Water Is Life 8/26/15

Life on earth in the presence of water If life exists anywhere in the universe, it must contain a few chemical components necessary to life – including water and Nitrogen. Water provides the medium for chemical reactions: Water’s unique properties (excellent solvent, exceptionally large liquid temperature range, etc.) Makes it an ideal medium for chemical reactions to take place.

water Water links us to the past – to other living creatures Ancient Times: societies have succeeded or failed according to the ability to get and protect clean water We still depend on water for EVERYTHING: Toilets, fires, building cars, making food water

Your body is about 75% water Humans need clean water to keep them healthy You would die from dehydration within a week!

Earth has all of the water it has ever had or will have! We are drinking from the same pool of water as our ancient ancestors This occurs because of the HYDROLOGIC CYCLE How much water is there?

ALL OF THE WATER ON EARTH! The Hydrosphere ALL OF THE WATER ON EARTH! Water covers 71% of Earth’s surface (358 quintillion gallons) 97% is too salty for humans! Only 3% is freshwater (to supply the whole world ) EVEN WORSE… 80% of freshwater is frozen in the polar ice caps The rest is too polluted or too hard to get to. ONLY ½ of 1% left for us!

The Good News Water is one of the most recyclable substances on Earth When we use water, we don’t destroy it…it doesn’t disappear This is good because we use lots of it, and the demand for freshwater grows as the world’s population grows

EXPONENTIAL POPULATION GROWTH

The Bad News Worldwide the need for water has tripled over the past 50 years. To get this water, people have: drained rivers dry turned grand valleys into huge tubs of water pumped so much water out of the ground that the Earth’s surface has sunk beneath our feet. In the US, we often take for granted the clean water that flows out of our faucets. We assume our water is safe. We don’t think much about where it comes from, how the water is cleaned and distributed, how much we use each day, or what happens to it when we flush our toilets.

What, besides water do you need to live?

What happens when the land beneath your home begins sinking?

What happens when you have too many people, and not enough regulation?

QUALITY WATER MEANS QUALITY LIFE Thousands of water samples and tests are performed by water professionals every year to determine: what chemicals can be used to treat our water what will make it suitable for human use.

Are we capable of thoroughly cleaning all of the water we pollute? Do you think all of the organisms that live within this environment will survive if this pollution continues?

Water is important to all of us It’s important that we all do our part: Watch your daily water consumption Pick up after your pets Avoid littering (it could end up in rivers and the ocean) Water is such an important part of our lives, even if you don’t always think about it A word from my friend, Mr. Kennedy…

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) “All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea— whether it is to sail or to watch it—we are going back from whence we came.”