Climate Change: Water problems
While I know I just posted about my dad and our disagreement on climate change, that's what I'd like to focus on for the actual post I was assigned.
Climate change has a major role in Paolo Bacigalupi's The Water Knife. Droughts and high temperatures result in fights over water rights, dry cities, and high tensions between states.
Water is essential for life. And fighting for water is something that no one wants to do, but it's something that could easily come up if climate change is not corrected (which at this point would be difficult).
Already there are laws in place regarding water rights. Arizona put a law in place in 1919 that requires people to obtain permits to gather surface water--which includes well water. Until just a few years ago, people in Colorado weren't allowed to collect rain water. While that changed in 2016, there is still a 110-gallon storage limit per household.
While water is technically considered a renewable resource, because it can be used over and over again thanks to the water cycle, there are limits to water, especially with high temperatures encompassing the planet overall. It's hard to use water that evaporates consistently, and you can get evaporation in your 60-degree living room, when your glass of water very slowly empties without you actually drinking it.
Climate change is such a huge problem, and a bigger problem is that there are those that don't believe in it. Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible to change someone's mind on it.
Climate change has a major role in Paolo Bacigalupi's The Water Knife. Droughts and high temperatures result in fights over water rights, dry cities, and high tensions between states.
Water is essential for life. And fighting for water is something that no one wants to do, but it's something that could easily come up if climate change is not corrected (which at this point would be difficult).
Already there are laws in place regarding water rights. Arizona put a law in place in 1919 that requires people to obtain permits to gather surface water--which includes well water. Until just a few years ago, people in Colorado weren't allowed to collect rain water. While that changed in 2016, there is still a 110-gallon storage limit per household.
While water is technically considered a renewable resource, because it can be used over and over again thanks to the water cycle, there are limits to water, especially with high temperatures encompassing the planet overall. It's hard to use water that evaporates consistently, and you can get evaporation in your 60-degree living room, when your glass of water very slowly empties without you actually drinking it.
Climate change is such a huge problem, and a bigger problem is that there are those that don't believe in it. Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible to change someone's mind on it.
I think it's important people realize water is renewable but not limited, and with our current consumption levels it won't last long. As for people who don't believe in climate change, they probably won't until things get worse and worse. You can only hope enough people will start to believe to make a difference before its too late.
ReplyDeleteIt seems kind of crazy that you can't collect rainwater that falls on your house! But that is an important sign about the crisis, isn't it?
ReplyDelete