Water scarcity is an environmental problem that reaches around the globe. This lack of water is called the World Water Crisis. In the U.S, people are privileged enough to be able to use clean water for many things. However, the U.S is effected by water scarcity as well as countries who are underdeveloped and aren 't as privileged as we are. Only 2.5 percent of Earth 's water is fresh water, of which industrial uses account for 22 percent of available fresh water, domestic use requires only 8 percent, and the rest-over two-thirds of our demand-is used for agriculture. Water is said to be a right for all living things, however, many underdeveloped countries in the world, such as Ghana or Rajasthan, are victims of corporations who come
The world’s supply of water is in steep decline as more and more is being used each year by more and more people around the globe. Currently, 800 million people do not have access to a drinking source. At the current rate, 1.8 billion people could be living in areas of absolute water scarcity by 2025.
Nearly half the states in the U.S. are abnormally dry. This is a situation that will be happening until the world ends. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change (“Clean Water Crisis, Water Crisis Facts, Water Crisis Resources”). This is something very serious to think about. We will be looking this problem directly in the face in less than 10 years unless we all make a conscious effort to significantly cut down on the amount of water we use. For a lot of third world countries, this water shortage problem is something that affects daily life. 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are without access to improved reliable drinking water sources (The Water Project). That's more people living without adequate water conditions, than the total population of the United States in 2014. As an American myself, the
Everyday, billions of people use water all over the world. They use water in drinks and food. They use water for bathing and hygiene. They use water in agriculture and industry. They use water for so many things. However, there are many problems with the usage of water around the world. In his editorial, “Our Water System: What a Waste”, Michael E. Webber explains how America has a water problem, and how that problem can be solved.
Among all of the resources in the world, there is one that we do not often consider to be diminishing. The masses take this resource, water, for granted. When the average person takes a single look at a world map, they see multiple blue oceans covering the Earth. But, although we are surrounded by water, our clean water reserves dwindle rapidly. In her article, “Water Works”, Cynthia Barnett attempts to bring this issue to greater light and offers her own solutions. While I agree with many of Barnett’s points, she fails to look at the arguments of her detractors to the detriment of her already flawed case.
Earth is filled with vast amounts of water, yet it’s like a cruel joke to people who cannot drink it due to its toxicity to us. Likewise, fresh water is our most precious resource that people depend on every day. Our society is based around the use of large amounts of water in our everyday lives. Charles Fisher, a three time winner of the Gerald Loeb award, a writer for the magazine Fast Company, and the author of The Walmart Effect and The Big Thirst, tells a different story. In the article Will the World Run out of Fresh Water, which explains that people take water for granted and never see its true value like people in the past, published at the Detroit Greenhaven Press in 2012. Because we use vast amounts of water and never see the process in which water is given to people, Fisherman proposes this idea that water is taken for granted until we run out, which is more than true.
Water is a fundamental resource necessary for all life on Earth. Humanity would be extinct without it. People think there is an unlimited supply of water, however there is not. The overuse of water is a problem that needs to be stopped. Society needs to learn to live in a more sustainable way. If humanity continues to overuse Earth’s natural resources the way it does today, the Earth will run dry. To prevent the depletion of water, people need to be aware of their impact on the environment and live sustainably. By controlling the population, limiting fossil fuel usage, and stopping greed, the depletion of water can be prevented.
As a resident of the United States, imagine the nation 's future without water. Land terribly dry and brown with hardly any plants growing. Laws being put in place that would fine you for using too much water and people fighting over what remains of this extremely important resource. Each group trying to persuade the other that their need for water is greater. Well, if you are a resident of California, this is already happening. Farmers, people, and environmentalists all want the water to be used for different things, the only problem is, there isn’t enough. The current drought has continued for about five years now, with extremely high temperatures and a lack of precipitation. While personal hygiene, common comforts and the fish
Water is a basic requirement for all life, yet water resources are facing more and more demands from, and competition among, users. President Kennedy has expressed the crisis of water in the above said lines so beautifully. According to World Water Council “While the world's population tripled in the 20th century, the use of renewable water resources has grown six-fold. Within the next fifty years, the world population will increase by another 40 to 50 %. This population growth - coupled with industrialization and urbanization - will result in an increasing
When referring to Arizona’s water Kris Mayes, chairwoman of the state’s utility regulatory panel once said, “How do you say just how valuable water is in an arid state like Arizona?” she said. “It’s like the credit-card commercial-it’s priceless” (McKinnon). She was right, because in a dry state like Arizona, water is pretty important. To say water is ‘pretty important’ for the world is an understatement. We use water to function. And when we think of water we think of saving it. Keep the faucets from dripping or turn off the water while brushing your teeth. There are numerous tips for water conservation, but people don’t often think of the damage that is already done. Damages like ‘dead zones’. Dead zones in the ocean have been around for
We’re running out of water and not many people know about it or care enough to try and solve it, there are multiple reasons and causes of why we are running out of water. One reason we are running out of water was mentioned earlier, only about two percent of the water is safe for consumption but it doesn 't stop there. According to “where is the water” of the two percent freshwater we can use, about seventy percent of the water is stored in ice caps and glaciers (Pearlman, Howard) and the other thirty are divided into rivers, aquifers and the atmosphere. So
Although water is all around, very little is drinkable. Six billion people live on earth and 1.1 billion in 31 countries are unable to access safe, clean drinking water. California has only 20 years of water supply left. Ironically, even the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunji, India, has often water shortages. After years of millions of people dying of thirst and disease, a corporate movement to find a solution to the water crisis has now swept the world. Water, a fleeting resource vital to every life, every single day of the year, is now being taken out of the governments control and becoming a commodity bought and sold by big business, a.k.a privatization.
As the worlds population grows, it is forced by circumstances that it has created to face the limitations of the worlds resources. Most people in the US have always been fortunate enough to have enough of whatever they wanted. When something they like breaks or wears out, they throw it away or buy a new one, and they often don’t even make an attempt to repair an item. They neglect basic maintenance until they damage their belongings beyond repair, and expect that they’ll always have enough. But some things are beyond their control, beyond there power or financial ability to replace or repair. The world’s drinking water supply is one of these without concern, without attention, without preventative maintenance and reclamation and
“The most severe threat we face today is a shortage of water”, a statement that sounds too absurd to be believed, but is it? How can we run out of water? Earth, is titled the “Blue Planet” due to the high water level presence on its surface. However 97.5% of that water is salt seawater that is unusable by people or in day-to-day tasks (International Desalination Association, 2015). Earth is running out of fresh water and offers only 0.26% of fresh water resources to utilize and suffice peoples’ needs (International Desalination Association, 2015). These statistics merely shed light on the relatively soon to become the highest demanded and highest priced product in the world ‘water’. Water shortages are increasing because several factors including over-farming and the pollution of water sources, which interrupts the water cycle reducing the amount of water that is cleansed by the environment, therefore reducing the water available for use. Water scarcity is the world’s most severe threat because it decreases the drinking water supply, alters agriculture, reduces animals and threatens global security.
Did you know that humans have access to only 1 PERCENT of the world’s freshwater? That is about 7.4 BILLION people sharing that 1 percent of usable water. We use about 80-100 gallons of water EACH day. Although you may think “oh well, I’ll just use less water”, you know that’s not going to happen. You need to understand that your actions are contributing to this water crisis. For an example, jobs and our education plays a role in this by grabbing attention whether or not it uses water and because of the popularity, no one really cares about the disadvantages anymore. There are certain water issues that contribute to this water disappearance like road salt, littering, plastic water bottle usage and MANY more. Not only are we