Architects of a New Dawn

We’d like to show the side of the world you don’t normally see on television.

The following quotes by James Laughlin, Editor of WaterWorld magazine (April 2009) in an article entitled Cities Struggle with Water Supply Issues in Desert Southwest gives a sense of the scope of the water challenge facing millions of people.

“According to a recent article published by Reuters, the six-county area of Southern California that includes Los Angeles and San Diego is home to nearly 22 million people, with population expected to add 6 million residents by 2030. Yet 60 percent of the region’s water supply is imported, with most coming from northern California or the Colorado River. In some areas, only 10 percent of the water comes from local supplies.”

“In even dryer country, Las Vegas gets only 2 to 3 inches of rainfall a year, yet until the recent economic downturn was one of the fastest growing cities in the country.”

“The situation in Las Vegas has grown so dire that water authorities plan to build a $3 billion pipeline to tap aquifers lying beneath a remote part of Nevad;, a project critics call the greatest urban water grab in decades.”

“I wonder if today’s population growth in the desert regions might one day end with an exodus of thirsty people in search of greener lands to call home.”

In a March 12, 2009 press release by the United Nations titled Press Conference by UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to Launch World Water Development Report, the water challenges facing us are emphasized.

“With pollution, global warming and surging population growth already raising the spectre of widespread water shortages in the not-to-distant future, a new report warns that, without worldwide efforts to boost investment in conservation and sustainable water management, people in many parts of the world faced the real possibility of life without reliable water-resource systems.”

“With demand for water never having been as great as it was today, and energy consumption expected to jump some 60 percent in the next few years, both speakers emphasized the extent to which current crisis linked to last year’s oil, food and commodity price spikes were linked to water.”

In the latest World Water Development report entitled Water in a Changing World by William Cosgrove and Richard Connor, it is noted:
“As of 2008, the planet’s population had officially become one of city dwellers, rather than rural residents. … We experts have been aware of these issues [waste, pollution and pressure on water resources] for a long time […] our message is that leaders outside the ‘water box’ must recognize this too. … In light of the importance of the water sector, spending on water-related activities must become a high priority for Government leaders.”

“Noting that monies targeted for water-resource management had never been very high – averaging around 7 per cent, but declining – he [Richard Connor] recalled that World Bank had recently urged developed countries to dedicate 0.7 per cent of their respective economic stimulus packages to a ‘Vulnerability Fund’ for developing countries.”

The water challenge, even in developed countries, is further emphasized in a recent article entitled Water as a Commodity by H. Court Young, http://hcourtyoung.ning.com:

“In many towns and cities across the United States, the water supply infrastructure is old and crumbling. New York City’s drinking water system reportedly loses 35 million gallons of water per day. These losses would supply an additional 200,000 people annually. The average age of the water infrastructure in the United States is 40 years or older. These systems are at or past their useful life according to engineering standards. Add to this an increasing population and demand for water, and you have a water infrastructure that is under extreme stress.”

“Despite our aging water supply systems, most Americans, as well as, people around the globe continue to turn on the faucet day after day. Since water keeps flowing for most of us, we don’t give it a second thought. Because we need it to live, we view having clean as a right.”

Are we going to wait and continue to bury our heads in the sand hoping the water crisis will pass us by? Do millions have to die of thirst or our agricultural supplies fail before we become informed and aware? Clearly, our political leaders are focused less on water than they are on energy. If our political leaders won’t lead, then it is our responsibility to become informed and aware to pressure them into facing these water challenges.

Sincerely,
H. Court Young
Author, speaker, publisher & geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hcourtyoung
Phone: (303) 726-8320

*Visit my website or email illume@aweber.com to subscribe to my free ILLUME newsletter and get my free How to Prepare for the Coming Energy Crisis 3-part mini-course*

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