Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink? Tracy Webb, Horton High School, Wolfville, NS

Water has affected our earth and all living organisms for over 3 Water has affected our earth and all living organisms for over 3.5 billion years…

The Refreshing Water Cycle

Surface Water All fresh water that is above ground is called surface water like ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. In 1969, a spark from a passing train caused the Cuyahoga River to catch fire… http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K12/fenlewis/History.html

"The Cuyahoga will live in infamy as the only river that was ever declared a fire hazard." - Congressman Louis Stokes

Groundwater Water percolates through the soil to become part of the water table as groundwater. (60x the volume of water compared to the surface.) Large areas of groundwater found in underground rock formations are called aquifers – they take millions of years to form. Accessible fresh water in lakes, rivers and aquifers is only 1/10th of 1% of all Earth's water… Over half of this water is tapped, and almost all areas suffer at least one of three major threats to the water supply: pollution, overexploitation, and political conflict.

Crisis? What crisis?... in Canada? We have ample rainfall (which is the only way fresh water is replenished). We have many sources of fresh water – the Great Lakes is the largest source in the world; we have river systems seemingly everywhere you turn… Our water is safe to drink – we have no worries about lack of water or safety… REALLY? Hmmmm…not so fast… And what about the rest of the world? How much water do we really have???

All Water on Earth Oceans_________________97.24 % All ice caps/glaciers______ 2.14 % Groundwater___________ 0.61 % Freshwater lakes_________0.009 % Inland seas/salt lakes_____ 0.008 % Soil Moisture____________ 0.005 % Atmosphere_____________ 0.001 % All rivers________________0.0001 % Total_________________100 % Useable Freshwater on Earth = 2.76 %

Consider how water is used indirectly - It takes 4921 L of water to produce one serving of hamburger…400 000 L to make a car. Around the world, the computer industry uses over 1.5 trillion L of water and produces 300 billion L of wastewater every year… One flush of a toilet uses the same amount of water that is obtained in a day by a person in 30 of the world's poorest countries…

Highest % of industrial water use occurs in Europe and North America. Who uses the water? Highest % of industrial water use occurs in Europe and North America. Agriculture (re)uses ~67% of the water in the world through irrigation. Water management projects bring water to dry habitats for recreation, drinking, or for electricity. Conflicts over control of water has been a problem all over the world and as our need for fresh water increases, so will the issue of water rights.

“Although two thirds of our planet is water, we face an acute water shortage. The water crisis is the most pervasive, most severe, and most invisible dimension of the ecological devastation of the earth.” Vandana Shiva, Water Wars, 2002 In Mexico City, groundwater pumping has lowered the city's water table in places by more than 60 feet in 50 years, causing parts of the city to sink. China's Yellow River, which irrigates 18 million acres, ran dry at its mouth in 10 of the past 12 years. More than 80 countries, including the United States, face water shortages…

Hey – but we have lots of water – we can SELL it!!! In 2000, the World Water Forum declared that water was a commodity – a salable product on the world market… So let’s privatize water! KA-CHING!!! Privatized water is delivered to those who can pay for it, such as wealthy cities, individuals, and water-intensive industries, like agriculture and high-tech. Does this sound like a GOOD IDEA to YOU?

Water For Sale? The United Nations declared that water is a common good and that access to safe, clean water is a basic human right…it is NOT for sale! Canadian Consumption – we bought more than 700 million L of bottled water last year (spending more than $500 million). At present there is not adequate legislation in place to protect water supplies in Canada from pollution and depletion.

Global Dynamics The water industry is touted by the World Bank as a potential trillion dollar industry. Water has become the “blue gold” of the 21st century. Global consumption of water is doubling every 20 years, more than twice the rate of human population growth. Right now, more than 1.6 billion people do not have regular access to safe drinking water. Demand for water will exceed availability by 56 %.

Ben’s video…recycling of water bottles…

Water quality is now considered the most important water related problem in Canada… Globally, 25 million people have fled their homes because their water supply was polluted or depleted…

It takes 4921 L of water to produce one serving of hamburger… Around the world, the computer industry uses 1.5 trillion L of water and produces 300 billion L of wastewater every year…

Why wait ‘til the LAST DROP?