Think Green Live Clean

Photo Credit: Drew Myers

Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “water is the new oil.” Many believe our freshwater reserves are non-renewable and dwindling by the day. With global climate change and the melting of glacial ice in the media spotlight, it is easy to forget how reusable water really is. Unlike oil, which is burned to fuel our cars and make plastics, water is consumed and returned back to the environment relatively unscathed on a molecular level. It is our job to ensure we don’t return it in such a polluted state that reusing the water becomes impractical.

Water is consumed everywhere, but it is not abundant everywhere.  I foresee access to water as the greatest problem in the future. It is not a true global commodity because it is too “bulky” to be shipped. This means that it is too cheap per volume to be cost effectively distributed around the planet. In some water-stressed areas, water trade is becoming more prevalent and necessary to sustain life, but this market pales in comparison to the amount of oil that is bought and sold all over the world.

This does not mean water scarcity is not an issue, but to claim we are “running out” is an exaggeration. We will need to explore new ways of accessing and distributing clean fresh water, and work to reduce inefficient transport. It is estimated that 25% of water is lost through leaky or burst pipes (50% in developing countries). It will be very important in the future to reduce the amount of water lost to insufficient infrastructure.

To ensure that future generations have access to fresh water, we must be more aware of our consumption and pollution levels. Water is a valuable resource, and even if it is not disappearing as quickly as most believe, conservation should still be a major concern.

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