Clean Water Use, Abuse, and Availability

~ Water is the most precious, limited natural resource we have in this country…But because water belongs to no one – except the people – special interests, including government polluters, use it as their private sewers ~

Ralph Nader, 1971

 

~ We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one ~

Jacques Cousteau

 

The Problem

Globally the impacts of the clean water industry and privatization of water are becoming dangerously similar to those of the oil industry. Our water supplies are dwindling and the people in positions of power in the water world have personal profit in mind. Water has become a source of revenue and sold under the label of “sustainable” and “clean” rather than remaining an essential life resource for all living things. In Davis our water is pumped from 22 underground wells 300-600 feet below the surface and is known to contain high concentrations of heavy metals which effects taste and sometimes health. (City of Davis) There is currently an initiative with the City of Woodland to bring treated water from the Sacramento River into the Davis community which is expected to start construction by 2014. (WDCWA.com)

Where does it come from?

How is it used today?

 

Take Action

Individually:

~Install low flow items in your home like toilets, showerheads, faucet caps etc. at ACE Hardware

~Buy seasonal, organic and native foods. Or GROW THEM. All options take less water to produce.

~Take a Class on Water or become a Hydrologic Science Major:

HYD 10 Water, Power, Society or Become a Watershed Science Major

 

Locally:

~Host a Screening of the Movie Flow and a Discussion Afterwards

~Conduct a survey of your immediate community’s (dorm, apartment building, housemates, family/friends) consumption. Then display the results to them and constructive ways to improve. ~Learn more about corporate, individual, and global water foot prints and how to change them.

Globally:

~Sign the UN Petition to make access to clean and safe water a basic human right.

~Join the Peace Corps

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 12:23 am and is filed under Water. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.