Water a strategic resource Oliver Brandes,
Special to The Windsor Star Thursday, October 12, 2006 http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/editorial/story.html?id=4787bbd1-3dea-4ffd-8288-1df1ced24b4e&p=2
Summary
It may be surprising to know that Canada might be facing a water shortage because water scarcity has become an alarming issue throughout Canada. Aquifers are shrinking and glaciers are melting at a fast rate. The climate is also becoming warmer causing droughts in the Prairies. Environment Canada reports that with in every four communities, one of them is likely to face water shortages. An international conference – Water in the City- had a long discussion about this problem. It was suggested that the cause of today’s problem was mainly because communities responds to 21st century problems with 20th century solutions such as more concrete, bigger pipes and pumps which leads to bigger tax bills. The real challenge we are facing here is to discover a significant water management approach so it helps us conserve water. To establish this, we are hoping to manage people who live within the watersheds instead of managing the ecosystem. We can conserve water by finding alternatives to the well grounded dams, pumps and pipes we currently have or add reusing and recycling components to these reservoirs. However, most importantly is placing policies on water conservation. For this to work effectively, the community must be fully engaged. Conserving water is not only an approach for a better environment but also helps us save money on the long run.
Relationship and Reflection
It is suggested that Canada may be soon facing a water crisis, so what will happen if we don’t have access to water? We all use water for showering, cooking, agricultural and industrial work and much more. It is obvious that the demand for water exists, but the supply we have in Canada is limited. With the massive pollution contributing to global warming, our climate is undergoing major changes. All these will further threaten our water and fisheries. With water already being scarce, the prices for hydroelectricity will also be increasing. Water may also become a product used for exporting and importing as it is scarce and there’s a high demand for it. But most importantly is that scarce and inelastic products like water can be used to make big money. If this is the case, money will be for sale at high prices. Water is a necessity and we all need it for basic survival. Although water may not run out in the near future, but it is still very important to conserve water at this moment. An effective way to alert people to use water more wisely would be to increase their hydro bills. However the only way water can be conserved is to set regulations to fence out and restrict people’s access to the resource. There should also be restrictions on pollution which accounts for the contaminations of water.
posted by wini_lao @ 12:18 AM
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