Notes- Growing population and rising demands from many quarters threaten freshwater bodies
- Coming up with a sustainable way to provide water is top priority - There are low-tech methods to reduce freshwater scarcity (desalination) - Water demand high in undeveloped countries where supply is low - Steps for conservation of water: 1) Conserve irrigation water 2) Charge more for water 3) Ship "Virtual Water" 4) Adopt low-water sanitation 5) Exploit advanced desalination tech |
SummaryThis article focuses on the increasing demand for water and the decline of bodies of freshwater. Well-off continents like North America and Europe have the luxury of an abundance of freshwater, but as of late, more and more is disappearing. 3rd world areas like Africa struggle to make do with the limited supply that it has. Climate change feeds into droughts that dry up big water supplies. The author of the article stresses the need for policymakers to find sustainable ways to supply water and reduce scarcity. Some methods that are offered are charging more for water, so that people will have more of an incentive to conserve it, and shipping "virtual water" so that developing countries can use water for purposes other than the item that contains "virtual water".
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ReflectionIt's no shocker that the supply of water is being depleted and wasted by our ever-growing population. The sad truth is always brought up about how developing countries have limited access to fresh water and how it is monopolized by big companies. To combat that, Peter Rogers came up with a list of methods that reduce water scarcity and increase water conservation. I agree with most of these proposed solutions, however, I disagree with just one of them. Charging more for water to give people more of an incentive to conserve it sounds good at first, but raising the price of something essential to all living organisms' health is not a good idea. Some people struggle to obtain water at its already low price, and by increasing that price, we are potentially making it difficult for those people to survive. The rest of these proposals may present the answer to our water woes.
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