WATER THE “W” OF A. F.E.W.

WATER GUIDING QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: WHAT IS WATER AND HOW IS IT USED IN OUR WORLD? WHAT MAKES WATER PLENTIFUL FOR SOME & SCARCE FOR OTHERS? HOW CAN STRUCTURAL AND PERSONAL DECISIONS CONCERNING WATER SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY?

WATER: WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT IN THE COSMOS https://youtu.be/kxqbpPWTl6A

WATER TWO MOLECULES OF HYDROGEN, ONE OF OXYGEN CONSIDERED A RENEWABLE RESOURCE (DUE TO THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE) 97.5% OF EARTH’S WATER = SALT, 2.5% = FRESH BUT . . . >1% IS AVAILABLE FOR FLORA AND FAUNA

“S.E.E.” THE WATER ISSUES: “SOCIETY” DEFINITIONS: ECONOMIC WATER SCARCITY: “CAUSED BY A LACK OF INVESTMENT IN WATER RESOURCES (USUALLY B/C OF POOR INFRASTRUCTURE & AN UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WATER” POTABLE WATER: “DRINKABLE WATER” IMPROVED SANITATION: “FACILITIES THAT SEPARATE HUMAN WASTE FROM HUMAN CONTACT”

“S.E.E.” THE WATER ISSUES: “SOCIETY” THE U.N. HAS STATED WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT HEALTH: ~ 800 MILLION DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE WATER 2.5 BILLION DON’T HAVE “IMPROVED SANITATION” OVER ¾ MILLION KIDS DIE A YEAR OF DIARRHEA (88% caused by unsafe water); annual deaths dropping: 2.4 million 1990, 1.25 million 2013 COLLECTION TIME: WOMEN/GIRLS SPEND 200 MILLION HOURS DAILY COLLECTING WATER THIS IMPACTS FEMALE EDUCATION, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

WATER

“S.E.E.” THE WATER ISSUES: “SOCIETY” AGRICULTURE/LIVESTOCK: SHORTAGES WIPE OUT CROPS/ANIMALS, CAUSING FAMINE & FOOD SHORTAGES POLITICAL INSTABILITY: COUNTRIES FIGHT OVER WATER RIGHTS TO RIVERS (Nile = Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, & Ethiopia); WELLS/SPRINGS (East African Drought 2008-2011 warlords fought to control wells—all of this impacts delivery of international aid) http://e360.yale.edu/feature/when_the_water_ends_africas_climate _conflicts/2331/

“S.E.E.” THE WATER ISSUES: “environment” #1 FORM OF WATER SCARCITY IS PHYSICAL WATER SCARCITY: “WHEN DEMAND FOR WATER IS GREATER THAN LOCAL RESOURCES CAN PROVIDE”. CAUSES FOR THIS: EARTH’S WATER NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED (geography) OVERUSE BY HUMANS (ARAL SEA) CONTAMINATION BY NATURAL DISASTERS/HUMANS (KATRINA & INDUSTRIAL WASTE) CLIMATE CHANGE (RAINFALL PATTERNS CHANGING)

WATER: Shrinking of the Aral Sea SOVIET DESIRE TO INCREASE COTTON YIELD LED TO IRRIGATION DEVASTATION. SHIPPING & FISHING DESTROYED. PORT TOWNS ALSO DRIED UP

“S.E.E.” THE WATER ISSUES: “ECONOMY” ALTHOUGH THE POOR HAVE LESS PIPED WATER CONNECTIONS THAN THE WEALTHY, SLUMS/OTHER LIKE PLACES PAY ~ 5-10 X MORE FOR WATER FOOD PRICES RISE WHEN WATER IS SCARCE USES OF WATER: AGRICULTURE 70%, INDUSTRY 22%, DOMESTIC 8%

WATER: A snapshot Look http://www.angelamorelli.com/water/

WATER: groundwater, aquifers GROUNDWATER SEEPS DOWN THROUGH SOIL AND POROUS ROCK TO SIT ABOVE IMPERMEABLE BEDROCK

WATER AQUIFERS ARE LARGER AREAS OF GROUNDWATER WHICH CAN BE CONFINED OR NOT BY SOLID ROCK IRRIGATES 13.6 MILLION ACRES—30% OF US H20 WOULD TAKE 6,000 YEARS TO REFILL VIA NATURE

SPECIFIC WATER PROBLEM MICHIGAN ENBRIDGE PIPELINE #5—about 1 million gallons an hour of crude piped through. Built to last 50 years. https://youtu.be/PYud5zf1tjE https://youtu.be/DtQH--7T--c Kalamazoo and Enbridge: https://youtu.be/45JnyM-p1HY

WATER USE MOST ‘HOME USE’ WATER CAN BE TREATED & REUSED; ONLY ½ OF IRRIGATION WATER CAN BE REUSED DRIP IRRIGATION IS V. EFFECTIVE https://youtu.be/Goa-ZgpIvcg (Kenyan in Israel) SINCE WATER IS TIED TO ENERGY USE, IT IS OFTEN HARD TO LOOK AT OBJECTIVELY EX’S: WATER TO COOL NUCLEAR PLANTS, USE OF STEAM TO DRIVE TURBINES, HYDRO DAMS EX’S: ENERGY TO ACCESS WATER: WELL PUMPS, DESALINATION PLANTS

WATER SUSTAINABILITY: DOMESTIC WATER USE VARIES DRASTICALLY WITHIN COUNTRIES, BUT WE ARE USING WAY TOO MUCH WATER, WAY TOO FAST #1. CUT DOWN TAP RUNNING TIME (BRUSHING TEETH) #2. LOW-VOLUME FLOW RATE TOILETS/SHOWERS #3. FIX LEAKS! (Avg. US home wastes _____ gallons yearly w/ one faucet drip); with a moderate toilet leak _______ monthly? Faucet: 10,000 gallons yearly; toilet 6,000 gallons monthly #4. WATER-SAVING APPLIANCES (dishwashers/washing machines) #5. USE RAIN BARRELS, CAR WASHES, XERISCAPING, KEEP TRASH OUT OF LAKES AND STREAMS #6. EAT LOWER ON FOOD CHAIN, STOP USING “PLASTIC WATER” (3 liters to produce 1 liter), CONSIDER VIRTUAL WATER PRINT

WATER SAVING VIDEO TIPS https://youtu.be/EQ21EMkLRFo Howcast saving water https://youtu.be/hLcKn1M5fRQ 10 tips https://youtu.be/jUUqYWnX8ls California tips

what is often lost in a GLOBAL ISSUE discussion of water https://youtu.be/A7pCSjQzPZw