UN warns of widespread worldwide water shortages

[spring-peeper]

They say that water will be the oil of the future. Maybe we should be starting something like OPEC and we can rule the world.

 

[yield]

That notwithstanding, I'll get some river water from the Ganges, say Varanasi. I'll make sure I wait till I don't see the dead when I fill the bottle, i'll bring it back with me and you can drink it?

Thanks for the offer. I'll pass though!

 

[il_bastardo]

.

 

[N_igma]

It rains all the time here. I'm not worried.

Seriously though, as a species we're going to have to pull our finger out. Sooner rather than later.

 

[purplex]

It makes me really sad that such a basic need as clean water is not available to everyone on this planet.
I dont think we are fucked, I do think though that our principles need to change. I still have hope.

 

[goebfwai]

Was watching a new documentary called Blue Gold this evening, which discusses fresh water depletion, water rights and privatisation, sustainability, etc. It's based on a book of the same name. It is worth a shuftie.

 

[xes]

you can get a reverse osmosis thingy, which you can just pour any old water into, and it'll clean it up a treat so you can drink it. Cheep at around 200 odd quid. (+ filters) Might be useful if there is an actual water shortage, cos i think it'll turn rain water into drinking water.

I'll be getting one soon.

 

[Giles]

We should be OK here in the UK.

May need to build some big old pipelines to transport the stuff from the rainy bits up north to the drier and more populated bits down south.

If we need more rainfall at any point, all we have to do is hold Glastonbury every week, which should guarantee rain at least 60% of the time.....

Giles..

 

[Sunray]

you can get a reverse osmosis thingy, which you can just pour any old water into, and it'll clean it up a treat so you can drink it. Cheep at around 200 odd quid. (+ filters) Might be useful if there is an actual water shortage, cos i think it'll turn rain water into drinking water.

I'll be getting one soon.

In this country, given we have some of the highest quality drinking water anywhere in the world, it wastes loads of perfectly drinkable water. It also consumes lots of power to run.

 

[Dr Jon]

1,500 farmers commit mass suicide in India

Just spotted this story.

"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine

"Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well."

This story highlights the effects of climate change and unsustainable water extraction on the rural poor in India. Water scarcity is becoming an increasingly widespread problem.

 

[phildwyer]

We're fucked.

This is actually true. Most people don't know about it yet. I suppose that's just as well really. But it is true, if you care to look into the matter.

 

[Giles]

Still not too worried here in Britain, whatever happens elsewhere.

Giles..