|
Water Is Life -Anwar Sadat, upon signing the piece accord with Israel, stating Water is the only exception the two countries would war. When the wells dry, we know the worth of water -Benjamin Franklin Please See CNBC Article http://www.cnbc.com/id/29834704/ We are increasingly abusing our most precious and limited resource. Plenty of water falls on the U.S. daily in the form of precipitation, but much of that disappears through evaporation, and runoff; the balance mostly (over 70%) is consumed by agriculture. The U.S. uses three times as much water a day as the average European country. It is estimated that 70% of the Earth is covered by water; 3% is fresh, only 1% is available, 97% salt. Over 1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean water. Consider the following video by CNBC: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?play=1&video=1075068686 "Rivers are among the most threatened of the world's ecosystems, as they've lost proportionally more of their species and habitat than either land or ocean ecosystems. "One of the primary reasons for these losses — and for future threats — is the construction of dams to store water for drinking, irrigation, flood control and hydropower. Dams block the movement of fish and other creatures and can also greatly change a river's flow patterns — the rise and fall of water that orchestrates nearly all aspects of river life." Two-thirds of the world's rivers have already been significantly altered by dams — and, in part due to growing concerns about climate change, thousands of new hydropower dams are being planned and built around the planet. The rapid growth of hydropower creates an environmental issue: Although hydropower is generally a low-carbon source of energy, it cannot be considered "sustainable" unless it can mitigate the loss of freshwater biodiversity and the disruption of the way of life of communities that depend on free-flowing rivers. Ways for YOU to conserve water: Do not over water lawns Fix leaky faucet and plumbing joints Turn off hose while washing your car Install water saving shower heads or flow restrictors Run only full loads in washing and dishwasher machines Shorten shower time Sweep Vs. hose Waste basket Vs. flushing Capture unused water for plants Adjust sprinklers Turn off water during brushing Turn off water during shaving Mulch- slows evaporation Pool cover- reduces evaporation Water early A.M.-prevents fungus Dont water on windy or rainy days Longer grass- less evaporation (saves 500-1500 gallons per month) Discourage play with hose- saves 10 gallons per minute Coming shortly- Water Scarcity And Its Impact On Global Grain Trade under construction |
