If you want to know more about water, check out People and Planet

We highly recommend People and Planet’s site about the state of water on the planet today. The site gives a good overview as well as providing a wealth of facts.

 Did you know…

• During the last 70 years, the global population has tripled, but water withdrawals have increased over six times.
• Since 1940, annual global water withdrawals have increased by an average of nearly 3 per cent per year, while population growth has averaged between 1.5 and 2 per cent.
• In 1989 there was some 9,000 cubic metres of freshwater per person available for human use. By 2025, that figure is expected to plummet to 5,100 cubic metres per person, when the global population is projected to reach 8 billion.

Follow the link here: people and planet

Outlook for Australia: parched

A new report from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) paints a dry, drought ridden future for Australia. Late in accepting climate change and even later in engaging in analysis of anthropogenic causes of climate change, Australia is being forced into facing its parched future.

The Australian newspaper, The Age, reports on the findings of the CSIRO. Read the full article here.

Tim Flannery, one of Australia’s top scientists and author of The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change talks to Andi Hazelwood of Global Public Media about his suggested mitigations for climate change on the heels of the alarming  report. (Audio, follow this link).

Watermark Australia: a model of community cooperation

Concern for issues around water in Australia has led to  unique cooperation between individuals, the science community and public authorities.

 Australians clearly feel the urgency of addressing the water issue. It is heartening to see an initiative like this – where people come together effectively and convivially. The Watermark Australia initiative involved some 200 groups, each who contributed reports which illuminated the water issue from every angle thinkable.

This input resulted in the report OUR WATER MARK. Those of us outside Australia unable to purchase in the local bookstore can download the report as .pdf from the Water Mark web page.

This is important work. Both the way people came together and the thoroughness of the report should inspire other countries who will be going though their own challenges bringing pure drinking water to all citizens. Sooner or later.

Ms Mary Crooks, Executive Director, Victorian Women’s Trust and Project Manager of the Water Mark Australia project, spoke about her work at the latest Sustainable Cities Round Table/ Future Melbourne forum.See the video below

Audio interviews with drought affected Australians

Global Public Media are featuring a series of interviews with ordinary people affected by the water shortages.

Recommended – an insight into how it is affecting peoples everyday lives.

Five reasons not to drink bottled water

New post on the excellent “Water secrets blog” pointing to blog by , Chris Baskind, the editor of LighterFootstep.com, on his thought provoking blog posting, “5 Reasons not to Drink Bottled Water,”.

Recommended.

Britain scraps desalination plant

 After completing the two-year trial, British scientists say that a pilot desalination plan at Newhaven Harbor in East Sussex desalination shows costs up to 10 times as much as water from traditional sources.  The process uses too much power and creates a highly concentrated brine that is not environmentally acceptable.

This illustrates our conviction  that we have no technology or magic bullet to deal with the speeding train of water scarcity coming at us. Either we will go thirsty or we need to pay a lot more whilst conserving at the same time.
  Read more.

Water, energy and climate are intricately connected with social systems

Pure Drinking Water recommends this audio feed from Global Public Media.

People seem to underestimate how water is a finite resource and especially fresh water is needed and is affected by our current mad dash for continuous economic expansion. 

This week’s guest on the Reality Report is Dr. Peter Gleick, President and co-founder of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security, based in Oakland, CA. The show discusses how water is intricately connected to energy, climate and social systems, how changes in one part ripple through others.

Jason Bradford hosts The Reality Report, broadcast on KZYX&Z in Mendocino County, CA.

 Click here to go to GLOBAL PUBLIC MEDIA

Drought plagued Australia – billions needed.

lCANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — Australian Prime Minister John Howard says it will take $7.8 billion dollars (US) to fix the drought-plagued continent’s water supply, a January 25 Associated Press story on MSNBC reported.

All eyes should be on Australia and its drinking water problem because – guess what – your country might be next.

Technological advances stemming back to the Victorian era in England are seriously catching up with us.

1) MIFSLA. That stands for mix first separate later. Mixing grey and black water together, then cleaning it, letting it out into natural watercourses – or worse – letting it out into the sea where is is irrecoverable in principle – only to turn it into drinking water which you use to flush the toilet may have worked back then.

Today it requires a lot of work, a lot of energy and uses too much of the available water.

2) Piped water. Piped water, although more environmentally friendly as drinking water than bottled water, has to be chlorinated to travel down the pipes. Chlorination is associated with carcinogenic bi products. No technical solution to that seems to be on the horizon expect for placing POU (Point of use) purifying devices in every home. (See link for details of one solution)Howard, calling  for radical and permanent changes, tsays of the he water shortage “it is one of the greatest challenges of our time, …..the current trajectory of water use and management in Australia is not sustainable.”

nd  the story reported.