I think that the most dangerous issue in the world today is the rapidly depleting fresh water resources.
We have just had a major dispute between two states of India being settled by our Supreme Court on the issue of sharing river waters. There are some other states fighting with others for similar reasons and also cases of nations fighting with each other for river water sharing.
You can imagine what the world will be fighting over next when you consider that there will be places on earth where drinking water will not simply be available. If you can’t, I strongly recommend a book that I read a few years ago called THE WATER WARS BY CAMERON STRACHER
I try and save water at every possible occasion. There are a number of ways of doing this as can be learned here as an example.
Shackman has suggested today’s topic for the weekly 2 on 1 blog fest. Please check what he has to say on the same topic.
I have almost run out of hope for the state of the earth
kylie recently posted..Designer?
Almost? I have.
The proof that you are correct is found in the actions of Nestle – their CEO claims water should not be free and Nestle is attempting to buy up water resources everywhere. Remember that the next time you buy a bottle of water – you may soon have to insert a coin in your faucet at home – capitalism run amok. Nestle can hire the NRA as enforcers. Let the water rights wars begin anew.
I almost included the Nestle story in my post but thought better of it because of the controversy that it had raised when originally published.
I hadn’t heard about the Nestle plan in a long time. I’d thought they had been squelched in some way.
and after reading Shackman’s post today which is as interesting as this one…
I agree with Kylie’s reply.
we’ve learned literally nothing since we began walking upright. killing and greed seem to be our by-laws in whatever nation or age we’re in.
as you say Rummy conserving water is everyone’s responsibility. it’s one of the things I don’t take for granted. perhaps because I live in a part of the country that is in continual drought.
tammy j recently posted..a place for going to
It never fails to amaze me, like it apparently does Mike, whose comments you can see elsewhere on this post, as to why people live in places without or short of water. I have been to our deserts in Rajasthan and North West Gujarat and wonder at the sturdy lot there who have decided to live there rather than emigrate to better places.
Here’s an interesting article about people who don’t want to move even though they are periodically flooded,
Left to Louisiana’s Tides, a Village Fights for Time
Cheerful Monk recently posted..The Battle for Water Rights
Yes, exactly the same kind of response that you will get from our desert dwellers after severe drought. There are also other places where periodic flooding during our monsoons, people return to repair and revive their pre flood days. The homing instinct I guess.
Why do they choose to live there? You could ask the same question about people who live in Syria. Why don’t they just move? It’s not always that easy. I suppose in the case you mention, Rummuser, they would be allowed to move because it’s within India, but what would their prospects be? Presumably they would be living in a city slum where their skills wouldn’t be needed? What do you think? You would know more about this than I do.
Cheerful Monk recently posted..The Battle for Water Rights
When slum dwellers are asked this question, or even non slum dwellers who live in bedsitters who come from relatively prosperous rural areas, they inevitably answer that the quality of life in comparison is better despite the cramped living spaces. There are better facilities, particularly for water, health and education in cities.
You are preaching to the choir here. We were sued by the federal government and some Native American tribes once for trespassing on their water rights. I will write a short post about it.
Cheerful Monk recently posted..Snow Down Here
I have read your post and am glad that it panned out the way that it did. Must have been quite scary.
I agree with you Rum. With a warming world and a yet rising population this will become a major issue for some populations – more so even than at present. I made a plea once in a post for us to think of those who struggle to find water and this brought it back to mind. I doubt you would remember it.
http://ayrshireblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/water-symbolism-and-reality.html
Good Lord! It has been seven years plus since you wrote that and I commented on it. I am glad that you returned here and revived that memory. Thank you.
Bunc, glad to see you back in the land of the living!
Here is California we are responsible for setting the future trends for everything, with water use being one of the top priorities at the moment. Thus, we are being urged to report neighbors to the authorities who we observe are not properly respecting water. Not sure what happens to those who are reported.
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We need to be doing a MUCH better job of conserving resources, including (and especially) water. Seems like there have to be better ways of collecting and storing both rainwater and gray water.
Secret Agent Woman recently posted..Way-overdue post of kitchen remodel.
There has been a vibrant movement that is gathering momentum all the time here called Rain Water Harvesting. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting)
I can certainly understand the need to conserve water resources, having lived in extremely dry climates in our distant past.
Water is certainly not an issue here, though, especially now. We’ve received almost a quarter of our annual average precipitation in just the last 8 days. (In fact, my phone just now alarmed with a flash flood warning alert — but we live on a ridge, so no worries.) Even during the worst drought since we’ve been here, the only restriction we had on water usage was a ban on outside watering of plants.
What amazes me is that so many people want to live in places that are naturally so very, very dry.
Mike recently posted..Twisted, gnarled, knotted, knobby wood
Nor is it an issue here where I live now. My concern is for the future.
I have friends in South Africa and Capetown is in dire straits with lack of water. yes there will be wars over water and capitalism has run amok.
XO
WWW
Wisewebwoman recently posted..Things don’t dust themselves, who knew?
Our cricket team has just concluded a tour to South Africa and the mass media was full of the water problem in Cape Town. If anything, it has gotten worse after the team moved out of Cape Town.