down to how much we are willing to spend to avoid a crisis that we may not even see coming.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Water Depletion in the News
Last Thursday, March 22nd, was the UN's annual World Water Day which celebrates the importance water and advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater. The first World Water day was in 1993 and since then they have had a new theme every year. This year's theme addresses the issue of the amount of water we consume every day and how it is affecting the world's water supply. Each year the world's population rises and as it does so, we continue to eat foods that demand higher and higher amounts of water to produce. The amount of water we "drink" each year is rising because of the foods we choose to eat. More and more often are people choosing to eat foods that need more water to produce them than foods we have eaten in the past. Also, pertaining to the decline in the world's water supply, was the World Water Day's theme in 2007, which focused on water scarcity and the need to implement sustainable resource management for our scare water sources.
With the occurrence of the annual World Water Day, there have been many recent news articles addressing the many issues and solutions associated with water depletion. The issue of high water consumption was also addressed in an article in the online LA Times. It seems that not only has the depletion of water due to irrigation appeared in the news, but now we are seeing news stories on who is drinking how much water and where. In a recent article in the internet newspaper Huff Post - Green, the discussion of how much water we are all consuming and how it is affecting to planet is continued.
While many news articles have lately been focusing on the problem of the high amount of water we use and the statistics that support it, an article posted on World Water Day from the Environmental News Service discusses the topic of a U.S. Water Partnership. This article includes statistics stating that our demand for water will be too high or that our water issues will contribute to instability in the next 10-30 years if we do not implement effective ways of managing our water. Also, the water partnership that the article focuses on was announced by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, as a way to start cooperation among many partners in finding sustainable solutions to water depletion.
The reality of water depletion has begun to cause many more news stories and ideas for possible solutions to arise around the world. In the middle east, where there is much concern for water depletion, a Pakistani Newspaper released an article that discusses much of that same topics seen in the previously listed articles. Another middle eastern country has been releasing many news stories as of late. The Times of India has an online website where they are constantly releasing the most current information on the issue of water depletion in their country. This website is very helpful in keeping up to date with what is being done about this issue in other locations.
As the concern for water scarcity becomes more and more apparent, news stories will continue popping up and keeping the world updated on what is happening and what can be done about it.
With the occurrence of the annual World Water Day, there have been many recent news articles addressing the many issues and solutions associated with water depletion. The issue of high water consumption was also addressed in an article in the online LA Times. It seems that not only has the depletion of water due to irrigation appeared in the news, but now we are seeing news stories on who is drinking how much water and where. In a recent article in the internet newspaper Huff Post - Green, the discussion of how much water we are all consuming and how it is affecting to planet is continued.
While many news articles have lately been focusing on the problem of the high amount of water we use and the statistics that support it, an article posted on World Water Day from the Environmental News Service discusses the topic of a U.S. Water Partnership. This article includes statistics stating that our demand for water will be too high or that our water issues will contribute to instability in the next 10-30 years if we do not implement effective ways of managing our water. Also, the water partnership that the article focuses on was announced by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, as a way to start cooperation among many partners in finding sustainable solutions to water depletion.
The reality of water depletion has begun to cause many more news stories and ideas for possible solutions to arise around the world. In the middle east, where there is much concern for water depletion, a Pakistani Newspaper released an article that discusses much of that same topics seen in the previously listed articles. Another middle eastern country has been releasing many news stories as of late. The Times of India has an online website where they are constantly releasing the most current information on the issue of water depletion in their country. This website is very helpful in keeping up to date with what is being done about this issue in other locations.
As the concern for water scarcity becomes more and more apparent, news stories will continue popping up and keeping the world updated on what is happening and what can be done about it.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Who Can Stop It and How?
Who is working to stop water depletion and how they are planning on doing so?
As mentioned in my previous blog pertaining to the causes of water depletion, there are major concerns about the water levels in many Indian cities. With the research done by the previously mentioned organizations – UNICEF and WWF – India has come up with suggestions and approaches to addressing the causes discussed. A few of their proposed solutions include:
· Identification and isolation of contamination sources
· Adoption of latest technologies in order to reduce the waste generation and/or to treat them effectively
· Improved and innovative planning of water resources
· Increased participation of the public, either directly or indirectly in solving the crisis
· Enhanced co-ordination among the Agencies involved (both Governmental and Non- Governmental) for the cause of the Nation
They have some very sound ideas for addressing their current problem. Going into further detail with one of their suggestions – the adoption of latest technologies – they have come up with specific things these new technologies should address to continue solving the problem of water depletion. They state that, “Any promising technology to be adopted for the treatment of the waste effluents should give a close look at the following aspects: cost, availability, reliability, development nature, and limitations of treatment capacity.”
On a smaller scale, the town of Rhonda, North Carolina has become aware of the dangers of water depletion. Mayor of Rhonda, Victor Varela has made an effort to conserve water in Wilkes County by stating that residents are not allowed to wash their cars or water their homes and gardens. The start of this conservation act began when the mayor realized the school was using much more water than it needed to – about 260,000 primarily when it was empty. This was due to a broken water line. Since then, it has come to Varela’s attention that the town’s supply of water is much less than it used to be and he has been advocating for residents to conserve as much as possible.
Overall, many people believe it is the government who need to make an effort to prevent the depletion of water. Keshav Parthasarathy wrote an article for the online newspaper Viewspaper titled “Water Depletion: A Silent Killer,” in which he stated, “Government can boost private sector investments in the area of developing water conservation techniques by providing security to their investments and giving incentives in the form of higher returns.” More ideas on how the government could aid in stopping water depletion are that the government should work with other governments to agree on how each country can use water for purposes where it is essential. Also, the government should ensure the best irrigation facilities in agricultural areas so farmers will be able to efficiently use the limited amount of water. Finally, in an attempt to involve the entire public in the fight for water conservation, the government should make an enormous effort to raise public awareness. This can be done through workshops and public awareness campaigns so we all can be a part of stopping this problem by understanding the enormity of the situation and acting accordingly.
Sources:
Parthasarathy, Keshav. "Water Depletion: A Silent Killer." The Viewspaper. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://theviewspaper.net/water-depletion-a-silent-killer/>.
Ramakrishna, V., and Dr. B.V. Babu. "Fresh Water Depletion – A Crisis: Causes & Remedies." Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/~bvbabu/FrshwaterE%26P98.pdf>.
"Mayor Takes Action To Stop Water Depletion." WXII - 12 TV. 05 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.wxii12.com/r/24890304/detail.html>.
In Addition...
**In addition to the post “When Did it Start Depleting and Why?", here is some additional information on the causes of water depletion**
“A recent joint study conducted by United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature revealed the alarming situation of fresh water depletion in the country [India]. They opined that the fall in the quality and quantity of available water resources is due to the following reasons:
· Pollution of water sources
· Improper water resources management
· Shortcomings in the design and implementation of legislation and regulations, which address these problems”
Consequences of Water Abuse and Depletion
There are some very obvious and apparent consequences to water depletion that many of us are already aware of. For example, lower water supply for domestic use, the inability to provide water to irrigate agriculture, less water for animals that provide food for us, wildlife/pond life depletion, and even water pollution. These consequences of water depletion start a snowball effect and cause even more consequences for our planet.
As we have discussed in class, some believe humans feel the need to dominate over nature. It has been suggested that we are greedy and this affects things like the natural environment and even other humans. I agree with this, and I also believe that this is affecting the depletion of water. As I stated in my last post, there are many ways that we abuse our domestic uses of water. Many people in the Western culture (which has been talked about being the cause of environmental maltreatment) will overuse water in their home. I believe this is because we are unable to imagine the long term consequences or do not see how it is affecting people around the world today.
The consequences of water depletion are very serious and will continue to worsen and affect the world if something is not done. Much of what we talk about in class can be compared to the issue of water abuse and depletion and its consequences. We have talked about how humans are greedy and feel the need to dominate nature, but do not realize the importance of it. This is the same with water. It is very difficult for us to realize that are consequences of our actions and as with the environment, our water is irreplaceable.
Sources:
"Depletion of Water Resources More Serious Than Oil Reserves." Edie Waste. 18 Feb. 2005. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=9562>.
"Water." The Free Dictionary. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/water depletion>.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
How We Abuse Water
Water is abused in a number of different ways, not only the household water wasting we are usually informed of. For example, agriculture uses 93% of our freshwater and half of that is used for livestock. Although this may not seem like a way in which we abuse the Earth’s water, it is. We use this water to irrigate crops that feed the livestock and provide drinking water for the livestock as well. This is a large amount of water and labor being put forth into livestock that we will later kill and eat. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef and one person eats 250-300 pounds of beef each year. This totals out to about 625,000 gallons of water used for one person to eat beef for one year. That amount is used solely on raising beef for that one person to consume. By eating more plant-based foods, the amount of water we use for livestock could be reduced. A step in the process of using water to provide food for humans would be avoided by eating plant-based foods as well. It definitely seems as though we are abusing the amount of water necessary for human life by using so much of it just to produce the vast amounts of beef we consume. The amount of water we use as drinking water pales in comparison to the amount used for agriculture and livestock, with our drinking water representing only 1% of all water used annually.
China is an example of a country that is continuously abusing our water with its rapid growth of water use in its industries. The country also holds the title for the largest rate of increase in beef consumption, which only adds to the world’s abuse of water through livestock.
Another major way water is abused is through water pollution. Polluted surface water causes us to mine underground for water, which uses more of the world’s aquifers. Some aquifers are being pumped at 250 times their ability to replenish.
Finally, the most common things we hear about how we abuse water occur in the home. Water can be wasted by doing things like leaving the water running – while brushing your teeth, washing your face, or doing the dishes – which uses about three gallons per minute; not filling the dishwasher or washing machine with a full load, which can use up to fifteen gallons for a dishwasher and 40-55 gallons for a washing machine per load; leaks – dripping faucets, worn-out shower heads, running toilets – can use up to 10,000 gallons of water annually per household; long showers, which use around seven gallons per minute. In addition, inefficient appliances and fixtures can worsen the effects of all of these methods of water abuse.
Sources:
Barlow, Maude. "Water Abuse and Climate Change." Our Water Commons. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://ourwatercommons.org/feature/water-abuse-and-climate-change>.
Oppenlander, Dr., Richard A. "Water: Escalating Concerns." Comfortably Unaware. 06 Feb. 2011. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://comfortablyunaware.com/blog/water-escalating-concerns/>.
Holley, Casey. "10 Ways We Waste Water." Livestrong. 25 May 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/130826-waste-water/>.
Etolen, Nicole. "Ways to Help Save Water." Livestrong. 18 May 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/126226-save-water/>.
"What's the Cost of Not Conserving?" Community Science Action Guides. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://fi.edu/guide/schutte/howmuch.html>.
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