ENVIRONMENT: Water � Our Most Precious Resource

Water quality is perhaps one of the most overlooked issues that affect not just the United States, but also the entire world. Every time you have a glass of H20, you may not be completely aware of the intense work and science that is involved in maintaining its quality and availability. Nutritionists say that every American should drink at least 8 glasses a day, so then, I ask you to read on to educate yourself on why this may be a fairytale.

Third World Countries

104 million children worldwide don�t go to school and one of the main reasons is the lack of safe water and sanitation. Many children in Africa and Asia don�t have time for school because they have to walk miles every day to collect water from polluted sources.

The water they collect often brings disease to their communities resulting in millions more children being too sick to attend school.
Source: WaterAid
www.givewater.org/about_us/press_office/news_archive/2079.asp

Access to sanitary water in third world countries is despicable, despite out attempts to assist. Non-potable water leaves its marks not only on attempts at education but also on infants whose mother�s use tainted water to dilute the powder, and thus cause wasting and disease.

Later on, in the same source as referenced above, Ravi Narayanan is quoted as saying:

�In 2000 and 2002 the UK led the world in signing up to targets to reduce the billions of people without clean water and sanitation by 2015, yet progress has stalled. At the present rate, it will take Africa over 30 years to achieve the water target, while the sanitation target will never be met".

Proof of results when action is taken?

In Tanzania there was a 12% increase in school attendance when water was
15 minutes away rather than an hour.

History Shows Waters Importance in the Political Arena

1915 - Union of South African troops capture Windhoek, capital of German Southwest Africa. (May.) Retreating German troops poison wells � �a violation of the Hague convention.�

1939-1942 - Japanese chemical and biological weapons activities reportedly include tests by �Unit 731� against military and civilian targets by lacing water wells and reservoirs with typhoid and other pathogens.

1960s - Irrigation water supply systems in North Vietnam are bombed during Vietnam War. 661 sections of dikes damaged or destroyed.

1991 - Baghdad�s modern water supply and sanitation system are intentionally targeted by Allied coalition.

2003 - Al-Qaida threatens US water systems via call to Saudi Arabian magazine. Al-Qaida does not �rule out�the poisoning of drinking water in American and Western cities.�
Source: Water Conflict Chronology
www.worldwater.org...

Quench your thirst for more by visiting that website.

America
It wasn�t until 1974 that the issue of water quality seemed important enough to pass a bill, the Safe Drinking Water Act, ensuring the sanitation techniques of our water suppliers were upheld.

Now think about this

300 million gallons of water are needed to produce a single day's supply of U.S. newsprint.
You can survive about a month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water.
Only 1% of the earth's water is available for drinking water. Two percent is currently frozen.
Source: American Waterworks Association
www.awwa.org...

Here�s what Jonh Kerry�s website says they�ll do�

Restore America's Waters
Today, approximately 45 percent of our nation's waterways do not meet the "drinkable, swimable and fishable" standard set out by the Clean Water Act 30 years ago. As president, John Kerry will implement a "Restore America's Waters" campaign, an integrated approach to protecting our precious, limited water resources. He will work with states on the toughest water quality challenges, restore damaged watersheds, protect wetlands, invest in our waterfronts and coastal communities, and protect our oceans.
Source: John Kerry's Official Website
www.johnkerry.com...

Well...I think I�ve really only scratched the surface of this issue, but on purpose. I want to hear what your side has to say and offer. This is a bi-partisanship issue if I�ve ever heard of one.

And always remember��Never test the depth of the water with both feet�

Indeed it is our most precious resource. Water is what makes up the very human body - without water, well, we wouldn't exist. Unfortunately, some people are ignorant of the fact that water is the key to life, and that water is NOT an infinite resource.

In the U.S., since 2000, more than 400 Billion gallons of water has been used a day - that is a whole 'lotta wata'

In the United States since 2000, we have used about 323 billion gallons per day of surface water and about 85 billion gallons per day of ground water.

About 70 - 75% of the Earth is covered with water, and only 1% of it being drinkable. However, despite the huge amounts of water, this resource is, in fact, disappearing.

The Kerry Party's attempt and promise to restore this precious resource is honorable, and I hope they stick it through

So, in conclusion, I pose this question: What, exactly, is the Bush Administration doing about this precious resource?

-wD

I have to agree with you on that matter. Water is by far one of the most precious resources if not the most. Without water we could not exist, our surroundings are based upon water. Wasn't there once a saying or quote "water of life" cos if there was this sums the preciousness of water.

I know the idea that third world contries dont have clean water supplies and this is something that will need to worked towards. Shouldn't necessaries of life be available to everyone ?

Final Verdict: Without water, nothing would exist, we could not survive, this therefore makes it the most precious thing to humans since after all cant the human body survive weeks without food but not water ?

From the Green Party website:

Greens support strengthening the federal Clean Water Act setting strict requirements for sewage discharges, wetland protection and water quality standards; Establishment of federal, state, and local groundwater protection agencies with authority to establish standards for the use of water;

Alternative solutions to water treatment and clean-up, for example, constructed wetlands and biological remediation;

Elimination of wasteful subsidies of agricultural water use;

Municipal water rates high enough to discourage wasteful use.

I was surprised to find that the Greens want to raise the cost of water, but it makes sense when I think about it. Maybe we will be less like to take four baths a day and use automatic car washes if the price is higher. Of course, it could backfire. The rich would probably not care and the poor could suddenly be unable to afford it. Something to think about, anyway.

The Green Party also supports aiding the international community on many different levels. We cannot allow our neighbors to suffer as we bask in our wastefulness.

I believe that we need to look at this, and many other issues, both at home and abroad. We can't focus our efforts on one or the other. I understand why some people call for us to help ourselves first, but what good is it if the US has clean, plentiful water when other parts of the world are so far gone it will take more aid than we can hope to give in order to fix?


Edit: sp

[edit on 11-8-2004 by Cercey]

Enforcement of the Clean Water Act under the Bush administration has been dismal:www.independent-media.tv...
The Republican Party is in full support of industry, with total focus on the monetary bottom line to the exclusion of any environmental issues that would encumber the free exercise of industry.

The Bush philosophy on this is that we cannot afford the predictable loss of jobs in industry that would likely occur with strict enforcement of environmental protection laws. Hence our bail from Kyoto as well.

This short sighted policy will devastate our already fragile environment. www.independent-media.tv...

Is a job today worth the toxic future so many scientists predict? I think not, and the Democratic Party thinks not.

Well, water is needed, but one forgets that there is millions of gallons of water that is left alone. The artic and antartic areas are covered will thousands upon millions of acres of ice, which if melted becomes water as we all know. Why is that left untouched? Or glaciers, there are alot of glaciers out there floating in the water. The Titanic hit a huge one. Now if that block of ice had been melted and cleaned, there would have been thousands of gallons of water, and that is just one iceberg!

But some people are trying to find quick, cheap, and easy to do ways to turn salt water into fresh water. Only way I know is to evaporate it and catch the condensation. How much money is the government putting into research to make salty, undrinkable water into fresh clean water?

Water is indeed precious. And, misused.
Many in our great land think it is okay to turn deserts in oases...and golf courses..and lush tropical gardens. To fill fountains and make fake waterfalls. To make electricity for cities like Las Vegas.
In America, we take water for granted.

Water is a Great Resource and I agree that we Do take it for granted BUT the original post politically in my mind is Is IRRELEVANT to this Forum who gives a crud about TANZANIA and VIETNAM'S and or AFRICA'S water problems it is Politically IRRELEVANT unless you talk about American water Supplies.

Granted I do think we should be researching CHEAPER ways to make salt water Drinkable this would make our water supplies UNLIMITED

Originally posted by Truth_Hunter_1976
Water is a Great Resource and I agree that we Do take it for granted BUT the original post politically in my mind is Is IRRELEVANT to this Forum who gives a crud about TANZANIA and VIETNAM'S and or AFRICA'S water problems it is Politically IRRELEVANT unless you talk about American water Supplies.

Granted I do think we should be researching CHEAPER ways to make salt water Drinkable this would make our water supplies UNLIMITED

Then clearly you did not read my entire thread, as the portion you are speaking of is one third of my post....and it does bare a great deal of relevance to the US as we live in a World that is interconnected - we make business deals with third world countries and profit greatly from them while they live a life of poverty - not to mention the fact that we have the technology and science to at least attempt to assist, while most Americans refuse to believe that this is a real issue and waste water on a daily basis, thus not contrubuting to the solution - It is very much an American issue, even if it does not occur in America.....

Sorry I havn't re-posted here recently - I'll make an attempt to be more active, but I've enjoyed the comments and suggestions