I attended a presentation by Maude Barlow about the current and future state of water supply around the world. I came expecting to hear the basic facts we’ve all been hearing for a while, that we need to monitor our water consumption and find inventive ways of reusing water. However, I left with an entirely new perspective. The first thing Mrs. Barlow brought up was how water consumption is affecting global warming. As we have seen by recent extreme weather conditions in Syracuse and around the world, there is definitely something going on in the environment. Anything that can reduce this risk definitely is worth listening to. Barlow argues that our misuse of water is directly related to the changing in the hydrological cycle and shifting our water tables, which is something that contributes to global warming.
The scariest part of the water dilemma, is having no idea what the future may hold. When 80% of rivers are currently severely damages because of the misuse of water, it’s hard to imagine us changing or limiting our consumption patterns. If anything, consumption of water may just continue to increase. If this pattern continues, excess water will soon become a luxury rather than a common good. If this is the case, I fear down the line water may become similar to oil. If it becomes a good that is stored and transported solely for personal profit, then more and more people will suffer. I think a solution to this would be to limit the transportation of water to make people become more aware of the importance of fresh water and to force them to take some action. I wouldn’t be surprised if the water dilemma is a major topic in the 2016 presidential election.
