World Water Resources: Fractionally Becoming a Catastrophe
Water has always been -- and will always remain -- the basis of life on Earth. Scientists have yet to find a single living and breathing creature that is able to survive without the supply of such a powerful substance. Humans can live for a month without food, yet we can only survive a week without water (Ali Gold Robets). The importance of water has not been as truly appreciated as it should be until now. With water reservoirs shrinking, the global water crisis will only continue to grow. Within the next decade, humanity will begin to see a shift where water will replace oil as our most valuable resource.
The poet W.H. Auden, famously proclaimed, “Thousands have lived without
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Rivers, streams and lakes are drying up at alarming rates. In Europe, the Tagus river that runs through Spain and Portugal is at risk of drying up entirely. Millions of people depend on this river for their water supply. According to Stephen Burgen, The near collapse has been clear for a while after drought, climate change and human activity have left parts of the river drier than a desert. The problem is not with decreasing rainfall or melting snow because the water cycle continues to take place; the problem lies in human activity. Studies shows that half of water basins use forty percent more water than what should be. Since humanity knows how to do so, we need to fix the problem at hand.
In areas closer to home, similar problems are beginning to create equally devastating effects. Scientists have mapped soil moisture levels within the next one hundred years and it shows a general trend where the Canadian north becomes wetter, but southern areas become drier. Climate Central notes that in the United States, the west coast is already experiencing this. Downfalls are becoming more dispersed and causing a drier climate. It is common knowledge that California, the most western state, has been faced with drought for many years now. Brian Richter points out that Wildfires are becoming more common and, as the climate changes, invasive species are climbing up into the state and
Apart from the article by Barnett, several other papers have been written concerning water crisis. For instance, the American Water Works Association writes that in as much as the world is covered with 70% water, 97% of it is salty, and therefore it is not suitable for consumption. Another 2% is ice that is found at the poles. Primarily, this cannot be accessed for consumption since it is far from habitable places. Only 1% is available for use (American Water Works Association).
Comprising over seventy percent of the Earth's surface, water is undeniably the most valuable natural resource. Life on Earth would be non-existent without water because it is essential for everything on our planet to grow. The human body is composed of 50-80% water. Blood and muscles contain significant amounts, and approximately 95% of the brain is water. All body systems and organs need water to function properly, and will shut down without it. Most of the chemical reactions that take place in our body need water as their medium. We can live without food for a few weeks, but can survive only a few days without water. It's essential because unlike other nutrients, water isn't stored in the body. Typically, everyday, we lose around 10
Water is probably the most important resource we as people have. Humans can survive without food for several weeks, but without water we would die in less than a week. On a slightly less dramatic note, millions of liters of water are needed every day worldwide for washing, irrigating crops, and cooling industrial processes, not to mention leisure industries such as swimming pools and water-sports centers. Despite our dependence on water, we use it as a dumping ground for all sorts of waste, and do very little to protect the water supplies we have.
Around the world our water supply is depleting. Our water is becoming contaminated making it harmful for both mammals and aquatic life. Today over one billion people go without adequate water supply and every fifteen seconds a child dies of waterborne illness. Sources of water that once supplied water to millions can no longer meet the supply and demand of the water need. Scientist predict that the amount of useful water will keep depleting greatly in the years to come. In the next couple of pages it will talk about both the geological and human reasons as to why are water supply is depleting.
The earth is like a living organism; it thrives full of life with a fragile balance. This balance has been thrown off by many different things. Water seems to be one of the biggest problems with this offset balance. Water is a magic liquid keeping all of life thriving. Humans drink and use water, plants use water, water is used in everyday life, and it’s slowly being taken away. In the future, there will be no water left to sustain life on earth.
Our discussion turned to gloom and doom when someone mentioned a recent article in the New York Times that “scientists reporting in journal Geophysical Research letters assert global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions has probably worsened drought in California by 15 to 20 percent; warns future dry spells there will certainly be more severe as planet gets hotter.”
Water is the central well being of people and this planet. Life without water is hard to imagine. It’s hard to believe that people around the world live without water. John Thorson once said “Water links us to our neighbor in a way more profound than any other.” The substance that consumes nearly 75% of earth may become contaminated in more areas than we could ever imagine.
It is not water, although life itself would cease to exist without it. It is people. The challenges of climate change and looming water shortages will not be resolved in a few years. It will take generations. Today's children-and theirs-will need to be able to take the baton and continue the race.
Water is essential for life as we know it on earth. It is used by plants
Water is one of the most important elements on Earth and also for our body. We need water to work and function properly and well. Without enough supply of water, our body will grind to a halt and collapse.
Even though the findings suggest that the drought is primarily a consequence of natural climate variability, the scientists added that the likelihood of any drought becoming acute is rising because of climate change. The odds of California suffering droughts at the far end of the scale, like the current one that began in 2012, have roughly doubled over the past century, they said.
Water is essential for life on earth. Water is needed for growing food, keeping ourselves clean, generating power, controlling fire and most importantly to stay alive! This list is simply non-ending. This shows that water is an integral part of our daily life and we are heavily dependent on it.
Solving the global water crisis moves beyond the technical feasibility stage.(2011). Trends Magazine, (104), 19-24.
In today’s society, the idea of a limited resource is not a foreign concept. Most people understand that eventually humans will use up many of these resources, such as fossil fuels, and they will cease to exist. However, very rarely does a conversation about limited resources get started over the water. While water itself is not a limited resource, clean drinkable water is becoming scarcer as people continue to use excess water. The documentary “Last Call at the Oasis” highlights how precious water is to survival and just how much miss use of water occurs in the United States alone. Even though the United States has gone down the wrong path with its water consumption methods, it may not be too late to recover. With the proper systems and education in place, the chances of delaying a water crisis increase exponentially.
Water is our main source of our life. We need it to live, drink, bathe,