Drinking Water Scarcity and Conservation Essay - 1809 Words

In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind even to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference.† -- Rachel Carson -- The water you see around you, flowing freely, sparkling in the noonday sun, quenching your thirst, bathing you, providing you with life is all limited - there is no place on this planet where new water springs up from a source. Water has been recycled by nature over and over again since time began. Our drinking water at one time or another was way up high in the clouds, or streaming down a mountainside, or gushing out of â€Å"Old Faithful.† It cannot be created; it cannot be renewed by planting a â€Å"water tree;† no such tree†¦show more content†¦Now, much of it is from such sources as fertilizer running off farm fields and motor oil washing off highways.† He concludes, â€Å"It’s not a matter of getting the attention of a few corporations and cities. Now we’re trying to engage a lot more people.† How Mr. Evans is going to engage a lot more people is never mentioned. Perhaps when we reach critical levels of toxic elements in our water table than the people will become more involved. Drinking water is different in that we take it into our bodies. We need this water to live. If the water is undrinkable due to heavy metals, such as nitrates from farmers, or mercury from power plants, or by pollution from some other source of industry than the available drinking water becomes scarce. Informing the public is not enough to engage the people. Battles have been fought over water rights for many years from the Plaines Indians, cattlemen and ranchers all the way up to Mulholland stealing water from Owens Valley. Now the fight is between Environmentalist, Industries and the Government. While they discuss whether EPA reports tell the whole story, there exist an ever-increasing demand for water from an ever-increasing population. If the people are not â€Å"engaged† in the process o f conservation and prevention the water problem will only get worse. California has seen its share of droughts. Droughts have a way of making thingsShow MoreRelatedDrinking Water Scarcity and Conservation Essay1820 Words   |  8 Pagesdifficult to concentrate on the more mundane matters of clean drinking water and clean air. Unfortunately, while our nations attention seems fully consumed with the whereabouts of terrorists, water and air continues to be overused and/or contaminated. In reflecting on this odd state of affairs, we begin to understand how easily it is for us to forget about one of the basic necessities of humanity -- clean drinking water. Considering that water constitutes about 60 percent of our body weight, it isRead MoreSpeech on save water save life762 Words   |  4 PagesSave water, save life Water is necessary for life. Water is needed for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. 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In an article published on National Geographic website about â€Å"Fresh Water Crisis† [1] it has mentioned that out of the 70% of water which is covering the earth, only 2.5% is suitable for drinking and just 1% of fresh water is easily accessible. In the same article the author talks about how people are wasting this limited resource. The growing scarcity of water is due to the rapid growth ofRead MoreWater Quality And Quantity Of Water898 Words   |  4 Pages Water Quality and Quantity Water quality focuses on the physical and chemical makeup of water samples (toxicity); water quantity speaks to availability of water (scarcity) for human needs and industry. Linking water quality and quantity is sustainability. An abundance of water does not necessarily ensure it can be safely consumed if it’s contaminated by sewage and/or industrial activities. In 2003, the United Nations (UN) created the inter-agency â€Å"mechanism, UN-Water, to identify water quality andRead MoreThe Crisis For Resource Scarcity1592 Words   |  7 PagesThe word scarcity, by definition means ‘to be in short supply’. A scarcity occurs when the demand for a product or good far outweighs the supply of that product or good. In my most humble, yet concerning opinion, I believe resource scarcity, such as water, to be one of the largest and vastly growing sustainability issues that we will face head-on in the coming decade, and decades thereafter. My summation is that globalization along with rapidly evolving technology, consumers are far too consumedRead MoreWater Scarcity Is A Global Concern1207 Words   |  5 PagesWater scarcity is a global concern, and that means there’s even a problem in our own backyard. While it may be difficult to put yourself in the shoes of an African child struggling to find fresh water, it’s important to understand that water scarcity affects everyone, even here in the United States. Water covers approximately seventy percent of the Earth surface, but less than one percent of that is available for human use. The world must share this small amount for agricultural, domesticRead MoreNotes On Water Supply Report1140 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment Title: Water Supply Report Student ID number: 28960 Date of submission: 4th January 2016 Word count: 1127 I. Introduction Water is an important source to survive, but some countries face a big issue with water scarcity, which has limited economical development, food production to meet the basic health and hygiene needs of the population (Neima B.) Having access to safe drinking water has many benefits, it helps in education, improves Health, and sickness is reduced, clean water also leadsRead MoreConserving Water Is Conserving Life. Earth Is Often Called1129 Words   |  5 PagesConserving Water is Conserving Life Earth is often called the â€Å"Blue Planet†, and rightfully so, since nearly 75 percent of the planet is covered with water. This may lead some to believe that conservation is not concerning or an important issue. What many do not realize is that only 3 percent of that 75 percent is freshwater, and less than one-third of the fresh water is in a form or location that is accessible for human consumption (American Museum of Natural History). Water conservation is an urgent