Daily Science Dose

The United Nations has projected that by 2025, half of the world’s nations may not have enough clean, potable water to drink. By 2050, that number increases to 75 percent.

Even today, the UN estimates that one in six people around the world suffer from some extent of water shortage.

The UN bases its findings on two factors: Population growth coupled with changes in the Earth’s climate that is drying up the surface of the planet.

More people need more water. Unfortunately, in this Universe, there is a law about matter not being able to be created nor destroyed, at least not without some major help from some rather experimental practices that involve some rather large super colliders.

It's all pretty simple, but finite nevertheless.

Russian news service, RIA Novosti, published a piece exploring the implications of the UN’s dire warning. It’s funny that the “opinion & analysis” piece calls on the United States and Europe to update water infrastructure in addition to pointing out that we should be shipping food to arid regions rather than growing crops in areas that would need inordinate amounts of water in order to grow those crops.

What is the way out? It is possible to deliver food products to desert or semi-desert areas to help local people do without water-intensive agriculture. Advanced European countries and the United States have large natural water resources but should focus on modernizing their water supply infrastructure. Lack of proper repairs is causing considerable and irretrievable water losses.

The United States and Canada, for instance, will have to spend a total of $36 trillion in the next 25 years on the modernization of their water supply systems, but life is worth it. –RIA Novosti

Granted, the Us and Europe will have to upgrade and repair wasteful, aging water infrastructure systems, but to only look to the US and Europe as the only ones who can save the world’s supply of fresh water is a bit like looking at President-elect Obama as the saviour. The US and Europe can use water more efficiently and less wastefully, but I think the problem is a little bit bigger than new water pipes.

We need to curb population growth. Not in the US and Europe, but in developing nations around the world. It is not the nicest thing to say, being an American and over-consuming my fair share of water (among other resources), but let’s call a spade a spade.

Of course, we also have to look at the issue of climate change. But let’s say that humans are not responsible — calm down, this is just an exercise — for the changes in the world’s climate at present which is drying up huge areas of the planet. Let’s say that it is a normal transition in the life of the planet. No matter what is causing it — nature or man — with less water (among other resources), we have to accept that our fragile world can only support so many of us.

water, UN, United Nations, United States, Europe, drinking water, water supply, resources, population, crops, climate change, shortages, planet, humans