This posting is all about water, our most precious and dwindling natural resource.
I have commonly heard the argument "I don't see how water is of issue, the water that is on the planet now, is the same amount that has been and will always be on the planet."
True, the water table remains the same. The earth is a closed ecosystem.
The problem arises when we consume water at unsustainable rates, which we have been. Think about it like this: you live in a house with 4 people who all depend on a well for fresh water. The ecosystem is able to replenish the well (via rain and groundwater) to sustain the water needs of these people. If an entire village starts using the same well and it is then depended upon for a large scale farming operation, the well will be depleted before it can naturally be replenished. Now apply this same scenario on a global scale. Now add in the rise of the middle class on a global scale, population growth, industrial agricultural methods, and global climate change (rising CO2 levels and hotter temperatures)... Houston, we have a problem.
Nearly 1 billion people lack access to safe water, and experts expect this number to rise within this century.
Less than 1% of the worlds fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use (World Health Organization, 2008).
We need to be (re)thinking about how we use water now.
GET SOME FACTS (HERE)
Video about water contamination, NY TIMES (HERE)
Beautiful photos about world water, TIME (HERE)
About Geo-Engineering, BBC News (HERE)
Weekly Statement #4
ReplyDeleteI wanted to read about the water crisis and get more informed about it because by living in Michigan my whole life, I know that I take my huge water supply for granted. The only thing I worried about when growing up in terms of water conservation was to make sure I was going to be done with my shower before the hot water ran out (which usually ranged from about 20-40 minutes into my shower). I loved, and still love, to take long hot showers when its cold outside, which it often is in Michigan. And even when it’s not cold out, a long shower just feels therapeutic. I am actually known to my closest friends to take really long showers. It’s horrible and I feel guilty. That’s why I wanted (or actually just pushed myself) to read the article about the water crisis. I thought maybe it would persuade me to take shorter showers and ultimately conserve my total water usage the best I can. I have recently gotten better at controlling the amount of water I use for doing the dishes, brushing my teeth, and washing my clothes, but I definitely think I can cut back a lot more and conserve water better.
While reading the facts on the water crisis, there were statistics that stuck out for me and many of them made me gasp out loud. One in particular was: “At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.” I know that I don’t know all of the diseases that get emitted through water, but I never thought that they would amount to contributing to half of the world’s hospital patients. And then it made me really sad to read, “Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease.” This is a ridiculous amount. It is so depressing to realize that after I am just done with writing this blog, more than 30 water-related deaths will have occurred. Another statistic that made me feel really unhappy was: “Only 62% of the world’s population has access to improved sanitation- defined as a sanitation facility that ensures hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.” This really grossed me out at the same time. This seems like such an important system, and I cannot believe that only 62% of the world has access to it. I cannot even imagine having to worry about ingesting fecal matter or urine in my water. Now I am starting to realize why so many people are hospitalized because of water issues.
Something that I seem to forget a lot is that when people get sick all over the world, we not only have to worry about them dying, but also about them missing excessive amounts of work and, more importantly, school. This is what is happening while so many people are getting diseases and infections from their water.
I am just about to take a shower after writing this blog, and I am honestly going to limit my time in the shower. I am going to think of the statistic: “An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the typical person living in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.” Hopefully I can cut back the amount of time I take in the shower, and cut back the amount of water I use daily, from now on.
Alexis Newton
ReplyDeleteWeekly Response #4
10-12-09
Reading the facts about water really astonish me. I can't believe that more than 3 and a half million people die every year because they don't have access to clean and safe water. It makes me think about the fact that I use so much water everyday.
I know that everyday, I take a 5-10 minute shower, wash my hands probably about 5-10 times a day, brush my teeth twice a day, and wash dishes for about 10-20 minutes. This seems like so much water when I compare it to the fact that less than 1% of the world's fresh water is available for human use. Knowing these facts make me think about ways in which we would reduce the amount of water we use in the U.S. and how we can give places where many children are dying on a daily basis because of the lack of safe water to drink. 4 children dying every minute because of water related illness is a crazy and astonishing amount.
Since I have read these facts, I have tried to use less water in my daily routine. I tried to take a shower that was less than 5 minutes, and turned the water off between scrubbing my hands and brushing my teeth. When doing the dishes, we can fill the sink with water instead of constantly letting the water run. These tasks seem very minimal but I feel better knowing that I am making an effort.
I was also very surprised when I first heard about how the Great Lakes, which make up a huge percent of the world's fresh water, are getting more and more contaminated everyday. This makes me want to somehow raise awareness to the people living around these lakes, and to make people realize that we are taking the lakes for granted.
Water is a very important resource, and the fact we, meaning the people who have fresh water readily available to them, are taking it for granted is what is causing so many problems with this resource. It seems to me that taking resources and other things for granted is a reoccuring theme in the environment and the problems the earth faces.
Sorry, my boyfriend borrowed my computer and must have signed in to his google account, that's why it says "Matt" posted the above statement. Oops!
ReplyDeleteWeekly Response 4
ReplyDelete10/12/09
Last semester, my TMP professor tried to push the water issue on us for our final poster assignment. Not knowing anything about the topic, this suggestion seemed pretty silly to me, especially my professor’s passion about the issue. Sure, people can give you numbers and tell you that the water table is being depleted quicker than it is naturally being restored but these facts can be easily overlooked. It is especially hard to understand any water shortage when living in a state with such a large freshwater resource.
I looked through the photos on the link from TIME. The most striking photo to me was the image of a ship sitting in the middle of a desert with some camels walking by. The blurb underneath the image explains that this is the result of rivers that had been diverted for irrigation during the Soviet Era. It was once the fourth largest lake in the world and is now nothing but a dusty desert.
This image is just further proof that we need to FULLY understand and comprehend the consequences of our actions. Especially before altering the course of nature. Obviously we need to take action to reverse the negative effects that humans have had on our planet but I feel that a lot of courses of action turn out to be more of a hindrance than improvement.
After walking over to my sink and filling a cup full of water drink while I, coincidentally, read about our water situation, I came upon the image in TIME that depicts Kenyan villagers digging 300 foot wells in order to reach their fresh water supply. The difference in water availability, or availability of any resource from country to country has always astonished me. How can one nation be so advanced and another, thousands of years later, still be a “developing” country? Is our race here in America and other developed countries simply genetically smarter and better problem solvers? Or do we just have better resources to start with? Is it something in the water? [pun!] While I do believe that each individual country and nation should be responsible for meeting their needs and we, the United States, do not need to interfere, perhaps sharing the wealth, in this case, knowledge, could make a significant impact on the way things work.
ADP III Discussion
ReplyDeleteWeekly Post Number Four
A wise man, Joe Dirt, once said, “Life’s a garden, Dig it!” Although Joe Dirt is a fictional character from an atrocious, yet hilarious comedy film from 2001, his positive outlook on life and his famous catch phrase resonate in my mind today. While reading the articles and information posted to the blog last week about water conservation and shortages of water around the world I applied the harsh reality of earth’s fate with the comical values of American media. Because of the droughts in the United States southwest farmers have had expediential difficulties meeting their annual quota. Most farmers have had shortened growing seasons or have been forced to find alternate means for growing or simply making money. Americans waste a nonsensical amount of water every day. As I mentioned in last class’s discussion- the world is faced with so many outrageous environmental problems and so many of them often have the simplest solutions. Although the solutions are uncomplicated, people are oblivious to make changes in their daily lifestyles because too much change represents a new epoch or trouble. By drinking water out of the faucet instead of wasting money on bottled water American’s save water, plastic and money by conserving resources.
Water can be preserved by watering lawns less, taking shorter baths or showers, or showering less, turning the water off when you wash dishes or brush your teeth, and purchasing less bottles waters and juices. Concentrated juices, although convenient and abundant use a ridiculous amount of water to produce. The world does not encompass enough utilizable water on it continue in our binging and consumerist society. The world is made up of mostly water but people do not understand that very little of it is actual operative for our daily lives. The ocean’s waters are salt water and far too expensive and difficult to filter into practical water to drink and use in products. If people, especially the consumers of America do not stop their outrageous usage and production of water based products, the entire world will find itself in a life or death dilemma. Science has found a few short-term solutions for water conservation however that is not enough. People will have to make lifestyle changes in order to reverse our effects on the planet to ensure life for future generations. If there is no change in the near future Joe Dirt’s positive idiom will no longer be applicable metaphorically or physically. In the sense of life being a vegetable garden, if we do not protect our precious water there will be no garden to dig.
Erica Wagner
ReplyDeleteStatement # 4
I agree with alexis's post about how crazy the statistics about water are. I have also tried to use less water since reading that article in the same ways that she has, though it is a bit easier since I don't have dishes to do since I live in the dorms, that part doesn't apply. I also would like to comment on the fact that the school of art and design has changed it's toilets which I think the entire university should do since we strive ourselves on being so eco-friendly with recycling everywhere, why not do the same with water? We have electricity signs all over the dorms in the bathrooms telling us to turn the lights off, and not use that much water when brushing our teeth or washing our hands, but no one regulates how much water we use when going to the bathroom which I feel like should be a pretty big issue all around campus not just in the art school. If you think about it there are hundreds of toilets on campus, and only our building is changed to this change in flushing and water control. Seems a bit stupid if you ask me, and a bit hypocritical of the rest of the university.
I also would like to comment on the lecture today and how interesting I found Joe's explanation of happiness and the comparison's between different people. I feel as though we as a Western society have taken a lot of what is out there for us for granted and have decided to consume things that are unnecessary. I know that I have too much stuff, and I have cut down on the amount of things I have bought (mainly because I don't want to spend anymore money) and also because I have realized that there is not enough space for random items that are more of needs than wants. If asked about that my happiness I don't really know what I would say to be honest. I have different days and am not sure how I would classify happiness, if anything I think the assumption of happiness is having money and being well off, but everyone has unhappy days, weather they are rich or not, so therefore I'm not sure how this survey taken was really that accurate. I guess when it comes down to it people decide on their happiness in different ways.
Kyla Suchy
ReplyDeleteWeekly Statement: Week 4
As a child, my favorite television show was Bill Nye the Science Guy. I would tune in as often as possible to learn as much as I could about fun science experiments and cool facts about the planet. One episode in particular had especially struck me as a child and still remains with me today. In that episode Bill Nye was talking about water. He showed us that the world was mostly water, however he took an eyedropper and let a few drips land on the globe. He explained that those little drops represented all the drinkable water on the planet. This demonstration really freaked me out. Although I could not fathom the size of the planet in relation to myself, I knew that this was not good news. I began thinking up ideas of ways to save and reuse water. I would soon let my fear of going with out water fade away, however, reading these articles brings back that worry.
I have always treated my water supply with respect and have never taken it for granted. It makes me really upset that people would carelessly let their water supply get defecated. After watching the New York Times video where the woman told of local mines dumping toxins in their water, I was very distressed. If 884 million people, lack access to safe water supplies, (water.org) why would you contaminate the little left that is safe? About a month ago, in The Detroit News I read a story about some mining companies looking to start up mines in the Upper Penninsula. At the time, I was really excited for the potential boost for the economy but after listening to that woman I don’t want miners anywhere near my fresh water.
Australia is another place with a large fresh water supply. However, they too are letting their water go to waste. In chapter 13 of Collapse, author Jared Diamond discusses how salinization will lead to fresh water becoming undrinkable. Australia already almost exhausts their water supply, they should start taking some measures to control how farmers water their crops, and make it illegal to pull up native plants. They would not only be preserving species, but saving their resources for future generations. I don’t think Australians or miners realize how much they are endangering life for the rest of the population. I also don’t think that it’s too late to revolutionize our ways. With this powerful knowledge being spread, I think that some big changes can be made for those who lack clean water.
Although our culture is in a state of rapid growth and change, and this change is usually what I would consider for the better, involving advances in medicine, technology, and communication- there are instances where this rapid growth and change is for the worse. For example, our consumption of water and water system. I have had a well-water system my whole life. This keeps the water process close to home, eliminating distancing and shadowing, allowing my family to always know where our water is coming from and how it is cleaned. This system is concise and efficient. However, large cities work on a much larger scale. Although these city systems are still efficient, in my opinion, there is something left to be desired. The water comes from so many different sites and has to travel distances to reach its destinations. There are predictions that in the not so far future, water will have to be transported from the Great Lakes to states like California. The state of Michigan has a large freshwater reserve, so we cannot fully sense the immediacy of this situation, but it is beginning to hit home with states in other parts of the country. I think this is another example of how, although an environmental situation isn’t directly impacting us now, we must still be weary of it in hopes to save water systems in the future.
ReplyDeleteSixth Weekly Statement
ReplyDeleteJim Christian
10/21/09
Okay, so I just wrote half a page on our relationship with water, including a detailed list of how we should critically evaluate our relationship with water as it develops and changes in the future. Instead, I submit the following image:
A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
When Joe showed this image in class, I was overrun with an emotional response. First, I thought “nasty sludge,” then I realized it was a straw to clean water and I thought “oh, cool, great design to help get freshwater.” Then, I thought “dam, that is really disgusting.” I couldn’t get over how sickening the picture was. Is anyone else sharing this feeling with me? I sure hope so.
I know that some designer felt as if they had just saved the world when they successfully created this straw. In fact, I’m sure an entire team was rightfully given credit for such a great design. The design is genius – It requires no external power source to purify water. You supply the energy, and the filters in the straw do the work. It is exactly what needs to happen. Third-world countries are finding simple technologies (that don’t use oil) to improve their standard of living.
Let me take that back – they are improving their health, not their standard of living. This is where I see a huge design problem. I say this because it filters the water to make it healthy, but it doesn’t address the feelings and concerns of the drinker. What about the poor woman using this straw? How would you feel squatting down to drink from sludge, unable to see the “purified” water that is promised by this straw?
All I’m suggesting is that there should be a way to see the water that is purified before it hits your lips. What if the designers added a clear section of the straw where pure water flowed toward the mouth? I think this would be enough of a design fix that I would willingly use the straw.
Designs like this straw are helpful, yet extremely degrading. I feel that as we push to improve the standard of living in third world countries, we need to consider not only what they need to improve their health and technology, but also what they need to improve their education and comfort. Design fixes like this are helpful, yet extremely degrading.