Blue Gold

Source: Blue Gold, by Maude Barlow, International Forum on Globalization

Synopsis: Available freshwater, meaning available for use and/or consumption, is arguably the most critical resource upon which depend. It amounts to less than one half of one percent of all water on Earth. If current trends continue, water shortage will become the most pressing issue with which we’re faced, if it is not already. The world economy of the near future, in which water will be bought, sold, and traded, has the capacity to exacerbate the problem, widening the gap between the haves and have-nots, and ensuring conservation efforts will not succeed. The source concludes with a series of principles upon which we might base future efforts to deal with this crisis.

Reflection: I’m going to start with criticism. My father, whom I love dearly, is a climate change skeptic. It is a battle that must be fought on three fronts: first, he does not accept that global climatic patterns are changing. Second, he does not accept that, if they are changing, the cause is anthropogenic. Finally, he does not accept that, if the first two points were true, there is anything we could do about it. (Note the use of the term “accept.” Issues of global climate change, peak oil, and overpopulation are phenomena that do not require belief to exist. We don’t “believe” in gravity.)

He is honest about how he arrived at his view. The politization (somebody let me know if that’s not a real word) of the issue and the accompanying “bleeding heart” messages have completely and totally turned him off. The most compelling evidence means nothing because he can’t tolerate the way it’s communicated. I can’t entirely blame him. The included statistics about how much water western civilization uses for luxuries like cosmetics and ice cream compared to how much developing nations use for necessities wears thin very quickly. I even found myself wanting to play devil’s advocate, and I’m almost as bleeding heart as they come. Engagement is as much a part of sustainability as conserving water and protecting biodiversity, and making people feel guilty is not an effective tool for engagement. That being said, I don’t know the purpose for which this paper was written and part of my task is to look beyond issues like this anyway, so I won’t dwell on it.

Other than the above, what struck me first was the critical state of freshwater. Water consumption is growing at twice the rate of population growth. Wow. It’s obvious and intuitive that we need it for cooking, cleaning, and sanitation, but I hadn’t made the connection between water usage and manufacturing, especially in the high-tech sector. It’s another example of blissful ignorance, but my reaction to this knowledge is hopeful. We’ve become so distanced from the items we consume that considering something like how much water was used to manufacture our computer is no longer intuitive, but it doesn’t mean that it’s meaningless. Even now, we’re seeing product branding that points out sustainable practices used in creating the product. It’s not the end of the problem, but a step in the right direction. Of course, as the article points out, 65% of our water is used as irrigation for crops. To the best of my knowledge, there is no classification for food that’s produced using less water-intensive methods.

Much was said about the commoditization of water, the buying, selling, and trading of water and water rights. This brought an interesting realization. The idea of water as a commodity seems absurd to me, but I wasn’t sure why. The article explores this reaction further. Is water a right or a need? If it’s a right, it cannot be bought and sold. If it’s a need, it can be. Food is as necessary as water, and we buy, sell, and trade food as a matter of course. Why is water different? Because historically, it hasn’t required the same amount of effort to procure it? Possibly, but I’m no anthropologist and I know people have gone to great lengths to procure water (I cite the Roman aquaducts). Taken a step further, we could try the mental exercise of considering the air we breathe as a commodity. Ridiculous. (I cite the movie “Spaceballs,” a fascinating documentary about the commoditization of air) What’s different about water? I don’t have an answer.

Disregarding the moral and philosophical considerations of water and water rights, we arrive at reality, which is that, right or wrong, water is becoming a commodity, subject to market forces. Is the bulk exportation of water financially feasible? Is this an issue the free market is capable of handling? Maybe, considering what could happen to the cost of all those products that depend on cheap or free water for production. Do we want to wait to find out? In fact, the article gets at this, pointing out that if industry was paying the true cost of water, we wouldn’t be so cavalier about its use. As far as business is concerned, success may lie in viewing this as a marketing opportunity. Pay attention to how much water is used in your company, work to reduce that amount, and don’t be shy about telling people.

I’ll wrap this up with a couple of facts.

Fact: There is no solution to the global water crisis (or any of these issue) if global population growth is not addressed.

Fact: Wars are fought for resources. Water is arguably the most critical resource. When people must choose between peace and survival, peace will lose. Every time.