There are 7 huge oceans and countless seas, lakes, and rivers. Why is water shortage even a big deal?
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Well, if you don’t believe that we’re running out of water, then you’re in for a surprise.
First, let’s look at the resources we have. It is true that there is a large supply of water on Earth. However, 97% percent of that is saltwater, which we CANNOT (yes, capitalized) use. Now we’re down to 3%. And guess what? 2 out of the 3% is fresh water that is frozen as glaciers and icebergs, which we cannot hardly use for anything. That leaves us with the tiny one percent, the one percent on which our civilization has been surviving and will have to survive on in the future. I don’t know about you, but this idea doesn’t make me feel very secure about humanity’s future at all.
Even though 70% of our water consumption goes toward agricultural uses and 22% to industrial uses, it doesn’t mean that our daily practices don’t matter.
Let me share with you a few facts that might change your perspective on the issue:
- almost 800 million people lack access to safe and clean water everyday
- the average American, taking a 5 minute shower, consumes more water than an average person in the slums of a developing country does in a whole day.
- by the year 2030, global need for water will exceed the supply by 40%.
- it’s not just the lakes and rivers that will run dry, but groundwater will also be depleted.
Our taps might still be running today, tomorrow, and in the next few weeks or months. But who knows what can happen in a few years. It might not seem very serious now, but let’s not wait until our oceans run dry to take actions. We might have aquifers and dams, but once those are gone, our water supply will be gone for good. Just let that sink in.
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