An Introduction to the Water Crisis

The Blue Planet Project

"I believe that water could become Nature's gift to us, to teach us how to live in peace with one another, and in harmony with the Earth, if we have the wisdom to listen."

- Maude Barlow in "Water on the Table"

The Blue Planet Project, founded by Maude Barlow, "is an international civil society movement begun by The Council of Canadians to protect the world’s fresh water from the growing threats of trade and privatization" (from their website).

It is a great initiative that examines the Right to Water, Alternatives to the current view and trade of water, and encourages Movement Building.

They have many informative and inspiring publications, available on their website:
http://www.blueplanetproject.net/index.html

Water on the Table

This is the trailer for "social-issue documentary by Liz Marshall that explores Canada's relationship to its freshwater, arguably its most precious natural resource. The film asks the question: Is water a commercial good like running shoes or Coca-Cola? Or, is water a human right like air?"
http://www.wateronthetable.com/




Think Again About Our Water
Canadians - Think about this next time you turn on your tap!
"Are we running out of water? Is water the new oil? Should we export our water to the United States and how much water does Canada really have? To answers those questions Think Again has gone through the TVO archive to find answers from people like Maude Barlow, Brian Milner and Ralph Pentland."




Blue Gold
The documentary "Blue Gold" is great if you're interesting in learning more about the water crisis.

Synopsis taken directly from the website:

In every corner of the globe, we are polluting, diverting, pumping, and wasting our limited supply of fresh water at an expediential level as population and technology grows. The rampant overdevelopment of agriculture, housing and industry increase the demands for fresh water well beyond the finite supply, resulting in the desertification of the earth. 

Corporate giants force developing countries to privatize their water supply for profit. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk water export schemes. Corrupt governments use water for economic and political gain. Military control of water emerges and a new geo-political map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.

We follow numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N. conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools. As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war”. A line is crossed as water becomes a commodity. Will we survive?

Read more...

The Vertical Farm

I first came across this idea in an article in Discover Magazine, and by following their links, found the website on the Vertical Farm Project. It's an interesting and innovative idea. One major criticism of the
"organic movement", ideas of "returning to the land", increasing interest in sustainable farming as a way of helping curb the negative effects of climate change is that it unrealistic. It is argued that not everyone will want to return to the countryside, leave the urban lifestyle behind. I also pondered this challenge, and wondered how it would be possible to bring local organic food to the masses in cities, in a sustainable way.

Stumbling upon the Vertical Farm Project has given me some hope! It is not the only project tackling this issue, but it shows promise. I am definitely interested in looking into this further, examining the science behind the idea. 

For now, here are some links and videos to spark your interest:

The Online Discover Magazine Article that caught my interest. Check out the pictures and captions:
(All very intriguing, and definitely some amazing ideas, but (and this is being said with absolutely NO research done, and no background knowledge) I wonder about the implications of the "unnatural" environment created in some of these places, including not having access to the natural pests, funghi, etc. that exist in ecosystems and that are essential (or at least helpful) to sustainable agriculture. Also would need to be careful to not use chemicals and GMOs, but rather to keep it organic. It is possible these researchers have already addressed these questions and concerns. I will look into it further, and post any answers I find.)

http://discovermagazine.com/photos/02-vertical-farms-high-hopes-for-feeding-the-future

The following videos and information are taken directly from the Vertical Farm website: http://www.verticalfarm.com/

(This website has many WONDERFUL and informative links)

The basic idea:

The Problem

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 10⁹ hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA). Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster?

Advantages of Vertical Farming

• Year-round crop production; 1 indoor acre is equivalent to 4-6 outdoor acres or more, depending upon the crop (e.g., strawberries: 1 indoor acre = 30 outdoor acres)
• No weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, pests
• All VF food is grown organically: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers
• VF virtually eliminates agricultural runoff by recycling black water
• VF returns farmland to nature, restoring ecosystem functions and services
• VF greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface
• VF converts black and gray water into potable water by collecting the water of
  evapotranspiration
• VF adds energy back to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible
  parts of plants and animals
• VF dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, shipping.)
• VF converts abandoned urban properties into food production centers
• VF creates sustainable environments for urban centers
• VF creates new employment opportunities
• We cannot go to the moon, Mars, or beyond without first learning to farm indoors on
  earth
• VF may prove to be useful for integrating into refugee camps
• VF offers the promise of measurable economic improvement for tropical and subtropical
  LDCs. If this should prove to be the case, then VF may be a catalyst in helping to reduce or even reverse the population growth of LDCs as they adopt urban agriculture as a strategy for sustainable food production.
• VF could reduce the incidence of armed conflict over natural resources, such as water
  and land for agriculture

Read more...