 each year.)
DRIP, DRIP, DRIP: Slow leaks from spigots and pipes can add up to substantial water losses over time. Experts say that small leaks in the water system of the average U.S. home can waste thousands of gallons (liters) each year.
Image: Credit: ultra.f/Corbis
Although Earth is known as the "Blue Planet," very little of that which makes it blue is of much use to us. Fully 97 percent of the world's water is too salty for us to use to slake our thirst, grow our food or wash our clothes.
The wise management of the small amount of available freshwater will pose one of the biggest challenges to mankind during the coming decades. Many great civilizations have vanished as their sources of potable H2O disappeared. As the planet’s population swells to nine billion people by the year 2050, concerned scientists and citizens say it is important that measures are taken now to ensure our global society's sustainability.
In this slide show, Scientific American.com explores the peril of diminishing water supplies as well as the promise of new technologies and practices that can save water and increase its availability. So although iconic images of the receding water levels in the Colorado River's Lake Mead reservoir are cause for alarm, the advent of cheaper desalinization methods and even more efficient sanitation systems show how we can avert a global catastrophe.
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9 Comments
Add CommentAn excellent slide show. The suggestions if implimented earnestly save this world from freshwater shortage.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCherish our water resource, we will live longer and better. And we must use state of the art technology to make our earth survivable!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisExcellent!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis in-depth report on world water crisis is absolutely pertinent and timely. I could not concur more with what SciAm has said. The world is gradually yet certainly running dry of fresh and clean water. It is a global problem, practically all nations are affected, some definitely much more seriously. It is a crucial issue of gigantic proportion not to be ignored. Every one of us plays a part in reducing waste of precious water.
The articles (augmented by the striking images) discuss in details what I have to say. Indeed, I wrote on the topic of conservation of water a decade ago, arguing that even the technology of desalination of sea water was available, the cost was beyond most people. It is still (despite the new and advanced hi-tech) tremendously expensive to transport clean drinkable to the vast inland areas of Asia and Africa.
Use water wisely, or face the ugly consequences much sooner than one would have thought.
Save water. Or else&
(Tan Boon Tee)
The tough part is solving these problems with reference to the other challenges we face as a society. One can't disagree with the implications from the slide show, but our solutions, alas, are not limited to simply noting the obvious technical response. I think conservation needs to be a more important role, but there will have to be sacrifices from agriculture, recreation, and business communities. My concern is that the only sacrifice I hear is from the "other guy." Thanks to Scientific American for their stimulating vignette.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIndia a Nation with its own Culture, Religion which respect the Mother earth, Father Sun & Flow of Water thru rivers..........The traditional lifestyle here is really Sustainable. Even with one Sixth Population of the world India is not in the list of most polluting Countries.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe need to Redefine the Definition of Development especially for Developed Countries ...who feel proud & are most dangerous to the planet earth...When are we changing our definition ......Countries will start following the trend we set..............Most Sustainable Countries
Difficult to purify, expensive to transport and IMPOSSIBLE to SUBSTITUTE water is the most essential natural resource - hence it need to be used more judiciously . This is the message explained through the slide show - excellent.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDr.E.V.Ramasamy
India
Difficult to purify, expensive to transport and IMPOSSIBLE to SUBSTITUTE water is the most essential natural resource - hence it need to be used more judiciously . This is the message explained through the slide show - excellent.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDr.E.V.Ramasamy
India
URGENT NEED FOR CLOUD SEEDING TO INCREASE RAINFALL
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisProf.T.Shivaji Rao, http://shivajirao32.googlepages.com/sci%26techofcloudseeding-11 http://sites.google.com/site/shivajiraocloudseeding/scienceofcloudseeding
The key role played by a good water supply as an engine of economic growth and as a yard stick of public welfare and national prosperity has been well recognized by the intellectuals of the developed countries like USA who aptly named water as the “Blue Gold”. The more the water wealth of a nation the higher will be the opportunities for achieving high rates of progress in the fields of agriculture production and industrial growth that help in promoting economic wealth, employment opportunities and higher standards of living. Hence the advanced countries are constantly upgrading their water resources by harnessing not only all the ground and surface waters but also by tapping a renewable, virtually unlimited and unexploited sky water resource in the atmosphere in the form of innumerable clouds. Enlightened scientists, bureaucrats, industrialists and statesmen in about 50 countries are frequently using cloud seeding operations for over 40 years for various purposes like
1. Increase of annual rainfall for drinking and agricultural purposes,
2. dispersal of fog in airports and metropolitan city roads
3. Increase of hydro-power generation at the cheapest cost
4. Suppression of hail storms to reduce damage to life, crops and properties
5. mitigation of devastating impacts of recurring droughts
6. mitigation of damaging impacts of global warming and summer temperatures
7. increase of annual rain fall for improving the forests, wildlife and the environment
Several progressive countries like USA, Australia, China, Thailand, European states, former states of USSR, Latin American states, Arab states, Indonesia and Pakistan are gettinghighly benefited by employing the advanced cloud seeding technologies for the above purposes.. Several Indian states interested in promoting economic growth, agriculture development and public welfare are eager to learn from the successful experiences of other countries like China and USA and adopt those technologies by making necessary modifications to suit the local meteorological, topographical, geographical and other environmental conditions.
Cloud seeding is done to make some clouds to grow and give rain, and some clouds which give only about 10% to 20% of their water content as rainfall to increase the rainfall by seeding by 30 to 50% at a cost benefit ratio of 1:20 by using aeropla
A new type of desalination plant has been patented by a british engineer. It operates on sunlight alone and has no waste. He has set up a company called SOLAQUA LTD in the UK to manage manufacture and site installation of the new design.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAny hot arid area with a coastline can produce unlimited fresh water with low capital outlay and zero running cost.
The design is modular and the basic plant produces a million liters of fresh water per day. As many modules may be added as desired.